YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: Dawn of Twilight
by Haoh Ryu Z-ARC
Summary: In an alternate version of the ARC-V universe war breaks out, fiercer than in the original. Two youths soon find themselves in a crossfire against Academia. Unbeknownst to them, supernatural powers pull the strings in the background as they travel across dimensions to find allies. While doing so, the mysteries just keep on coming. (Adt. Pairings: Yu-Boys x Bracelet-Girls)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone and welcome to my first fanfiction!**

 ** **Since I'm a rather talkative person, let's leave the major part of the introduction out for now and start with the first chapter of this story! I will talk about said thing at the beginning of the ending notes! Before that, just a few things!****

 **1\. This story has quite the variety of stuff. Here is a little list of a few things so you get an idea what you are getting into when reading this:**

 **-additional dimensions and counterparts**

 **-all current summoning methods plus new variations of them (think of what Accel Synchro is to Synchro), plus an entirely new method(s)**

 **-backstory on Zarc and his plans**

 **-warfare with more than just cards**

 **-supernatural stuff (I will talk about that in detail later)**

 ** **2\. I will use the original sub names and some Japanese terms in the story, name order stays European/American however (first name, family name). I just like it better this way, with the exception of a few characters, but oh well, sacrifices have to be made sometimes****

 ** ** **3\. For a lot of cards anime effects will be used, but I will put in a vast majority of TCG effects as well or alter either of them slightly******

 **4\. Since I obviously have not much experience here, I will rate this story T. Warning: It gets a bit violent on some occasions, but I think it should** **still** **be appropriate here since it is rather chilled most of the time, correct me if I'm wrong.**

 **5\. I made the cover of this story myself by using the CD-cover of Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Sound Duel 4 as a basis. Then I added some stuff and boom, one cover done! I hope you like it! Quick disclaimer, I don't own the original CD-cover of course, but the new one is my own production, so I guess that makes me its owner**

 **6\. And finally the classic 'I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V or any of its characters besides my OCs'-thing**

 **Well, with that out of the way, we can almost start. But since I shifted the normal introduction to the notes, let me give you something else. It's just a little poem I wrote. You probably won't be able to make too much sense of it yet, but as you read, you will eventually. With that said, here you are!**

Supreme Dragon King was its name, the way it was called

But in reality, it is far more ancient and old

The primal dragon god of unlimited power

It will bring humanity to its final hour

Atop the summit of heaven it once again thrones

Gazing upon the world it rightfully owns

Its cry shakes the heavens, its claws pierce the sky

Its wrath will continue until all humans die

The mystical man who inherited all

His fury and anger will be your downfall

The savior dedicated to the ignored and oppressed

With revenge and destruction his mind is obsessed

The great dragon rises to even greater heights

Mankind trembling at these horrific sights

It's free again, its bindings undone

Its mile-wide wings blacken out the sun

Now it takes off, a being full of godly might

With a stream of immeasurable force it crushes the light

Its breath severs all, the world will be torn

As two beings merge a true god is born

A scarlet vortex strikes down to the ground

Its revenge will resume when it's once more unbound

And if it revives, its wrath is unleashed

A being that merged from a man and a beast

It draws near, in the distance it loomed

And if it appears, all mortals are doomed

From one came ten, from ten come one

With thy arrival their end has begun

What's true is wrong and what's false is right

It now is at hand, the dawn of twilight

He'll show your true supremacy

Using the power he gained from thee

He destroys, he can be what he wants to be

They're no good, and they mean no good, treacherously

He shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation

Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion

And his strength grows with every day, so it will get more and more

And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar

And he shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification

 **Now without further ado, let's jump right into it!**

* * *

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

On a balcony, a single person was standing, leaning on the railing and looking towards the horizon. The person is a male around the age of 14 and has dark blue hair with a few gray highlights on the front side of his head. The lower part on the sides and back of his head is covered with gray hair as well. He wears a magnificent outfit consisting of a long sleeved piece of clothing on the upper part of his body that looks like a mix between royal attire and a military uniform. It is also dark blue, matching his dominant hair color, and has a pretty high collar that covers most of his neck. At the end of both sleeves and on both sides of his collar, it also has white gems and it is furthermore decorated with numerous embroidery all over the uniform, the most outstanding of them being an emblem on his chest depicting a whitish "G" within a dark blue rhombus, which has silver dragon-like wings attached to its sides. He also wears white pants and a gray belt with a pretty unique buckle since it looks like the very same emblem again. His black shoes have quite a simple design, however, they are polished to absolute high gloss, so they look pretty impressive nevertheless. The most striking feature of his outfit, however, is the long gray cape fixed around his neck, likewise showing the royal insignia. The young man continued to stare with his light blue eyes, letting them wander over the city beneath him.

"Ah, the mighty Gishiki Empire!" He murmured to himself. "The beauty of this city – no, this very land – just fascinates me every time anew! It has taken a long time to get to this point, but now it is just … perfect."

His monologue was interrupted by a female voice calling out to him.

"Hey Yuga, it's almost time for dinner, we should better go soon if we don't want to upset father."

He turned around to face a girl about his age standing in the yard behind him. She wears a similar outfit as he does with hers being more feminine and with a shorter cape. In addition to her royal attire she also wears a silver, wavy bracelet with a bright blue gem in its middle, which meanders around the wrist of her right arm. She has medium-length, loose, very light azure colored hair with a few white bangs on both sides as well as on the left hand backside of her head, and a white, dragon-shaped hair clip on the left side of her front hair, plus bluish, diamond shaped earrings combined with a necklace of the same shape and color. Finally she has golden yellow eyes, which looked at him with her usual mix of kindness and self confidence, even though he could clearly tell from her expression that she was a bit uneasy right now since she hated to keep her dad waiting.

"Already?" He replied while she slowly approached him. "Usually I am the first one at things involving food, as you know by now. Guess I got lost in my thoughts and forgot about the time."

"You know, that always happens when you visit this place to observe the city. The view from here is captivating as always, I suppose?"

"You bet!" He grinned at her. "I can't help but admire the scenery! Come Shiryu, take a look yourself!" He beckoned her to come closer with his hand.

She walked up next to him and turned towards said direction. As he had told her, a magnificent view unfolded before her eyes. When she gazed over the city of blue, she couldn't help but agreeing with him. Most of its houses were made of aoneum, a rare kind of metamorphic rock that resisted corrosion almost entirely and therefore was the go-to material for building houses in this part of the world. While other capitals in the rest of the earth preferred building skyscrapers made of glass and metal, aoneum had always been the classic material in this city. Her family, commonly known as the Royal Family of Gishiki, had been the rulers of this world for a long time. Her father Ghidorah, the current owner of this position, inherited his throne from a long line of sublime monarchs who all had stood on the peak of the world during their lifetimes. The name of the royal family originated from the dominant summoning method of the world they represented since all of the Gishiki Kings were known for their tremendous strength as duelists and used strong Ritual-Monsters – even back in ancient times when Duel Monsters was still being played with stone tablets. While most of the world wasn't under their direct control because her ancestors hadn't expanded the empire through violent means in most cases, but formed friendly alliances with the other countries instead, most leaders of other countries acknowledged them for their power and took advice from the Gishiki Family if they faced problems which were too big to handle them on their own. Here in Japan however, they ruled supreme since it was the very center of their empire. And this city was their capital, the place where the first Gishiki King had built his castle several centuries ago. Because that king didn't really like pretentious names he simply called it after his clan: Gishiki City. That habit was picked up by the following Gishiki Kings who just named every important place in the city according to this scheme. During the extension of the Gishiki Empire, the fortress and the city around it grew steadily and the castle evolved from an expedient, rather unimpressive building to a colossal and awe inspiring palace of unrivaled beauty, yet it was still an impregnable bastion at the same time because of its three layers of walls. It shared its color scheme with the surrounding city (because in was obviously built from aoneum as well) and had several hallways, yards, botanic gardens, its high walls and towers, the highest of them being in the middle of the castle, where most people inhabiting the fortress lived – including the royal family of course. The city beneath had – apart from its signature blue buildings – four big parks, one for each of the cardinal points and a massive river that flowed in from the south. It was diverted artificially and encircled the Gishiki Citadel in the middle of the city, which was originally done as a means of defense back several centuries ago, but now it was intended for embellishment rather than to keep out possible invaders. Several bridges all throughout the city allowed to cross the river in order to reach the Gishiki Palace or the other side of the southern part without walking around the whole circular river surrounding the fortress. Because of the symmetric, well-ordered structure of the city and its castle, Gishiki City was widely regarded as the most beautiful place in the world. Since it was also essentially the political center of the earth, some people even went that far to call it a second Rome. Undisputed however, was the fact that it was the capital of the world in terms of dueling, which is one of the reasons why it was attracting a lot of duelists who were seeking to hone their skills there. The annual Dueling World Championship was also being held here and during each summer, whole armies of duelist flocked into the city to participate. Right now, the male and the female were standing on one of the balconies along the wall of the Gishiki Palace and gazed upon the blue buildings, the Southern Park and the great river.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it?" Yuga asked her

"Agreed." She replied. "I understand why you keep returning here over and over again. It took a while to get rid of the few less attractive parts of the city we had around a decade earlier though."

"Yeah, they weren't as pleasant as nowadays, but due to the renovations of those districts, everybody finally has a decent place to stay in this city now!" Yuga's expression turned into a proud smile while saying the latter part of that sentence.

After his statement Yuga slowly wrapped his arm around her. Meanwhile Shiryu – reminded of the past by their conversation – was on a trip down memory lane.

* * *

 _Shiryu could vividly recall her childhood. She already learned the necessary skills of life – reading, writing and basic knowledge in math and other sciences, and dueling of course – at quite a young age, which was only natural for a girl of her lineage. Her father Ghidorah loved and cared deeply about her and always found enough time for her, despite all of his duties as the Gishiki King. Taking into account all the luxury and the almost infinite resources at her disposal, you could say that she had quite a good childhood. However, all of that was also constantly obscured by the great expectations placed on her: Because she was an only child, she was expected to become the successor of the throne, a position she was not particularly keen on. Becoming the sole heir of the massive Gishiki Empire wasn't really part of her plan since she didn't want to spend all her life dealing with the various obligations of the crown all on her own. Also most people were rather conservative in terms of succession since it was common to have a male child ascend the throne after the death of the predecessor, making things even harder for Shiryu. Her father couldn't help but feel uneasy about all the pressure that was being put onto his daughter. He gladly would have had another child to pass his title onto in order to ease his daughter's mind. However, that wasn't possible anymore because his wife had died right after Shiryu had been born. Ghidorah and his queen had truly loved each other and he wanted to perpetuate her memory; therefore he refused to take another wife. This whole issue dragged on for years, until it was solved in a very unexpected way._

 _On one of his excursions through the city, the king encountered a boy on the streets who dauntlessly challenged him to a duel. Most of the surrounding citizens were shocked: No one usually dared to openly challenge the Gishiki King, who was widely known to be the strongest duelist in the world. The power of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon Deck – which Ghidorah inherited from his ancestors who had acquired it sometime in the first two centuries of their expansions – was commonly known as a force to be reckoned with and he officially never lost a duel to this point. Shiryu, who accompanied her father during that day, believed that this boy must have been either really foolish, full of himself or just very desperate. From his looks, she could tell that probably the latter was the case here: His clothes were more or less just glorified rags and he didn't look very healthy either. She guessed that he was probably one of the poor people living in this district of the city, maybe even an orphan, who naively believed he could improve his current situation by besting the king in a duel. Well, her father would probably do him that favor, but he had to beat the Gishiki King in order to get there and that was probably not going to happen._

 _After her father had given the boy a duel disk since he obviously didn't possess one himself – at least not anymore because theft was a common phenomenon in the slums of Gishiki City –, their duel began. The young child was struggling to even hold the heavy disk (at that time disks didn't have the transparent blades and were completely out of metal as a result), which was understandable for a boy only four years old. Ghidorah asked the child if he could even duel in that state and suggested to just forget about the whole incident; after all it wasn't a disgrace to withdraw his challenge against such a powerful opponent as him. The boy, however, got a hold of himself and declared that he would fight until the bitter end. After that, the duel finally started. Ghidorah summoned one of his signature monsters, the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which the boy not only fended off, but also – to her and the bystanders' surprise – defeated. Once the king saw his dragon falling, he decided to go all-out and summoned his strongest trump card, the unstoppable Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon, the Ritual-Monster he and his predecessors were famous for._

 _Since he had just summoned his strongest card, Ghidorah wasn't – not even in his wildest dreams – expecting the boy to survive his assault. Yet the child did the impossible and his life points didn't drop to zero, something Shiryu never had seen up until that point of time, because double piercing damage on a 4000 ATK beatstick – come on, that overwhelms pretty much anyone. The boy, however, did not seem to be one of those people and he began his turn. And what he then pulled off was still burned into her very eyes:_

 _He summoned two low level monsters, just two level fours, not that big of a deal for the speech about his determination the boy gave at the beginning of this turn. However, her emotions about that quickly changed when he declared that he would perform a Gishiki Summon without an appropriate monster or the corresponding Ritual Spell in his hand. At first she thought that he had gone mad, but when his monsters actually reacted to his declaration and joined together in a blue sphere of light that enveloped the surrounding area, she was completely overwhelmed at the sight. The levels of his monsters transformed into light blue stars that aligned vertically above the orb of light and after a short delay, a blue flash of light in the form of a pillar struck down on the sphere. After that, an inferno of blue flames emerged at the same place where the orb previously was. When the flames slowly retreated, a dragon became visible within them. Most of its scales were dark blue, its wings were semi-transparent and possessed a grayish color; along its arms and legs it had several light blue colored spikes. However, the most striking characteristic of the dragon was its thick throat and neck, its green teeth and eyes that just screamed "I want to consume you!". It had some saliva and other body secretions all around its mouth and when it opened it to let out an intimating roar, she saw that its fangs also dripped with the very same fluids._

 _Ghidorah, his daughter and all people watching the duel were shocked at this development. The boy then explained what he had just done: He said that he saw hidden potential in Ritual Summoning, so he found a way to evolve it beyond its limitation. He claimed that this summoning method was created through his sheer will, what they were inclined to believe when they saw the dragon's striking resemblance to its owner in terms of color. He then announced that he had decided on a name for this summoning mechanic – and called it Chō Gishiki – Super Ritual. When the awestruck king, his daughter and the spectators recovered from their astonishment, they stated that while that dragon looked indeed very powerful, it was still inferior to Chaos Max. The boy just smirked at that remark and used his dragon's ability. It launched a salvo of its caustic inner fluids, which destroyed – much to the king's shock – the bigger dragon even though it possessed immunity against effect destruction. But the dragon wasn't finished there and devoured Chaos MAX alive, strengthening itself in the process. The king wasn't able to defend himself against the direct attack that followed, and he lost as a result._

 _The audience – especially Shiryu – was completely shell-shocked by this result. Silence had spread over all of them, nobody even uttering one word. The person to break the silence, however, was no other than the king himself, who broke out into loud laughter. "Hahahahahaha, I see how it is! You are quite the skilled young duelist, aren't you? Very well then, come with me, I invite you to the royal family!"_

 _Shiryu and the bystanders were understandably astonished by that sudden declaration of the king. Even the boy didn't seem to fully believe his words. "Really?" He asked. He had prepared to receive some money in the best case scenario, not getting an invitation to join the highest nobility in the world._

" _Of course I mean it. Now take my hand if you want to come along with me." He extended his hand to the child._

 _The boy slowly approached him and took his hand after a while._

" _Very well. Now please tell me your name since I was so rude to not ask for it beforehand."_

" _It's Yuga."_

" _Well then Yuga, from now on your part of my family. Welcome to the Royal Family of Gishiki!"_

 _And that was the moment when Shiryu's life took a turn for the better._

* * *

 _During his first three years in the royal household, Yuga settled in quite quickly. Even though Shiryu feared at first that she might get in the background of her father's attention, she quickly learned to appreciate the recent developments, since her father didn't neglect her as a result of Yuga's adoption, so her fears turned out to be unfounded. Quite the opposite happened actually: She now had a brother of the same age as her and not soon after Yuga came into the Gishiki Citadel, they had already established a strong bond. When he was seven years old, the king officially announced in the Gishiki Arena during the World Championship in Gishiki City (because up until that time it was just a theory most people had) that Yuga would become his successor. When some people on the arena seats expressed their doubts about that decision, the king simply smiled and calmly challenged the participants of the final championship-round to beat his new child in a duel. The four of them followed that request, just to suffer a series of devastating losses at the hands of Yuga, whose power amazed the spectators in the stadium and those all around the world who were watching it on TV. After the last member of the final round had been defeated, Ghidorah declared his decision as absolute and asked the audience if they now all agreed with him. It wasn't long before the crowd, who had now witnessed he future king's strength, broke out in a thunderous applause that shook the whole stadium._

 _On that day a heavy burden was lifted from Shiryu's shoulders: She now didn't need to worry about the succession of the throne and because it was her beloved adopted brother who would inherit her father's position, she was also satisfied with the decision and accepted it, since after these three years where she got to know him better, she felt like he not only deserved it more, but was more suitable for it as well. During Yuga's first four years, the king tried to reproduce his strange variation of Ritual Summon. However, he only managed to make one Chō Gishiki for himself and a few for his daughter additionally to Yuga's dragon and the bunch of other Chō Gishiki-Monsters the boy now possessed. Although this lack of success was a bit discouraging to say the least, Yuga was nevertheless happy that there were some people close to him that shared his power now. He gladly taught both of them the secrets behind his mechanic and as a result not only him and Shiryu grew as duelists, but her father also became even more respected by the population due to his new ace Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon. Said monster was a giant, three-headed, blue-whitish dragon that required a total level of 24 with one of the tributes being the king's former trump card Chaos MAX to be summoned to the field. It was virtually invincible and could attack up to three times per turn – with doubled battle damage as well as piercing damage that is. However, it still yielded before the absolute destruction ability of Yuga's dragon, as you could tell from the result of the exhibition duel between Ghidorah and Yuga at the end of his fifth year in the royal family. Since that duel was also being held in the Gishiki Arena during that year's World Championship, mainly for Ghidorah to test out his new dragon's powers and Yuga's resolve, it reaffirmed the public once more that Yuga was indeed the right choice for the throne of Gishiki._

 _When Yuga was nine years old, only a few days after their exhibition duel, the king granted him access to a small part of his wealth and left the decision to him what to do with the money. Because of his origins, Yuga decided to invest it in the renovation of the less fashionable parts of Gishiki City. Since he believed he had the obligation to share his newfound luxury with the rest of the poor people he had once belonged to, he slowly improved the housing situation for them over the course of three years. When that was finished roughly two years ago, the king, who was quite pleased with Yuga's choice, expanded his funds; therefore Yuga repeated the same thing one level higher. Now that the situation for the lower class was constantly improving throughout Japan, the general level of satisfaction had reached an unprecedented height._

 _Over the years the relationship between Yuga and Shiryu consolidated. She admired him for his attitude, that he always returned something when he was granted anything. His renovation program wasn't the only example for that kind of behavior: Once he became part of her family, he picked up the habit of eating a lot or just very frequently. On the first few days she thought it was just because he was hungry – understandable when you lived on the streets for most of your life, starving with barely anything to eat. But as this continued on and on, she guessed it was probably just part of his nature, which wouldn't surprise her since he already shared his dragon's color scheme, so sharing its love for food wouldn't be too far-fetched as well. However, he compensated for his massive consumption by training "a bit", as he called it. And with "a bit", he defined his practice of doing push-ups and other stuff like that practically whenever he wasn't occupied with something else during that moment. This not only kept him in shape, but also gave him quite the athletic and agile body, a trait maybe not usual for the average Gishiki King, but nevertheless handy in some situations. She could recall one of those situations quite clearly, especially since it marked the beginning of another period of her life: One day, when she was eleven years old, she was walking along the wall on the upper level of the castle together with her father. She loved walking on the wall, a habit she had picked up when she was a child. As always, she asked her father to hold her hand and walk by her side – as a safety measure of course. Everything went normal at first, until the whole event took a turn for the worse: Shiryu slipped on the smooth surface of the aoneum walls and unfortunately her father lost the grip on her hand at the exact same moment. She fell down the wall and at that point, she thought that she was done for. To her surprise Yuga noticed the accident and jumped down from another part of the wall, fully utilizing the strength in his legs, caught her mid-air and landed safely on the lower wall, carrying her bridal style. When she then looked into his eyes, she could tell that her feelings towards him were way more than just fraternal love._

 _When he was adopted into her family, Shiryu was a little bit annoyed that he wasn't her actual brother at first. Her opinion about that topic, however, changed pretty rapidly once puberty came around. Ever since that little accident she knew about her affection towards Yuga, so she was thankful that they weren't related by blood. A bit more than one and a half years ago, when they were 13, she finally felt like confessing her feelings to him, even though she was afraid that he might not reciprocate them. However, her fears turned out to be unfounded once more, when he conceded his emotions towards her right before she was going to make her confession. After that, they got more and more used to being a couple and started exchanging tenderness like hugs and kisses more frequently. Her father supported their relationship; originally he just wanted to leave it to his daughter what she wanted to do with her life instead of ruling his empire. Her affection towards Yuga, however, was quite convenient for his plans: If she would marry him, Yuga's position as the future king would be further consolidated since Shiryu was born as a part of the Gishiki-Dynasty, unlike him who was only adopted. Through their marriage, Yuga would be able to become the undisputed monarch Ghidorah wanted him to be. He also approved of their relationship because he could see how much his daughter enjoyed being close to him, which pleased him as well because he loved and cherished his daughter wholeheartedly and so he was happy since she was happy as well. The king thought it was quite likely that the both of them would announce their willingness to marry pretty soon after they were fully adult. He even thought about retiring early to make room for them. Although he was only in his mid-50s and very healthy, so he probably could rule another two or three decades easily, he had a strong feeling that a young royal couple like them could rule his empire even better than him and that they deserved their time in the spotlight pretty soon. Taking into account how insanely popular Yuga already was due to his folk friendly politics, a change of sovereign seemed quite reasonable. Ghidorah wasn't a bad king – hell no – but compared to Yuga, even he paled. The young man possessed every skill needed for that title (since he got a really good education after he was adopted), he was an incredible duelist, but above all else he was a born leader – to an even greater degree than the king. He seemed to be destined for greatness, and Ghidorah didn't have the slightest doubts that he would probably become the greatest Gishiki King ever. He emitted an aura that encouraged the people around him and that courage rubbed off on Shiryu, who was rather timid as a child, as the years passed by. Yuga always was her shoulder to lean on and she appreciated the beneficial effects of his presence a lot. When she once mentioned that topic in one of their frequent conversions within the last months, she had difficulties to describe that aura to him, so she referred to a book from the English part of her world that she had once read and said that he "inspired absolute confidence". Understandably, Yuga was quite dumbfounded after that statement, however, he then he smiled at her and thanked her for her trust in him. She also remembered the following kiss quite vividly since…._

* * *

"Hello Shiryu, you still alive?" Yuga addressed her, waving his hand right in front of her eyes.

"Yes?" She replied, startled at the sudden statement of her boyfriend, and turned towards him.

"I noticed your mind was quite absent for a while, so I decided to give you a little wake-up call. You were thinking about something, I suppose?"

"Yeah, you reminded me of our past, you know, how we first met and how our relationship developed over the years."

Yuga smiled at those words. "I see. Those are some quite good memories indeed. It was hard to reach this point, but I'm glad I was able to become part of this family and especially I am thankful that I got to know you, the person dearest to me!" He slowly embraced her and locked his lips around hers. She instantly kissed him back and they stayed like this for a while. Eventually Yuga broke the kiss and raised his voice.

"We should get going now, we don't want to keep dad waiting, do we?" He took a few steps away from her.

"Oh, right." Shiryu remembered. "I completely forgot about that. Would you mind going ahead, Yuga? I need a little time for myself to think. I'm coming right after you in a few minutes, okay?"

"No problem Shiryu, just don't arrive too late please."

"Don't worry, I won't. See you at dinner then!"

"Yeah, see you at dinner!" He waved his hand while slowly turning his back to her. After a few seconds, he entered one of the castle's hallways that was connected to the main tower where they usually dined. After a few minutes of recalling her past, she followed Yuga. Unknown to her however, an unfamiliar figure was standing atop of one of the smaller nearby towers, watching her. A sinister smirk crawled across the hooded person's face.

"Finally my next prey has shown itself! Let the hunt begin!"

* * *

As Shiryu was walking down the hallway on her way to the main tower, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, as if something was lurking in the shadows, ready to come and get her. While such thinking was pretty much nonsense in the environment of the well guarded Gishiki Palace, the probably safest place in the entire world, the fear still kept returning to her. She anxiously looked around, but spotted nothing. She sighed and continued walking. Behind a nearby pillar however, the hooded stranger hid himself and gazed upon her with the look of a predator. When she came close to his pillar and faced in the opposite direction, he left his hideout and charged towards her with quick and wide, yet relatively silent steps. Alarmed by the sudden noise she turned around and saw the stranger, but he had already leapt towards her, his hand reaching out for her face.

" **YOU'RE MINE!** " He screamed, his facial expression more similar to a demon rather than a human. Shiryu knew there was no time to react, even if she wasn't paralyzed with fear.

Suddenly, a hand shot out towards the stranger's arm and grasped it by the wrist. The hand pushed the cloaked figure, which was still in midair, to the side and the stranger landed a few feet left from her. However, he still was able to land pretty gracefully for being pushed like that, which indicated that this guy might be quite well versed in terms of acrobatics and athletics, just like Yuga. The latter then spoke up to the hooded stranger.

"I see you were trying to get your filthy hands on my precious Shiryu! I have absolutely no clue who you are, fool, but be sure that you will receive punishment that exceeds even the limits of your imagination!" With that, Yuga turned towards the figure, his face twisting into a malicious, murderous grin.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And cliffhanger, I hope this doesn't become a habit. There you have it guys, the first chapter is done! God, it felt good to write that! Now then, let me start with the shifted introduction!**

 **The reasons for writing this are pretty simple: First off, when ARC-V was announced and I saw the first few episodes, I was like "Wait, why isn't Ritual/Gishiki considered an ultimate summoning method?" And after Episode 126 it got even worse because Haōryū Zarc was a combination of the four other methods and Leo's explanation made it look like Effect-Monsters were some really strong shit, even though they are the most basic monster card form (apart from Normal-Monsters of course). The fact that Odd-Eyes evolved into a Pendulum didn't help much either since it was essentially just a glorified Effect-Monster. So I thought: "Hey, what if there were more dimensions, and while I'm at it I also include the new summon mechanic as well". Therefore we will have Ritual and Link in here because I don't feel like discriminating against any of the summoning methods, as you can tell from my attitude. I know that this idea isn't really a new one considering there are already some of these five/six- dimension-stories, but oh well, time for my own attempt. I have some ideas to make this story more unique from them though, so that shouldn** **'t be an issue** **. Anyway, I also didn't like the ending of ARC-V at all. Since I didn't like Yuya's character design too much as well (I mean come on, what's up with all that egao-stuff, he just won't behave realistically like a normal person would do, but instead insists on making everybody smile, even if they tried to hurt or kill him before), I will shift the MC-role to another counterpart. I will, however, still shed light on all the Yu-Boys/Bracelet-Girls because I felt like some were neglected severely in the show *cough cough Rin/Ruri.**

 **Now to the actual notes: In the first chapter we were introduced to two of the new counterparts and their environment, the Gishiki/Ritual-Dimension. Sorry that there's so much background information, but I felt like if you really want to make new counterparts, you need to give them a proper backstory as well. I also introduced them as a couple because I hated all this beating-around-the-bush behavior of the counterparts in the original series (guess why this fanfiction has the secondary genre of Romance, it's not because it was the next best thing). The new protagonist comes from a poor environment, just like Yugo, but unlike him, he fought his way to the top of his world, depicting Zarc's lust for power of course. He also is a bit more realistic than Yuya, the eternally smiling optimist. In the next episode we will finally have the first duel of this story, as you can guess it's time for the Yuga vs. Yuri showdown. I played with the idea that our countries also exist in the ARC-V universe, which is pretty reasonable since anime often does that kind of stuff and just the major city of each dimension alone is too small to be an entire world, right? Also regarding how I came up with some of the new names: Shiryu is a combination of Shiro (Jap. for white) and Ryu (Jap. for dragon), obviously referring to the traditional Blue-Eyes Deck her father and his ancestors uses/used, plus her secondary hair color of course. For her father, once I knew that I'm gonna make Chaos Supremus Dragon (which is basically the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon-version of Chaos MAX) the name Ghidorah was just way too attractive for me, because it's the name of a three-headed dragon kaiju from the godzilla movie series. Well then, from now on things will most certainly get spicy. This story needs a few chapters until you get into the entirety of the plot, but once you are there, it should be really, really enjoyable! I wrote the first seven chapters as an exposition, so you should better read a bit before you form a hasty opinion, as the saying goes, don** **'t judge a book by its cover, since the build-up is pretty solid and you need a bit of time to see the whole picture.** **I apologize for some grammar mistakes, English isn't my native language and the comma placement rules here are pretty obscure to me at times, not gonna lie. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the following plot! Tell me your opinion about this story in your reviews, I appreciate any feedback from you since I strive to improve myself as a writer!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go again guys,**

 **let's skip the talking and jump right into the action, shall we?**

* * *

Chapter 2: Clash of Malice

Currently Yuga and Shiryu, who slowly recovered from her shock, were still facing the mysterious person with the hood. The latter of the Gishiki-Duo was – understandably – quite horrified by the latest events, especially because she had seen the stranger's face during the split second when he was flying towards her: It looked exactly like Yuga's, with the exception of some colors, but the similarities were still terribly frightening. After a few seconds, the figure reacted to Yuga's latest statement.

"Sigh, you really had to interfere, didn't you? You're such a nuisance, making my mission harder on purpose." He complained.

"Well, that's unfortunate for you, Mr. Steal Your Girl! Guess it's just what a jerk like you deserves! And what about that whole mission thing, were you hired to kidnap Shiryu or something?"

"Well hired is the wrong word in this case. "Ordered" describes it way better! The Professor tasked me to infiltrate this pathetic dimension and bring that girl to him. However, this won't be happening that easily now, I suppose."

"Wait, DIMENSION?! Are you saying you're from a different world or something?!" Shiryu exclaimed, her eyes wide open in shock.

"Indeed. I am from a place called the Fusion-Dimension. Since I feel like sharing some information, I shall reveal some things to you idiots: There are six dimensions in total, each of them possessing an unique summoning method. You live in the Gishiki-Dimension, which just happens to be the location of my current mission. I have to give you some credit though,", He said while looking at Shiryu, "you are far more difficult to catch than Rin and Ruri!"

"Rin and Ruri?! Who the heck are those people?!" She asked.

"Oh, no one important." He snickered. "Just some girls from the Synchro- and Xyz-Dimension who happen to share your face. The Professor told me to abduct them, so guess what I did! It was far easier to catch them however, since they didn't have a friend with such an awareness as this guy." He pointed at Yuga with his index finger.

Once more Shiryu was shocked by the words of the stranger. The male then took of his hooded coat.

"Guess now that the cat's out of the bag, I can stop wearing this stupid thing." He carelessly threw it away, revealing a young man of about their age with purple hairs and eyes as well as thick eyebrows of the same color, wearing a purple and light blue colored military uniform. He also had a red cape, which was just a few inches shorter than Shiryu's. The most outstanding part of his appearance was his face, however, which looked exactly like Yuga's, apart from some color differences and the hairstyle of course.

At the sudden sight of his doppelganger Yuga briefly flinched, but he regained his composure just after a few moments. Shiryu looked at him and wondered why he was so calm about that revelation.

"Hey Yuga, aren't you the least bit shocked that a clone of yourself is standing right in front of you?! And what about that dimension stuff, doesn't it concern you one bit?!" She addressed him.

He turned to her and responded. "Honestly, while the whole doppelganger issue is indeed quite surprising, it was pretty likely that there could be other people with the same face apart from you and your counterparts, so I was mentally prepared that something like this might happen after that guy mentioned how he kidnapped those two girls, Rin and Ruri. Regarding the dimensions, I actually have to confess something to you."

"Confess something to me?! Wait, do you mean you did know about the existence of worlds other that ours?!"

"Correct, father and his research department discovered those worlds around two years ago. However, he only shared that knowledge with me because he was afraid that you might get in danger because of it. He didn't want you to carry yet another burden on your shoulders by making you suffer from paranoia, so he decided to tell you nothing about his discoveries. But it seems his plan didn't work out since that freak is standing right there in this very pillared hall."

"Hey, it's not polite to insult strangers like that! Well, I guess it won't matter though. Since it can't be helped, I will to take you out and bring that girl right next to you straight to the Professor!" The boy from Fusion said.

"You think so?" Yuga stated confidently as he walked in front of Shiryu, protectively spreading his arms. "I believe you're the one who's about to be taken out, since I have never lost a duel yet!" He smirked and activated the bluish translucent blade of his duel disk at those words.

"Oh? You have a 100-percent win ratio as well?! This boring mission might actually become interesting now! Very well then, let's settle this already, I'm just itching for some action!" He activated his disk as well. It was also formed like a blade, however, its color was dark purple rather than Yuga's blue one.

-"Let's go then!"- Both of them exclaimed.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **YUGA VS. UNKNOWN**

 **YUGA: 4000**

 **UNKNOWN: 4000**

"Since I have the home advantage, I'll let you have the first turn!" Yuga stated confidently.

"That's very nice of you! I'll gladly take that offer! My turn then! TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!" He yelled, a sadistic smile creeping across his face.

"I shall start off by summoning Predator Plants – Cephalotus Snail in attack position!"

 _Predator Plants_ _–_ _Cephalotus Snail_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1200/Plant/Effect_

"Then I place two cards face-down. Turn end!"

"That was all? Quite a slow start to say the least! Well, you might have a plan if you have never lost yet, so I'm not assuming this will be that easy. However, I am an opponent of the kind that you've never faced before! Now behold! Bare witness to the unrivaled power of Yuga Gishiki, the future king of this realm! Be reminded of your own power and realize once more how insignificant you truly are!" He yelled, his eyes widening. "My Turn! Draw! Hmm, a bad opening hand for my standards, but oh well, that should be enough for the likes of you! From my hand, I normal summon the level four Effect-Monster **Gishki Magician – Caller!** "

 _Gishki Magician – Caller_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

"I now activate his effect! When he's summoned, I get to choose from two options, the one I take being the ability to special summon one "Gishki Magician"-Monster from my hand, other than another Caller of course! Come, **Gishki Magician _–_ Invoker!**"

 _Gishki Magician – Invoker_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 900/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Next up is the field spell card **Magical Gishki Pentagram**!" A blue glowing pentagram with several ancient runes appeared on the ground. "With that in play, all my Gishki Magicians gain a small boost of 300 ATK and DEF!" An aura of blue enveloped both of his monsters. "Using its second ability, I add **Gishki Magician – Summoner** from my deck straight to my hand! Now for pentagram's third power! Once per turn, I'm able to increase the levels of all my monsters by one for each "Gishki Magician"-Monster on the field! And for each of my monsters, I can select whether I want to grant them the full number of possible extra levels or just a part of it! Since there are two of them right now, I choose to increase the levels of my monsters by two, making them level six!" His monsters gained two more stars in the indicator box as he said those words. "Now the effect of my Invoker! Once per turn, I can double the levels of all my Gishki Magicians! Now both of them are level twelve!"

 _Gishki Magician – Caller: Lvl 4 → 6 → 12_

 _Gishki Magician – Invoker: Lvl 4 → 6 → 12_

"Oh? So you were able to collect a total level of 24 with just three cards? Impressive! Are you going to use them for one of your weak little Ritual Summons now? Honestly, that summoning method is so ridiculous and basic, they don't even go to the Extra Deck! Oh right, you don't even know what an Extra Deck is since all your weak little monsters go to the Main Deck! Gishiki Summoning exists in all of the dimensions, unlike those pathetic Synchros and Xyzs, which at least are unique to their respective dimensions – with the exception of Standard of course! Your techniques are not the least bit special, do you understand?!" Yuga's opponent cried out with a condescending look on his face.

' _Oh no'_ , Shiryu thought, _'that idiot just mentioned one of THOSE things! If he isn't careful and brings up the other three topics as well, this might not end well for that purple freak!'_

A pulsating vein was briefly visible on Yuga's forehead, his face scowling at the words of the stranger. "You're calling my summoning method weak, huh? In that case let me show you the full power of Gishiki Summon, I promise it will change your mind forever!" He exclaimed, his expression turning into a bloodthirsty grin. "I was indeed going for a Gishiki Summon, idiot! But let me show you something that you haven't seen before in your soon ending life! From my field, I send Gishki Magician – Caller to the graveyard in order to Gishiki Summon!"

"What?! But don't you need to activate a ritual spell first?!" The stranger exclaimed, shocked about the unexpected declaration.

"True, that would be the case if I used normal Gishiki Summon. However, I modified the mechanic a little, so I don't need any of those traditional conditions like a spell card or the corresponding monster in my hand! Let me explain it to you really quickly! Through their effects my Ritual-Monsters are placed in the Extra Deck – which I know about by the way – at the start of the duel! They also return there in case an effect bounces them back to my hand or deck! Now regarding how I summon them: I simply release monsters from my side of the field with a total level that equals or exceeds the level of the Gishiki-Monster I want to summon! Then the monster appears on the field, down from the Extra Deck all the way to my field!"

"What?! Such a Ritual Summon is possible?!"

"Indeed! This mechanic is quite rare, even here in the Gishiki-Dimension! In fact, only two people aside from me are capable of it! Rejoice fool, you are about to witness the legendary Chō Gishiki of mine!"

"Chō Gishiki?!" The Fusion-User uttered in a subdued voice.

"Now Caller, become the foundation of another mighty sorcerer!" Caller transformed into a blue orb of light, which bathed the surroundings in a bright radiance. The levels of the magician transformed into blue stars that aligned vertically above the orb. A pillar of the same light formed around the line of stars. Six of the stars dissolved, leaving the remaining six within the pillar of blue light.

' _Why did half of those stars disappear? Isn't he going to summon a level twelve?'_ The purple haired boy wondered.

"Magician serving the cult of Gishki,", Yuga chanted, "awaken your hidden powers and give rise to another sorcerer from beyond the boundaries of our world! Arcane wizard who has mastered the flames, decent into this realm and sear my enemies to piles of ash!" A blue light struck down on the orb and a blue inferno emerged in the same place. "GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 6, **Gishki Magician – Arcane Master!** " After a few moments, a sorcerer arose from the flames, wearing a dark blue robe just like the previous two magicians.

 _Gishki Magician_ _–_ _Arcane Master_

 _Dark/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect_

Yuga's opponent looked upon the monster with a mix of astonishment and shock. _'Damn it, why did nobody tell me about this? Now I have to face an entirely new summoning mechanic I have absolutely no knowledge about, aside from the little explanation that guy just gave me.'_

"And I'm not finished yet since I also have my level twelve Invoker left on the field! Now I release it! With him as a sacrifice, the level seven requirement for my next monster is easily fulfilled! Magician serving the cult of Gishki, awaken you hidden powers and call forth the master of the elements! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Appear, Level 7, **Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist!** "

Another magician appeared by the side of Arcane Master, wearing a belt with several pouches and bottles containing various chemicals. He shared the color scheme of his companion and had a confident smile on his face, almost as if it was saying that it was superior to the ugly plant on the other side of the field.

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2600/DEF 2400/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect_

"So that's Chō Gishiki? You can tribute monsters from your field to summon Ritual-Monsters from your Extra Deck, avoiding the usual issues of the summoning mechanic?" The purple boy asked, still not fully recovered from his shock.

"You catch on fast! Now for their effects! During the turn my Arcane Master was Ritual Summoned, he can destroy one spell or trap card on the field! I select the set card on your left! Now begone!"

A pillar of red flames erupted from beneath the stranger's card, destroying it in the process.

"Next up is Great Alchemist! First off, all my "Gishki"-Monsters gain 500 ATK for every Ritual-Monster on my side of the field! With two, that's 1000 for each! Also don't forget about the boost from my Pentagram!"

 _Gishki Magician – Arcane Master: ATK 2300 → 3600; DEF 2000_ _→ 2300_

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: ATK 2600 → 3900; DEF 2400_ _→ 2700_

"Two monsters with an attack of almost 4000?!"

"That's not all! Once per turn Alchemist also allows me to gain 500 LP per Ritual-Monster I control! So that's 1000 LP for me! Magician's Blessing!" The monster took out a handful of golden powder from one of the bags fixed on its belt. It then threw it into the air, invigorating Yuga as it slowly rained down on him

 **YUGA LP: 4000 → 5000**

"Now battle! Arcane master attacks Cephalotus Snail!" The magician formed an orb of fire in his palm and hurled it at the plant.

"Cephalotus Snail's effect! It cannot be destroyed by battle! Furthermore all battle damage is halved! I also activate the continuous trap **Predator Pain Converter**! What it does, you shall see soon!"

The fireball hit the plant and ignited it. It withstood the attack and the flames diminished after a while. Its owner, however, noticed that his cape was partially seared.

 **UNKNOWN LP: 4000 → 2850**

"Wait, why am I taking real damage?"

"Because I increased the Real Solid Vision-level with my duel disk of course!"

"You have that technology as well?"

"Naturally! I normally switch it off, however. But against a bastard like you, I felt like using it, you have to suffer for your sins after all!"

Yuga's opponent gritted his teeth. "Very well then, I now use the ability of my continuous trap! Since I took battle damage, I am able to add one Predator Plant with lower or equal ATK than the damage I took to my hand! My choice is Predator Plants – Drosophyllum Hydra!"

"Then I shall activate my own card's effect as well! When Gishki Magician Arcane Master succeeds in dealing battle damage, he inflicts 400 extra points of damage to you! Go Arcane Master, give him a little love tap! Quick Combust!" On cue the magician hurled a smaller flame than the previous one at the stranger, searing some of his hair in the process.

 **UNKNOWN** **LP: 2850 → 2450**

"I'm not finished! Next up my Alchemist attacks your ugly ass plant!" Said monster stretched its hand out, pointing towards the plant. A runic circle appeared in front of its index finger. Suddenly, a wave of molten quicksilver appeared out of thin air, rapidly advancing towards the stranger's plant. The latter of them survived the assault once more, but the duelist was covered with the molten fluid as well, crying out in agony because of the burning sensation on his skin.

 **UNKNOWN** **LP: 2450 → 1150**

"It hurts, doesn't it? Be grateful that it's just quicksilver, if my magician used napalm instead, it would have been way more painful!"

His opponent went silent for a while, clutching his chest against the burning pain of the molten quicksilver poured all over his body. Suddenly, he broke out into mad, sardonic laughter. "Hahahahaha! This is amazing! Finally I get to face a worthy opponent! This must be the luckiest day of my life! HAHAHAHA!"

"Wow, you're not only a total maniac as I already assumed, but a masochist as well? I wonder how you aren't in a psychiatry yet. But oh well, some psychos always slip past the authorities' attention, so I shouldn't be too surprised!" Yuga stated.

"The effect of my trap triggers once again!" The purple haired freak exclaimed, his eyes wide open with his pupils turning into slits. "Because I just took damage, I can add another plant to my hand! I choose Predator Plants – Ophrys Scorpio! Now end your turn, so I can give you a proper payback!"

"Fine! I set two cards face-down and end my turn with that!"

"Then it's my turn now! DRAW!" The purple haired boy yelled, his face twisted with an insane look. "I normal summon Predator Plants _–_ Ophrys Scorpio from my hand!"

 _Predator Plants – Ophrys Scorpio_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 800/Plant/Effect_

"Then I activate its effect! I discard Drosophyllum Hydra in order to special summon a "Predator Plants"-Monster from my deck! Come, Darlingtonia Cobra!"

 _Predator Plants – Darlingtonia Cobra_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1500/Plant/Effect_

"Now my Cobra's effect activates! Since it was special summoned by the effect of one of my precious plants, I get to add the spell card "Polymerization" from the deck to my hand!"

"Polymerization? I suppose that's the key card of your strategy?"

"Indeed! And now I activate it! I use it to merge my Cephalotus Snail and Darlingtonia Cobra into a new ravenous plant!" At that declaration, the two plants swirled into a vortex together. "Two beautiful flowers with a deadly, insect-alluring fragrance! Now become one and take the form of a carrion flower that pierces them with its wicked tendrils! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Appear now, Level 7, Predator Plants – Chimerafflesia!" He cried out, clapping his hands together.

 _Predator Plants – Chimerafflesia_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Plant/Fusion/Effect_

A new monster emerged from the vortex. It looked like if a carnivorous plant had lived in a radioactive contaminated area for several decades, to express its beauty accurately. Shiryu looked at the recently summoned plant with horror. "Fusion Summon?!" She uttered in terror, not believing what had just happened in front of her eyes.

"So that's Fusion, the summoning method from your dimension? Wow, that is quite an abomination you summoned right there! But it fits you pretty well, so I guess that's fine!" Yuga remarked.

' _I'll have to go all-out against him since I figure my Rafflesia alone won't be enough to finish him off. Starve Venom, I feel you want to come out and teach that moron about your power! Very well then, let me fulfill that desire of yours!'_ The man in the purple uniform debated with himself.

"I also play the continuous spell Predator Planter! With it, I'm able to revive one of my Predator Plants each turn. Return to me, Darlingtonia Cobra!" The snakelike plant appeared once more.

 _Predator Plants – Darlingtonia Cobra_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1500/Plant/Effect_

"And now I activate the second copy of Polymerization from my hand! Using its effect, I fuse my Cobra and my Scorpio! Two beautiful flowers with a deadly, insect-alluring fragrance! Now become one, and from the hell beneath your petals, give birth to another terror! Merge into a bloodthirsty, ravenous and venomous nightmare that devours all! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Come forth, poisonous dragon with hungering fangs! The vicious, ferocious and brutal, Level 8, **STARVE VENOM FUSION DRAGON!** "

 _Starve Venom Fusion Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2000/Dragon/Fusion/Effect_

A purple and green dragon with a serpentine body shape appeared on the field. It was like a hybrid between a dragon and a carnivorous plant, having several fly traps on its body, the two biggest of them being attached to its shoulders. It opened its maw to let out a terrifying roar, scaring Shiryu and making her cling to Yuga's arm as a result.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" The stranger asked them while gazing upon his own dragon. "If I were you, I would run away from it, however, that's quite difficult since were in the middle of a duel right now!"

"Starve Venom, huh?" Yuga murmured to himself. "Am I assuming correctly that you are Yuri then?" He asked his opponent.

"WHAT?! How do you know my name?!" The purple haired boy replied with a shock.

"Oh, it's quite simple actually! Our court musician happens to have composed a song called "Starve Venom". Because I wondered why he made such a scary soundtrack and called it like that, I once asked him how he came up with that name. He replied that he had once met a terrifying young boy called Yuri who had used a dragon with that name. And because of the dragon right in front of me, it's pretty clear that you must be said boy!"

"Oh, I see. Is that man called Dorian by any chance?"

"Yes, he is, why do you ask?"

"I see! You should know that Dorian was originally from the Fusion-Dimension, working for Academia, the place where I come from as well! He was tasked by the Professor to create some sound based weapons that cause an oscillation of the air, making it even easier for our troops to subjugate the Xyz-Dimension. Three years ago he vanished without a trace, however. But now that you gave me that little piece of information, I know that he must have betrayed Academia in order to flee to this world! Guess I will eliminate him for his treason after I'm done with you and my little mission here!"

"You will do no such thing! He must have abandoned your wretched organization because you tried to use his passion for music and turn it into a weapon! Forcing an honest man to produce weapons you want to commit atrocities with! You and your stupid little Academia really stepped quite low to say the least! I guess that sinister melody he composed because of you was fitting after all, scum!"

"Anyway,", Yuri continued in a nonchalant manner, "if there's a soundtrack about me, I suppose it would only be fair if you handed it over to me, right?"

"Since you have a point there and insist on it, I will grant you that wish! Here, I'm transmitting it to your duel disk right now!" Yuga said as he tapped a button on his own disk.

Yuri looked on the display and saw a message appearing on it after a few moments. "Splendid! Now let's test out my new toy, shall we?" He hit another button on the interface of his disk and the music started playing.

( 1, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 A Beastly Attack)

"Back to the duel! My dragon's special ability activates! During the turn he is Fusion Summoned, he can gain ATK equal to the combined ATK of all your special summoned monsters! Starving Absorption!"

"What?!" Shiryu exclaimed as the dragon drained power from Yuga's magicians, rays of purple light flowing from them towards Starve Venom.

 _Starve Venom Fusion Dragon: ATK 2800 → 10300_

"An attack of 10300?!" Shiryu cried, not believing Yuri's dragon could just power up like that in an instant.

"Also I activate Starve Venom's second effect! Once per turn, I can steal one of you monsters' effects! I select your Alchemist and while his boosting power might not benefit me, you lose it as a result! So your monsters' attack points return to normal, apart from your pentagram's bonus of course! Venomous Drain!"

 _Gishki Magician – Arcane Master: ATK 3600 → 2600_

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: ATK 3900 → 2900_

"BATTLE!" Yuri cried out with an insane look on his face. "Starve Venom Fusion Dragon attacks your Alchemist!" It raised its wings, a network of magenta and purple energy rays and orbs of green light forming around them. After a short delay, the orbs started emitting more rays of energy and formed an enormous sphere of green light over the dragon's head which was then launched at Yuga's monster as a beam of the same color, along with the other rays of purplish light who followed as well. "POISON DEATH SENTENCE _–_ HELL'S AURORA!"

"This is bad! If that attack connects, Yuga is done for!" Shiryu cried out loudly, her voice filled with concern about her boyfriend. The latter however, faced the attack with a resolute expression.

"Don't worry Shiryu! I send **Gishki Magician – Defender** from my hand to the graveyard to activate his effect! The damage is negated!" Shiryu sighed as his magician was destroyed by the attack but Yuga himself remained unharmed.

"So you dodged it! I was expecting it wouldn't end that easily! Very well, then I shall just continue with my other monster! Oh and by the way, this composition is amazing! When I duel like this, with that background music, I finally feel truly alive! It just fits me in every way! When I listen to it, I feel my desire for destruction rising, carding every being on earth until there's no one left except me!" His eyes were wide open, gazing upon Yuga with a completely insane look. "Now I attack your other magician with my Chimerafflesia! LACERATE HIM AND HIS MONSTER! VINE SLASHER!"

"Reverse card open! I activate the continuous trap **Gishki Barrier**! Once per turn, I can halve the battle damage from a battle involving a "Gishki" monster. Furthermore, during each turn, I can negate the destruction of one of those monsters as well! Go, Gishki Barrier, protect my Arcane Master!"

A shield enveloped his monster, saving it from its gruesome fate of being devoured by the plant. Yuga wasn't that lucky however, since he received several cuts from its tendrils, blood being splashed into his face. Yuga looked a bit irritated though, as the angle from where the blood came didn't entirely match the locations of his wounds.

 **YUGA LP: 5000 → 4050**

"Oh, I forgot to mention something! When Rafflesia attacks, it gains 1000 additional attack points, while your monster loses the same amount! That's because of its special ability Support Thorn!"

"What?! You dare to steal my magician's power?!"

"Oh?! Does that bother you?!" Yuri mocked him. "I guess it does, after all you're just a spoiled brat who freaks out and cries like a baby when someone takes away his stuff!"

"Why you...! Did you just call me a spoiled brat, you bastard?!" Yuga shouted angrily.

"And what if I did?! You're just a lazy kid who probably eats all day and enjoys the benefits of his nobility!"

' _Oh please no'_ , Shiryu thought, _'don't mention that subject!_ ' While Yuga was very friendly and calm most of the time, only boasting in his duels when the difference in power was completely obvious to everyone, there were a few things that freaked him out completely – four to be exact. The first of them was being called a spoiled brat, something that Yuri had just done a few seconds ago. Along with the third thing, which was calling him a glutton – also mentioned by Yuri just a few seconds ago –, that was just outright slander, since he compensated for both of those taints by sharing his wealth with the population and – in the case of his massive consumption – by training a lot. But those two were only the less important triggers for Yuga's descent into rage. The third and second biggest thing was insulting his summoning mechanic, which didn't happen a lot compared to the previous two things. But even here in the Gishiki-Dimension, there were sometimes people who called Ritual Summoning weak because they preferred playing strong effect-monsters instead. Yuga rarely encountered such duelists on the streets, but when he did, the duel usually didn't end without those persons receiving a bunch of injuries. However, even the insult of Gishiki Summon paled compared to the fourth and most important trigger: The thought of Shiryu or his friends getting threatened. While those incidents only had happened a few times during their childhood, she could still remember all of them quite vividly. In none of them the respective person got out of the incident without a forceful visit of the hospital. When any of those things happened and Yuga lost control over himself, he turned into a seemingly other person and instead of his usual calmness and kindness, he was behaving malicious, vengeful, brutal and arrogant. This change of behavior could even be seen in his eyes changing from their usual azure color to a dark blue over the course of his developing anger. When he completely snapped, his pupils turned into slits as well, making him look even more terrifying. Over the years she had adapted to his dark persona and learned to accept that it was part of him – yet she still didn't like it the least bit. To reach that state, a combination of those four things was needed, at least in most cases. However, just one of these triggers could also do the trick – if the impulse of strong enough. Right now, Yuri was basically poking all of Yuga's weak points on purpose, and if he continued, it was only a matter of time until he snapped and unleashed his dark side. And that was something Shiryu was absolutely not keen on seeing, even if it meant that Yuga could defeat his counterpart easier with it.

"Now I activate the spell card **Predator Missile** from my hand! Since I control a "Predator Plants"-Monster, I can destroy one of your monsters and inflict damage to you according to its original ATK! Your Arcane Master is history!" Yuga's monster exploded, his life points dropping simultaneously.

 **YUGA LP: 4050 → 1750**

"Now the attack points of Starve Venom and Chimerafflesia return to normal!" The Fusion-User stated.

 _Starve Venom Fusion Dragon: ATK 10300 → 2800_

 _Predator Plants Chimerafflesia: ATK 3500 → 2500_

"I end my turn with that!" Yuri declared, the music stopping as well.

( 1, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 A Beastly Attack end)

"What's wrong, where did all that confidence go all of a sudden? Are you giving up?! Guess it was to be expected from a person using such a pathetic type of monsters! Even with all the modifications on your Gishiki Summon you're weak! After all, trash will always remain trash! But don't worry, it will all be over soon!"

' _Damn it, he mentioned the third thing again! If that fool doesn't stop talking soon, we're in a lot of trouble!'_

"You're pathetic for someone claiming to be the future king of this dimension! I will obliterate you and your little clan, burn this castle and the city next to it to the ground and then I shall take your beloved girl to the Professor!" Yuri yelled, his words dripping with mockery and malice at the same time.

' _Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Stop provoking him if you don't want to suffer a horrible death, you stupid fool!'_

" **I WILL TAKE HER TO ACADEMIA AND YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE HER AGAIN!** " Yuri taunted him, screaming at Yuga at the top of his lungs.

Yuga flinched at the last statement, but then he froze, reacting not at all, looking down to the ground, face hidden behind his hairs. After a few moments, he slowly reached out for his duel disk and pressed a button. Out of nowhere, a music started playing and Yuga slowly looked up again.

( 2, Theater D Re-Zero OST)

When he looked at Yuri and the latter fully caught side of his facial expression, the Fusion-Duelist flinched heavily as he saw the most shocking countenance he had ever gazed upon in his life. Yuri could feel a shiver running down his spine at the sight of that sinister, smug grin that was currently obscuring Yuga's face, making him look like a demon that came to earth straight from hell. While Yuri also was dark and twisted, he paled compared to that devil standing right in front of him. Yuga was looking at him with murder intent, the iris of his eyes dark blue and pupils turned into slits, his fingers twitching, as if he was itching to get his hands on Yuri.

' _OH GOD, NOW HE_ 'S _DONE IT! He angered him using all the four lethal topics at once until he finally snapped! THIS IS GONNA BE HORRIBLE!'_ Shiryu thought, taking a few steps back from Yuga, her body quivering because of the uncomfortable atmosphere spreading in the hallway.

"Wh-what is that melody?!" Yuri stuttered, his face showing slight indications of fear.

"Oh that music? Nothing really, just another composition of my dear friend Dorian I once requested from him." Yuga stated in a seemingly calm voice. "I use it whenever I get serious and when my duels start becoming a little bit more … messy. It's called Theater D, if you want to know its name so badly!"

"Theater D?!" Yuri asked, still visibly shaken by Yuga's sudden change of behavior.

"Yeah, Theater D! **LIKE IN THEATER DESPAIR!** NOW WITNESS MY DEFINITION OF ENTERTAINMENT! **TODAY'S PROGRAMM IS A TRAGEDY!** MY TURN! DRAW! From my hand, I summon the Effect-Monster Gishki Magician – Summoner!"

 _Gishki Magician Summoner_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1200 → 1500/DEF 1000_ _→ 1300_ _/Spellcaster/Effect_

"His effect triggers! Once per turn, I can special summon one Gishki Magician from my hand or grave! Be revived, Gishki Magician – Caller!" Summoner raised its hand, which was enveloped by a light blue glow for a moment. His second monster then arose from a runic circle on the ground.

 _Gishki Magician – Caller_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

Yuga looked at his duel disk and heard a faint cry coming from his Extra Deck. _'You want to come out and fight that idiot's purple dragon, proving you are superior to it? Fine, I shall grant you that wish! Go and wreak havoc until nothing of that bastard remains!'_

"Now I tribute my two magicians to summon the strongest monster at my disposal! A creature so powerful that even your mighty Starve Venom Fusion Dragon looks like a puny lizard compared to it!" The magicians transformed into a blue orb, their levels hovering above it in a vertical line.

"WHEN MANY MEASLY BEINGS COMBINE THEIR POWERS, A NEW CREATURE IS BORN FROM THEIR SACRIFICE, A GLUTTON CRAVING FOR ALL SORTS OF PREY! NOW BECOME THE BEAST THAT DEVOURS THEM ALL! ONE DRAGON OF ENDLESS POWER, STANDING ABOVE ALL OTHER CREATION AND CONSUMING ALL FOES IN ITS WAKE! **TREMBLE BEFORE THE POWER OF THE STRONGEST!** " His eyes widened significantly at that declaration. " **GISHIKI SHŌKAN!** COME FORTH, RAVENOUS DRAGON WITH A STOMACH FULL OF AGONY! **WELCOME TO THE PARTY!** LEVEL 8! _**BILE THROAT GISHKI DRAGON!**_ " Yuga chanted with a look of complete insanity on his face.

A dark blue dragon emerged out of a blue inferno as the song in the background reached its refrain, its arms and legs covered with spikes, launching into the air with a beat of its gray wings before landing in front of Yuga with a bloodcurdling scream towards Yuri and his dragon. It was a bit more than one and a half times of Starve Venom's size and had glowing green eyes with scarlet pupils. Its fangs dripped with several fluids of the same green color and from the looks of it, it wasn't very good at keeping the body secretions of its digestive tract within its body, as the green liquids around its mouth displayed.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Dragon/Ritual/Effect_

"Bile Throat Gishki Dragon?!" Yuri uttered, not believing the sight unfolding before his eyes. "You have a dragon too?!"

"That's right! And it will be the dragon to end your miserable life! Bile Throat's effect activates! Once per turn, he can destroy any card on the field! Take down his Starve Venom, my dragon! **THIS SHOW WILL NEVER END!** **CORROSION CRUSHER!** " Bile Throat spat a barrage of its namesake fluid towards Yuri's dragon, cauterizing it in the process and making it scream in pain.

"Are you mad?! When Starve Venom is destroyed, he takes all your monsters with him, dealing damage equal to the combined ATK of them! With that, you're finished! Venomous Vengeance!" Yuri screamed, having regained his composure in the meantime.

"Oh, it does have such a powerful effect?! That's quite cool actually! Too bad that it's completely futile! Because now the second effect of Bile Throat kicks in!"

"Its second effect?!" Yuri asked. He then noticed that his dragon was still standing on the field, crying out from the caustic fluids on its body. "Wait, why hasn't Starve Venom vanished yet? You destroyed him with your dragon's effect, so why is he still on the field?!"

"Oh, that's quite simple actually! When my dragon destroys a monster by his effect, he can equip himself with that monster before it goes to the graveyard! Therefore your dragon's ability won't trigger and I don't take damage nor lose my own dragon!"

"What?! IMPOSSIBLE!" Yuri exclaimed, completely taken aback by those words. "So you're saying your dragon can absorb my dragon while avoiding effects that activate on destruction?!"

"That's right! Now do it, Bile Throat! Devour his purple little lizard! **ENDLESS GLUTTONY!** "

On cue Bile Throat leapt towards Starve Venom, swallowing it alive. No matter how much the smaller dragon struggled, Bile Throat wouldn't let go of it as it slowly consumed Stave Venom. Its stretchy throat dilated while it devoured Yuri's dragon in a few moves, its facial expression turning into a satisfied grin as it enjoyed its meal.

Yuri reacted with shock as he saw his dragon being eaten alive by Bile Throat. He quivered in fear as he imagined what would happen if that dragon turned on him instead of his dragon.

"Oh and that's not all! Bile Throat also gains the attack points of all monsters equipping him!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 2800 → 5600_

"We're still just at the beginning! Bile Throat's third effect! He inherits the abilities of all monsters that he devoured! Your dragon's powers are mine now! **DIGEST ADAPTION!** "

"So it can now use the effects of my Starve Venom?!"

"Correct! Now I use your dragon's first ability! Bile Throat gains the ATK of your Chimerafflesia! Starving Absorption!"

Streams of purple light flowed towards Yuga's dragon as it imitated Starve Venom's move, strengthening itself in the process. After it had amassed its new power entirely, Bile Throat let out another roar. As Yuri looked into its maw, he could swear that he was hearing faint screams of agony, coming from his Starve Venom inside the dragon's stomach.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 5600 → 8100_

"Now for his second recently acquired effect! I steal your Chimerafflesia's ability with my Bile Throat Gishki Dragon! Venomous Drain!"

Yuri witnessed the opponent's dragon using yet another effect of Starve Venom.

" **NOW** **PLEASE GIVE ME A BIG APPLAUSE!** As I eradicate this fool from the face of the earth!" He spread his arms as if he was talking to a huge audience around them.

" **BATTLE!** " Yuga exclaimed with an intense look on his face, his voice barely containing the sinister emotions that enveloped his mind right now. "Bile Throat Gishki Dragon attacks your plant! Now the stolen effect of Chimerafflesia activates, giving my dragon 1000 additional ATK while your plant loses the same amount! Support Thorn!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 8100 → 9100_

 _Chimera Rafflesia: ATK 2500 → 1500_

"THE FINAL ATTACK! THIS IS THE END! **THROAT OF TORMENT** _–_ **RAVENOUS DEVOURER!** "

"I activate the effect of my trap **Predator Elusiveness** which you destroyed before!" Yuri cried out in response. "By banishing it from my graveyard, I can make the damage I'm about to take equal to the highest ATK of the "Predator Plants"-Monsters resting in my graveyard!"

"Useless, USELESS, **USELESS, _USELESS, USELESS!_**" Yuga screamed his voice getting louder with every repeat. "Your Cephalotus Snail's 1300 ATK are still enough to finish you off!"

"Not if I chain another effect to it! By banishing Predator Plants – Drosophyllum Hydra from my graveyard, I can cut the battle damage in half! So I survive your assault!"

 **YURI LP: 1150 → 500**

"How about that?! You weren't able to take me down this turn! How does this failure feel like?!" Yuri mocked him.

"Oh, it's not a failure, I assure you!" Yuga replied. "Let me show you something! But first my dragon's effect activates, equipping himself with your Rafflesia! **THIS SHOW WILL NEVER END** **! ENDLESS GLUTTONY!** "

"It can also use its effect when it destroys a monster by battle?!"

"Yeah and much like before my dragon gains more attack points!" Bile Throat charged forward and devoured yet another one of Yuri's monsters.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 9100 → 11600_

"It managed to surpass the ten-thousand mark!" Yuri yelled, terrified at the incredible power of Yuga's dragon. "However, you are still unable to finish me off this turn!" He pointed out.

"Oh, is that so?! Let me teach you about something called pitch black darkness! The fourth effect of my dragon!" He began, the background song slowly advancing towards its climax. "I can send all monsters equipping my Gishki Dragon to the graveyard, while also resetting all ATK bonuses that my Bile Throat currently has! And then you take damage equal to the amount of attack points my monster just lost!" Yuga said, his eyes widening at the last sentence.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 11600 → 2800_

"But that's almost 9000 points of damage! Your dragon has a power like that?!" Yuri exclaimed in pure terror.

"Yes, it does, and it will be this very power that shall end your pitiful life! I must admit that this duel wasn't very entertaining, but at least I can see you dying at the end of it! Now prepare to vanish from this planet as my dragon delivers the final blow to you! Feel the pitch black darkness surrounding you and fall into the abyss of hopelessness!" His eyes glowed dark blue, giving Yuri an intense glare, and his voice became a few octaves deeper. " **KORE WA ZETSUBŌ NO CHIKARADESU!** " (Jap.: This is the power of despair) He cried out, the song reaching its climax at those words.

" _ **RAVENOUS RAGE** **!**_ " Yuga screamed at the top of his lungs as his dragon created a storm of green-bluish lightnings above Yuri's head which struck down on him, shocking his body with electricity as the bolts connected, causing him to fall down to his knees and yell in agony.

 **YURI LP: 500 → 0**

 **YUGA WIN!**

Yuga slowly approached his counterpart, who was still kneeling on the ground because of the pain, the end of Yuga's song drawing closer. "Looks like you don't have a perfect win ratio anymore! How unfortunate for you! You even came close to defeating me! Well, not really, but I guess closer than most people at least! But even if you didn't get anything from this duel aside from total humiliation, now you finally know the true force of my summoning mechanic at least! Tremble before the power of Gishiki,... " He shortly paused to give Yuri a condescending look full of triumph and viciousness. "... **SAIKYŌ!** " (Jap.: The Strongest) He finished. And with that, Theater D ended.

( 2, Theater D Re-Zero OST end)

"I guess it's time for the coup de grace! Now I'd like to choke the life out of you, if you don't mind!" Yuga reached out for his defeated opponent, ready to deliver the final blow against the defenseless boy. However, he suddenly felt a burning pain in his upper body, causing him to clutch his chest. Yuri looked up to his counterpart, stunned at the sudden development, as Yuga was falling onto his knees because of the mysterious agony. He was speechless about this inexplicable behavior, but he didn't question it if it meant he could survive this way. After a few seconds, he saw his duel disk emitting a violet glow, which increased in intensity until it fully enveloped him, making him dissolve into purple particles. After Yuri disappeared, Yuga finally recovered from the pain and looked to the place where his enemy was kneeling just a few moments ago with a mix of bewilderment and anger.

" **Dang it, he got away!** " He yelled, punching the ground in frustration.

Shiryu ran towards her boyfriend, putting a hand on his shoulder with concern.

"Are you okay, Yuga?" She asked him.

"Yeah, but the bastard got away, so I couldn't fully repay him for his insolence! He must have installed a device in his disk that sends him back in case he loses! Well, the most important thing is that you're safe, so that doesn't matter too much I suppose." He slowly got up, turned around and hugged Shiryu. "But that feeling right now was weird. While I sometimes freak out like that, as you know by now, it was never as strong as that and I never had this burning pain in my chest during it. Do you think it could be because of how extensively he mocked me? Or because of this whole dimension-thing?"

"I honestly have no idea, but I guess we will find out eventually." Shiryu answered, glad that they were both safe and relieved that Yuga was finally back to normal.

They ended the embrace and turned around as they heard a huge group of people approaching them. From the exit at the other side of the hallway, the king accompanied by the royal guard emerged, running towards them. Meanwhile, in a dark corner of Yuga's mind, a figure was pondering in a pitch black, seemingly endless emptiness.

' _So he managed to resist my urge long enough to allow Leo's stupid little emergency transportation device, that he integrates into every Academia-disk, to transport his counterpart away? Very well then, it's not much of an impairment. It only delays my resurrection a little bit. Because now my Gishiki-Counterpart is finally set in motion as well!'_ His face turned into a sinister smile at that statement. _'Honestly, I'm satisfied how well my new Ritual Dragon did in that duel! He easily overpowered Starve Venom, which was my strongest dragon before the great separation. And the Link Dragon isn't much weaker either, so with two new dragons of such tremendous strength, my victory over that stupid little girl is already assured! I'm glad that all the work I put into making those two strong monsters has paid off! Now when all of my fragments merge back together, I shall acquire enough power to crush that shit-inventing fool hiding in the Fusion-Dimension! And when I make this great power my Ritual-Fragment possesses entirely my own, I shall become invincible; and then I will wipe out that accursed bitch RAY as well! For I am the destroyer of the original world, the one who has achieved the ultimate championship and merged with his four dragons to obtain ultimate power! All hail me, HA_ Ō _RY_ Ū _ZARC!_ _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ _'_

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And with that another chapter is done. In this chapter we get to know about Yuga's dark personality and see him shit on Yuri after the latter mocks him like the fool he is. He resists Zarc's influence and the evacuation-device-ex-machina gets Yuri out before Yuga can absorb him. Also Zarc plans how he's going to get his revenge on Ray and Leo once he is revived again (and his ego grew even bigger, who could have imagined that?). OH YEAH, we also finally see Yuga's dragon and Chō Gishiki in action! I know both of those are quite overpowered, but since Yuga openly declares towards Yuri that his mechanic and his dragon are the strongest after the duel ends, that's pretty justified though. Also Zarc created Bile Throat and the Link Dragon specifically to be powerful monsters that help to facilitate his rebirth and revenge against Ray, so going overboard with their effects is pretty understandable if they are supposed to help Zarc revive and kill everyone. Next up, I worked out a method how to fix Ritual, the by far shittiest of all the ultimate summoning methods, and I will use it to make Gishiki great again and to make my MC appear like he's not some kind of joke, because I always felt like that (a little bit at least) when I saw the Ritual-Counterparts of other stories (even with "The Fifth Factor", a true masterpiece of Arc-V fanfiction!). No offense to the writers of them, they did a great job since the problem isn't that the characters or their decks are flawed, it's the method itself. It's just that Ritual is so old and outdated, so there were some adjustments I had to make in order to let my dear Yuga look like the powerful duelist he actually is. I hope you like the idea of Chō Gishiki and enjoy seeing Yuga use it to take some of those Academia jerks down! The Link Dragon will appear soon, and it will also be in another class than the other 4 dragons, albeit in a different way than Bile Throat. About the dragons on the other hand, the Heavenly Dragons in general will receive some slight power-ups as well, with some of them getting buffs to their effects. I mean, the dragons that represent each dimension shouldn't be weak lizards, right?**

 **Regarding Yuga's darker side, I felt it was the right choice to make a protagonist that is not purely good like the previous one (and no, Zarc's influence doesn't make Yuya the least bit evil in my opinion, he couldn't even enter the awakening on his own, but performed it for the first time after he had absorbed Yuto, in other words, gained the dark side of another person), but something in the middle between the former MC and Yuri instead (also yes, despite the fact that Yuga is darker than Yuri when he goes ragemode, I don't see him as the evil Counterpart. His personality represents Zarc's change from good to evil (remember the accident during that one duel in the Original Dimension?) rather than the pure evil that Yuri is and that said person just hides behind his nonchalant, smug behavior while internally planing how to card every single being on earth).**

 **Yuga isn't a classic hero to be honest, he's more like an anti-hero at times, but we all know that anti-heroes can be quite cool as well. Don't worry, he's not a bad guy, he just overreacts if you insult him as a spoiled brat or for his eating habits, ridicule his summoning method or threaten the persons close to him, especially Shiryu. Also yay, he does have an entertainer persona as well, although it is WAY darker than Yuya's. Well, all that malice Zarc displayed in his duels back in the United Dimension must have gone somewhere when he was split up, right? Also to not create any confusion, I'd like to mention that Yuga's dark persona isn't a fully Zarc-influenced phenomenon. In this case it plays a role of course, since it's a duel between two counterparts (as you can tell from his dark blue glowing eyes at the end; #partial awakening), but normally that psycho-mode is more part of Yuga than Zarc. I would say it's about a 70-30 ratio between them. You could consider it a pre-stage of the awakening though (you know, when the Yu-Boys' eyes start glowing and they scream around about how they want to destroy everything).**

 **Also I'd like to explain the two little notes in this chapter (the numbers in the brackets): Because I feel like some good music always helps to emphasize certain points or shows them more clearly, I'm going to make some of these notes throughout the story. Some people like to post lists of music in the reviews anyway (shoutouts to ThePLOThand), so I'll be doing that as well to a certain degree. You can go to my YT-channel in order to find the songs/clips in the sequence of their appearance. It is named like my account here on this platform, so you can't really miss it if you search carefully enough. I will name** **the playlist like this story's name or very similar, so you don't have to search for it extensively (well it's not like I have anything on my channel besides that one filler video I made so you can find my channel, so it's quite impossible to not find it anyway xd; if you still can't find my channel, search for "Yugioh ARC V2 OC Introduction" on Youtube. You will find a video where I introduce my OCs. Warning: Spoiler for the next few chapters! Skip to my channel as fast as possible and you will be fine and able to find my playlist afterwards. If that does still not work, go to my profile here on this website, there is the link to my channel as well (this last part is an edit after finishing Chapter 8 by the way since my friend still had problems with only the channel name and video for some reason)). I do this just to illustrate some of my points, make my story a little more entertaining and because badass people need badass background music of course; you don't need to look them up if you don't want to, it's just an offer I give to you, so take it if you want. However, I would still highly recommend to do so because I feel like it changes the way this story reads by quite a bit (positively of course). Also disclaimer: I do not own any of the videos nor songs I put in that playlist (except the ones I made myself), guess that's obvious.**

 **In this chapter, two people got that music-treatment. For Yuri it was his signature OST from the original anime "A Beastly Attack", which I will refer to as "Starve Venom" from now on. Yuga on the other hand got an OST from another anime as his personal theme. Those of you who have watched Re-Zero might know "Theater D" already, it was just too perfect to describe the sudden escalation of Yuga's behavior, since it always plays in Re-Zero whenever some real dark shit happens, and I already planed on making it his theme long beforehand. It serves the same purpose as in the anime I've taken it from, displaying a sudden change for the worse with a lot of brutality and destruction involved and fits a bloodthirsty psychopath like Yuga's dark side just fine. It also captures his dark entertainer persona with its lyrics, so I guess that makes it pretty much perfect for him. The song in this story is pretty much identical to the original one from MYTH & ROID, the only exception being the line at the climax, "Youkoso kitsui na tabi e" (Jap.: "Welcome to a journey of hardship") which I substituted for "Kore wa zetsubō no chikaradesu", meaning "This is the power of despair". Together with the "Saikyō" (Jap. for "The Strongest") after the end of the duel, it just describes Dark Yuga in a nutshell, tossing his opponents into the pits of despair while declaring himself and his summoning method as the strongest of all (also yes, Dark Yuga admittedly has some serious superiority complexes and self control issues, but that's what I love about his character so much. Oh, and yeah, his dark side's arrogance reflects Zarc's Supreme King personality as well by the way). Don't worry, the first of these two lines won't appear in Japanese again, so you don't need to memorize it. The Saikyō-thing will probably remain Japanese though, since it's just a simple word and feels way more powerful than its English equivalent when pronounced with the appropriate intensity. By the way, feel free to correct me if I mess up the Japanese grammar or spelling, I haven't really studied the language extensively, so there might be some mistakes in certain cases. **

**Also regarding the bold lines in the text: I either use them for new cards, intense emphasis or – in the case of the last parts of this chapter – for lines that Yuga says in unison with the lyrics of his signature theme. Most of those lines will be his future catchphrases and you can use them as an indicator of how far he is currently unleashing his dark side.**

 **About Bile Throat Gishki Dragon's design, like all Heavenly Dragons it has a few unique characteristics separating it from the rest of the group (yeah, I didn't forget about that feature), some of them it shares with Starve Venom, illustrating the rivalry between their respective owners:**

 **1\. It has a level of 8, just like S.V. and unlike the other dragons with levels (C.W., O.E.)**

 **2\. It has an attack of 2800, just like S.V. and unlike the other dragons (C.W., O.E., D.R., Link Dragon)**

 **3\. Unlike all other Heavenly Dragons it has more than 2000 DEF, confirming Yuga's statement to be the strongest of them all**

 **4\. Unlike the rest, it isn't summoned by the standard way of its respective summoning method (because it's a Chō Gishiki obviously)**

 **5\. It is the only dragon that needs a minimum of material lower than 2 monsters, meaning unlike the other dragons, which often need 2, it can be summoned with only 1 monster as well**

 **6\. Its name contains the Japanese version of its corresponding summoning method rather that the English one, however, it is written like you pronounce it (the second 'i' is unstressed, therefore its name becomes Gishki rather than Gishiki). Because of that characteristic, it also sneaks its way into an archetype it isn't related to (well the Gishki Magicians are related to it since some of their effects affect the dragon as well, but the original Gishki-Archetype from Duel-Terminal is a different story). Starve Venom does the same thing with the Venom-Archetype from the GX-Era by the way**

 **7\. It is way larger than the other dragons. From the looks of it, the Dimensional Dragons seem to be around 3-4 meters tall when they stand upright (taken from my personal anime estimations, could be wrong though; in Episode 126, when Zarc's dragons rampaged, they seemed much larger, could only be a stylistic device to make them look more brutal and intimidating though). Since Bile Throat is a little bit more than 1.5 times Starve Venom's size and that dragon is one of the the larger two along with Dark Rebellion, you can estimate it about 7 meters tall. Or in other words, imagine a dragon the size of a house standing in front of you, then you have a rough idea how Yuri felt. The ratio is pretty similar in terms of length as well. I don't have any exact numbers here as well, but from that one scene in Episode 147 where Clear Wing helps Yuya reaching an Action Card in the air by carrying his D-Wheel on its back, I would say the dragons are normally around 10 meters in length if they fully stretch out their tails. Maybe C.W. is even 11 or 12 meters since it seems to have the edge here due to its streamlined, aerodynamic body with its long tail. Odd-Eyes is a little bit shorter than the other dragons since its tail isn't very long, so I'd say its about 7-8 meters in length (ironic that the owner of the by far smallest dragon is the counterpart that prevails in the original series, right?). Anyway, back to topic, if the normal dragon is around 10 meters long, that makes Bile Throat about 16 meters. Its body shape is rather bulky than streamlined or serpentine like C.W. or S.V., making it look even more intimidating and powerful than it already is with its rather… fearsome head with green eyes and scarlet pupils along with all that green fluids dripping from its mouth. So to sum it up, it looks like a gigantic blue dragon straight outta your nightmares that differs from the other dragons through sheer size and that looks at you like it wants to eat you for breakfast (which it also does though)**

 **Finally about card corners in general: I'm probably not going to make any of those because I feel like they're only beneficial for the word count of my story. In all the Yu-Gi-Oh-fanfictions I've read up until now, I actually only looked up around three or four cards, so I feel like that's just a waste of time. Pretty much all authors did a fantastic job at explaining their cards during the duels in their story (hopefully me as well), therefore the card corner becomes quite unnecessary in my opinion. If you want, I can make some of those though, but keep in mind that it will slow down my writing progress. In time, when specific characters have used enough new cards, I might release some card collections at the end of certain chapters though. This makes more sense in my opinion since people wanting to borrow some cards for their own fanfictions can copy them way easier this way. If you need some Raidraptors just go to the Shun Card Collection for instance and boom, now you have a pool of Support Cards to choose from! Oh yeah, like I just said, feel free to borrow some cards if they look interesting to you!**

 **In the next chapter we will see the aftermath of Yuri's kidnapping attempt and the reaction of Yuga and the rest of the Gishiki-people to it. Also just to confirm it, Yuga vs. Yuri will remain an important rivalry throughout this fanfiction with quite the impact on the story-line. Maybe Yuri will even outshine Leo as an antagonist at times, who knows. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And with that we finally turn to the consequences of last chapter! Also Ghidorah gets his official debut at long last, hope you are excited for that one! Now without further ado, let's jump right into it again! Oh yeah, this chapter and the ending notes might contain a spoilers for Yugioh Vrains, forgot to mention that.**

* * *

Chapter 3: The Six Dimensions

After a few moments, the king and his guards reached the lone duo standing in the hallway. The king was wearing an outfit similar to those of his children. It had an overall better look, which is understandable when looking at the hierarchy. He had white hair (which still possessed the same color from his youth by the way, he's just 56, so they didn't turn into that color because of his age) and frankly, he looked quite young for a man of his age. He had light blue eyes of almost the same color as his adopted son and despite that he had been running at full speed just a few seconds ago, his posture was impressive, fitting his title in every possible way. The most striking feature however, was the silver crown on his head that had a big sapphire in its middle. After a short break in order to catch his breath, he addressed Yuga. "Hey Yuga, we heard an uproar coming from here, so we ran straight to this hallway from the main tower. You must have been stopped on your way to dinner, so what happened here?"

"I'm glad you ask, dad, something interesting happened here indeed! But I doubt that you will believe me entirely, it's quite the bizarre story if you ask me."

"Bizarre? In how far?"

"Do you remember our discoveries during Project Amenotejikara?"

"Wait, do you want to tell me that...?!"

"Yes, father. There was an intruder from another dimension in this very hall just a few moments ago! And this cloak over there belonged to him!" He said, pointing at the clothing that Yuri left behind.

"Wait, other dimensions?!" Rexanus, the leader of the royal guards and also Yuga's best friend, exclaimed. "You mean like other worlds?!"

"Exactly!" The king firmly replied, shocking Rexanus and the other guards. "My science department discovered the existence of other dimensions around two years ago. Since then, my scientists worked to create a device that would allow us to cross dimensions in order to visit them. However, we lacked the final spark that carried us over the boundaries of our world, so we haven't managed to do that just yet."

"And how weren't we, the royal guards, the persons closest to you – apart from your children of course – informed about that?! Why did you tell Yuga about it, but not us?! What if otherdimensional intruders tried to attack you instead?! We could have prepared for such an assault if you told us, so why did you remain silent about that topic?!" Rexanus exclaimed, his voice filled with anger.

"I understand your point, Captain." The king answered. "However, the existence of other worlds was top secret and apart from me and the ones who discovered it, nobody was intended to know about the other dimensions. Well, Yuga was also informed because he will be the king in case anything happens to me. What would have happened if I told you about it, tell me? You would have probably mentioned it to you family and the other persons close to you. Then they would have told it to their relatives and friends and then the whole cycle would have just simply repeated on and on. Eventually everybody in this dimension would have known and then it would have been only a matter of time until this whole world descended into chaos. I was merely trying to prevent fear from spreading in this world, for the sake of my people!"

"I see. I guess I wasn't thinking this through entirely. I'm sorry for offending you, my king!" Rexanus apologized, bowing his head.

"Don't worry Rexanus, I understand how you feel." he reassured the guard. "Now then,...", He said, turning towards Yuga, "tell me more about that intruder, please!"

"Very well. He was about my age, had purple hair and came from the Fusion-Dimension, according to his own words that is. He said that he was tasked by a person called "The Professor" to abduct Shiryu and bring her to him."

"Oh is that so?!" The king replied, his voice barely containing his anger. "And what did he do in particular?"

"He sneaked into the castle and set up a trap in this hallway. When Shiryu was on her way to dinner, following me after she had insisted that I should go forward while she would come after me in a few minutes, he emerged from his hiding spot and charged towards her, trying to take her down before she could react. He would have probably succeeded, if I didn't went back to check on her that is. I intervened and threw him away from her before he could get his filthy hands on Shiryu."

"Well done Yuga!" The king proudly smiled at Yuga to thank him for protecting his daughter. "What happened then?"

"He explained his backstory to me and told me why he was after her. Oh, and he also engaged me in a duel!"

"You were dueling against a guy from another world?! I guess it were the sounds of that duel then that drew our attention. Your tattered uniform tells me it must have been quite the battle, so how strong was he?"

"Pretty strong to say the least." Yuga said while pressing a few buttons on his duel disk in quick succession. After a few moments, it started emitting a glow that enveloped him. When it faded away, Yuga's royal attire was back to normal. "God bless our Real Solid Vision!" He murmured to himself. Then he continued talking to Ghidorah. "If he was telling the truth, which I am inclined to believe, he had a 100 percent win ratio."

"HAD?" The king asked him, stressing the word. "So you defeated him, is that what you're implying here?"

"Yes father, I did indeed defeat him. He used a strange summoning mechanic though."

"A strange summoning mechanic?"

"Yep, apparently there are six dimensions, each of them possessing an unique summoning technique. From what I can tell, the dimensions are named after their respective summoning methods, since that guy was using something called Fusion Summon."

"Fusion Summon?"

"Yeah. Apparently it is a summon mechanic performed from the Extra Deck, just like my Chō Gishiki. To pull it off, you need a special spell card called "Polymerization". With it, you can fuse monsters from your hand or your side of the field in order to summon a stronger monster from the Extra Deck."

"Wait, how can you tell that you can also fuse monsters from the hand?" Shiryu exclaimed. "After all, he was just merging monsters from his field during your duel!"

"That's true Shiryu, however, I just simply looked up his card on my duel disk and read it when he played it. I'm able to do multitasking, you know?" He grinned at her jokingly, prompting her to giggle a little bit.

"So there's this Fusion-Dimension with their Fusion-Monsters, I see! Did he mention some details about the other dimensions as well?" His adoptive father continued.

"He did, actually. Apparently one of them is called the Synchro-Dimension, while the other one is known as the Xyz-Dimension. According to the scheme this probably means that there are Synchro and Xyz Summoning as well. Also he mentioned another dimension called Standard, which seems to have multiple summoning methods. However, he also revealed something pretty bad for us when he mocked me during our duel."

"What do you mean by that, Yuga?" The king asked.

"He said that Gishiki Summoning was a technique known in all of the dimensions. While the other methods are exclusive to their own respective dimension, with the exception of Standard having probably all of them, our mechanic is present in all dimensions."

"So you're saying those Fusion Bastards have access to our signature summoning mechanic?"

"It would appear so. Looks like we need to make a good plan if we intend to fight back against Fusion properly!"

"Wait Yuga, are you saying that you intend to wage war against the Fusion-Dimension?!" Rexanus asked in a shocked tone.

"Of course I do! They are the aggressor after all! They tried to kidnap Shiryu and from that freak's story it is likely that they already attacked the Xyz-Dimension!"

"Wait, they invaded another dimension already?! On what scale was that attack, Yuga?! Do you know any details regarding that Xyz-Invasion?!" The king asked in a concerned tone.

"Well, when that purple haired bastard told me about it, it sounded more like an all-out war than just a simple infiltration like this one right here. I suppose that Fusion intends to subjugate all of the dimensions in order to rule supreme over everything."

The surrounding people were shocked about that revelation, even some of the usually calm and stern guards started trembling in fear. Even the king lost his composure, sweat drops forming on his forehead. After a while, when everyone had calmed down a bit, the king continued with his questioning.

"I see. So I guess that the Gishiki-Dimension will soon have to enter the interdimensional war if they attack us as well. Did he say anything about the sixth dimension?"

"No, he just mentioned the number of dimensions, but not the sixth one in particular. There's one more thing about the stranger which I have to say though. It's pretty important as well."

"Then tell me about it, Yuga!"

"Very well then. That guy looked like..."

"That guy looked just like Yuga!" Shiryu exclaimed, not being able to hold back anymore. Once more the surrounding people showed a strong reaction, the shock clearly visible in their eyes.

"He looks… just like Yuga?!" Ghidorah stammered while looking directly into the eyes of his daughter.

She nodded. "Yeah, he does, he might have other eye and hair colors and come from another world, but his lineaments are exactly the same!"

"Is that true?!" The king addressed his adoptive son.

"Yeah dad, it is. And the similarities don't end there as well. He also possesses a dragon, just like my Bile Throat. It's name is Starve Venom Fusion Dragon."

"Starve Venom... Fusion Dragon?!" Rexanus stuttered, not wanting to believe that his best friend had a doppelganger with a dragon similar to Yuga's.

"And that's not all, my friends." Yuga continued. "Apparently that guy, Yuri, had to fulfill two similar missions to the one from just now in the past. And you never guess who in this hallway looks just like those two girls he kidnapped!"

"Don't tell me...", The king stammered, "… that they look like my daughter?!"

"They do! They are called Rin and Ruri, originate from the Synchro- and the Xyz-Dimension respectively, and share Shiryu's face as well. I guess a pattern is emerging here!"

"A pattern?" Shiryu asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah, think about it! Six dimensions, each of them containing one summoning method, dragons with a similar naming pattern that contains the respective summoning mechanic, versions of you and me, etc, etc."

"Right, now that you mention it, there seems to be a pattern indeed! His dragon was called Fusion Dragon and your Bile Throat's full name has its summoning method in it as well! So do you believe there might be a Synchro Dragon or an Xyz Dragon as well?"

"Most likely. But it doesn't end there, Shiryu! What about our counterparts? If there are two versions of me and three of you, there might be even more of us as well!"

"Six dimensions, six dragons, six Yugas?! Is this some kind of satanic enigma?!" Rexanus exclaimed in exasperation, visibly sick of the entire topic and just wanting to have a rest from all that dimension-stuff.

' _You wouldn't be too wrong with that,'_ Zarc remarked from within Yuga's mind, ' _some people might actually call me the devil!'_ , smirking while saying those words.

"Also one more thing Shiryu, have you noticed that your bracelet was glowing brightly during my duel with Yuri?"

Shiryu gasped. Now that she thought about it, she could actually recall her bracelet shining when Yuga was fighting against the duelist from Fusion. She had neglected it because of her fear of seeing Yuga getting defeated and therefore herself being abducted by the purple haired boy AND of course since Yuga's dark persona resurfaced once more, stronger than ever before. But now that he mentioned it, she remembered that it was indeed shining in a light blue color, almost as if it was warning her about something.

"You seem to remember it, I suppose?" Yuga said while gazing upon his girlfriend's facial expression. "By the way dad, didn't you say you had no clue where that bracelet of hers came from?" He addressed the king.

"No, I actually have no idea how my daughter came into the possession of that bracelet, I only know she had it since her early childhood."

"More mysterious things, I see! Then it might be quite possible that it is connected to this dimension-stuff as well! Maybe her counterparts have such bracelets as well then! But since we won't get anything from just speculating, let's hear out someone who might have more information about it! Isn't that right, Dorian?" Yuga addressed the court musician standing behind the guards.

-"WAIT WHAT?!"- Everybody, except Yuga and Shiryu of course, exclaimed. -"Are you saying Dorian is related to this dimension-matter in some way?!"-

"I guess it's best to make it short and hear his side afterwards!" Yuga said. "Yuri, the guy I dueled against, said that Dorian was originally from Academia, the place where that Professor seems to reside. He was tasked to create sound based weapons for the incoming war against Xyz, but he fled to our dimension because he didn't want Fusion abusing his talents for their atrocities."

"It all makes sense now!" Rexanus exclaimed, realizing the same thing as Yuga did a few minutes ago. "This composition he wrote out of fear of that mysterious boy called Yuri, which he named Starve Venom after that person's dragon! He was from another dimension all along!"

"Is that true, Dorian?!" The king asked his court musician, shocked about the sudden revelation.

"It is, mylord. But I promise that I wasn't trying to bring harm to this world. I was merely trying to escape from that cruel place and its people who wanted to turn my passion into a weapon that was intended to assist the eradication of the Xyz-Dimension!" Dorian exclaimed while bowing his head to the king, his fists clenching and his voice filled with submissiveness as he apologized to the king, but also containing immense anger as he described his reasons for leaving Academia.

"I believe you, Dorian." The king said. "And just like I took you in as my court musician three years ago, I shall now grant asylum in this dimension to you!"

"Thank you sincerely, your majesty!" Dorian thanked the king while bowing his head even further.

"However..." The king continued.

Dorian looked up again. "Yes, your majesty?" He asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

"As a compensation, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Fusion-Dimension!"

"Yes, mylord!" Dorian eagerly responded, nodding with his head. "As a token of my gratitude, I'll gladly tell you everything I know! Where do I start with my story? Yeah, Leo's arrival might be a good point to start." He pondered. "I was born in the Fusion-Dimension, where usually nothing special happened, it remained like that for several decades. That drastically changed however, when a man called Leo Akaba arrived in our dimension. He brought Real Solid Vision to our world and quickly gained followers in the Fusion-Dimension. He then established a dueling school on an island, which he called Academia. There, he started training duel soldiers in order to invade other dimensions. Leo Akaba is also known as the Professor and basically the sovereign of our world, as well as the driving force in the interdimensional conflict. I was hired to work for Academia, an offer I accepted because I believed that I could help our world flourishing even further by working for the place that symbolized its progress. However, my initial enthusiasm vanished after only a few months, when I learned about Academia's true colors. At that place I also met Yuri, the psychopath who tried to kidnap our princess today. Around five years ago, I could already see how twisted and evil he was. He was probably being corrupted by the ruthless military education the Professor subjected all of his students to. He overshadows even Yuga and his dark side, because unlike him, he is never acting without any malice or cruelty. He is like an animal, only seeking its next prey, wanting to kill everything in its sight. He was even avoided by the other students, who feared him because of his power and viciousness. Because of the terror from my encounters with him, I composed Starve Venom, just as you said. Years later, when Leo tried to force me into creating weapons that cause the air to oscillate, immobilizing people who don't wear protective gear, I decided to leave the Fusion-Dimension in order to keep following my passion instead of witnessing how the Professor misused it for his gruesome wars! I then arrived here in this peaceful dimension and the rest is history I guess."

"Thank your for sharing your knowledge with us, my dear Dorian! I still have some questions though, would you mind answering them?"

"Of course not, mylord! Ask right away!"

"Very well then, what's the aim of Academia? What are they trying to accomplish with their war?"

"The Professor brainwashes his students with a story about the noble goal of uniting all six dimensions into one by conquering and assimilating them. However, I believe that he's just a megalomaniac who seeks world domination. Maybe he has more goals we don't know about yet, he's not the type of person to share a lot of information with his subordinates, so I don't know about them."

"I think you might have a point there,", Yuga suddenly spoke up, "and I also think I figured out some of those hidden plans already!"

-"WHAT?! How do you know?!"- Everybody exclaimed, shocked from the abrupt statement of the Gishiki Prince.

"Well, look at it this way: Why would the Professor send out one of his elite soldiers just to catch a single girl – THREE TIMES IN A ROW! There must be a deeper reason why he wants to collect those girls looking like Shiryu. Maybe that is even his actual objective, since he prioritized kidnapping Shiryu instead of just invading our dimension for his noble goal. Also one question Dorian, have you seen a girl looking like Shiryu in your dimension by chance?"

"I have, actually. I met her at Academia when I was still working for Leo Akaba. She is called Serena, has purple hair, green eyes and wears a bracelet just like her. It has a purple gem and a different design, but it seems to be of the same kind as the one Princess Shiryu owns. The Professor hid her away though and looked after her very carefully, isolating her from the outside world, so the theory of our young master might be correct after all." Dorian deliberated.

"I knew it! That confirms it for good." Yuga said while deliberating himself. "The Professor needs Shiryu, Serena, Rin, Ruri and the two other girls for his plans. They might even be the key piece of the sinister plans he's currently plotting inside his dark throne room in Academia. Anyway father, let's plan our next moves now!"

"Alright then Yuga! What are you suggesting?" Ghidorah replied.

"First off, we get going and eat dinner. I can't think clearly when I'm hungry!" He started walking towards the exit and the small group laughed at that remark, making them relax a bit from the previous, stressful conversation as they followed him. "Then we contact the science department and check whether the data we gathered from Yuri's little visit here was sufficient enough to complete our dimension traveling device. If that's the case, we use that new power to cross dimensions. I shall go and gather intel about the other dimensions and after that, we plan our next steps. Does this sound acceptable to you?"

"Why do you have to travel to the other dimensions all on your own?!" Shiryu exclaimed, concerned about the safety of her boyfriend. "There are surely other people who can do that instead of you!"

"That might be the case, Shiryu. But since you were targeted by them, this thing just became a personal conflict between me and the Fusion-Dimension!" She blushed at that comment, her face tuning away to prevent him from seeing it. "Also I'm the most suitable to infiltrate the other dimensions because of my current body condition, which helps me at espionage, and my status as a representative of our world, which helps me if I should clash with some officials. There's no one else who can do that apart from me, please just accept it! I will be fine and I guarantee you that I will return unharmed. I have to if I want to see your pretty face again, right?" He smiled at her after saying those last words.

"Okay then,", She finally admitted, her face bright red from Yuga's flattery, "you may scout the other dimensions. But you'll have to give me a really good kiss if you want my permission to leave this world!"

"That can be arranged quite easily!" He approached her in an instant and gave her a big smooch on her lips. She laughed and happily kissed him back.

' _Despite all his confidence and seriousness, I sometimes can't help but find him absolutely adorable!'_ She thought while she continued kissing Yuga. _'I'm such a lucker that I was able to meet this guy!'_

Meanwhile Ghidorah and the rest of the group were chuckling quietly while observing the young couple in front of them. _'Ah, young love!'_ The king thought, smiling at the sight of his daughter and adoptive son showing their affection towards each other. _'I hope they get more time for their relationship again when this interdimensional war is finally over. It would be a damn shame if they didn't! '_ And with that, they left the hallway, slowly advancing towards the main tower.

* * *

 _Days later..._

Shiryu was currently walking circles in the yard where she and Yuga were having the conversation right before Yuri had appeared. It had been three days already since her boyfriend had departed for his mission and she was quite worried about him, despite knowing that he wasn't the kind of guy who couldn't take care for himself. When the king's science department confirmed that the energy readings they had gotten from Yuri's arrival were indeed the missing piece for their device, they upgraded Yuga's duel disk and gave him a function that enabled him to cross dimensions. He had left soon after that, but not before he had reassured Shiryu once more that he was intending to return no matter what. That didn't prevent her from being nervous about the whole thing though. When she began yet another worried lap around the yard, she suddenly froze as she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her waist from behind. A person leaned forward to the side of her head and whispered in her ear. "Walking around in circles? You sure don't have much trust in my abilities if you do stuff like that. But I guess I'll take your concerns about me as a token of your love, so I'm not mad at you for being unnecessarily worried like that!"

She turned her head around leftwards, looking into the familiar face of her boyfriend. "Geez, don't scare me like that Yuga, for a moment I thought it was that creep again!"

"I'm sorry about that, guess it was a little bit tactless in consideration of the latest events." Yuga shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not mad at you just like you're not mad at me for putting so little faith in you. I guess none of us is perfect, right? But anyway, I'm glad that you're finally back!" The both of them completely turned towards each other and their chests met in a tight, mutual embrace. "Did you have any difficulties or was everything going according to plan?"

"No, everything went just fine. I was able to gather a lot of information too, would you like to hear it? You would be the first in this world to get that kind of background-info about the other dimensions!"

"Wait, you haven't told father yet?"

"Of course not. I just arrived here and I decided to pay you a visit first. You should know by now that you always come first for me, no matter what! And since you will probably just tell dad everything that I will say to you now after I'm finished – like you always do –, it's not that big of a deal anyway!" They broke the embrace after that.

"I guess you are right with that. Now tell me about your discoveries, I'm genuinely excited about the other dimensions – inhabitants, summoning methods, looks, everything!"

Yuga chuckled about Shiryu's eagerness. "Well then, where do I start? How about the other summoning mechanics first! There are six of them in total, namely Pendulum, Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, Link and our Gishiki of course. While Pendulum, Synchro, Fusion, Xyz and Link are indeed special to their own dimensions, ours is actually common in every dimension. However, it seems to be an underdog in those places, since it is inferior to the normal summon mechanic of each world. Nobody in the five other dimensions seems to have Chō Gishiki though – lucky for us – , so I guess that was to be expected. I already had the assumption of that being the case when Yuri reacted so surprised to it during our duel, but now we know it for sure. The great exception to this rule is Standard, which has every summoning mechanic except Link."

"So that's about everything regarding where you can find each summoning method. Now I'd like to know about how to perform them, please!"

"Very well, my princess!" Yuga playfully bowed to her. "It will be my pleasure to do just that! Since you already know both Fusion and Gishiki – oh, and you can actually fuse monsters from your hand as well by the way – , I shall start with Xyz. Xyz-Monsters are cards of black color and are being placed in the Extra Deck like most of those methods. To pull it off, you require multiple monsters of the same level. Once you have gathered enough of those monsters on the field, you can overlay them to summon an Xyz-Monster from your Extra Deck that has a rank equal to the levels of its materials."

"Wait, overlay? What's that? And what about that rank-stuff?"

"A rank is like an alternate form of levels, if I had to describe it shortly. They are black stars on the top of the card, you know, where we have the levels of our monsters. Just imagine the red part of the level-stars being black, then you have a rough idea of how ranks look like. But in a duel, they are treated as something entirely else though. Effects that affect levels don't work on them, because unlike some people in Standard believe, having a rank doesn't mean having level zero."

"Okay, so do you mean cards like Burden of the Mighty or Gravity Bound don't work on them?"

"Exactly! Now about the other thing you've requested. Overlaying means stacking all of its materials on top of one of the monsters. Then you place the Xyz-Monster on top of he pile. The monsters beneath it then become the Xyz-Monster's Overlay Units. Before you ask what Overlay Units are, let me just continue my little lesson please! Xyz-Monsters draw most of their strength from their Overlay Units. To activate most of their effects, they have to detach those units – which means sending them from the pile beneath the Xyz-Monster to the graveyard. They usually have very powerful effects that compensate for their limited amount of Overlay Units. But when they run out of ammo, most of them become quite useless to be fair. Although there are cards that let you reattach materials to them, this seems to be one of their biggest weaknesses."

"Okay, that sounds quite interesting to be honest! How about Synchro?"

"Oh, good topic, because when I first saw some of those cards, I thought that they were the opposite of Xyz, so lets make an antithesis and continue with them, shall we? They possess a white color separating them from the black Xyz-Monsters. Despite the obvious difference in colors and their lack of ranks, they also share a few things though. The first of them being the importance of their materials' level. To put it simple, Synchro-Monsters are nothing but a sum of monster levels. You need a special kind of monsters called Tuners though."

"Tuners?"

"Yeah, monsters that possess this characteristic have the word "Tuner" printed on the card, just like our Gemini- or Spirit-Monsters. For a Synchro Summon you usually need one Tuner-Monster and one or more Non-Tuner-Monsters on your side of the field. Then you add up their total levels and summon a Synchro-Monster of that level from your Extra Deck by sending its materials to the graveyard. Just like Xyz, Synchro Summoning seems to have a few variations and hidden techniques, similar to our Chō Gishiki, but I wasn't able to gather concrete information about them just yet."

"That's okay, you aren't some kind of god, so you can't archive everything in just three days. Now what about Link?"

"Link-Monsters are dark blue like our Gishiki-Monsters and have, unlike both of the previous methods, neither a level nor a rank."

"Wait, what do they have then if they don't possess any of those?"

"They have a so called Link Rating. Let me explain, because their whole system of Duel Monsters is different because of that. There are five Monster-Zones, five Spell- & Trap-Zones and one Field Spell-Zone on their boards, just like we have. However, there are two Extra Monster Zones too, which are located exactly on the border between both players fields, above the second and the fourth Main Monster Zone respectively – or the second and the third if you count by the rules of summoning order. In those zones, Link-Monsters are placed. These monsters have a number of arrows on them, which can point to all eight of the traditional cardinal points. To summon a Link-Monster, you need a certain amount of monsters on your field. It doesn't matter what kind of levels these monsters have, the only thing that might play a role is the type of those monsters – Effect-, Normal- or other Link-Monsters for instance. When you've gathered the required number of monsters, you can send them to the graveyard to summon a Link-Monster from your Extra Deck which has a Link Rating – and therefore an amount of Link Arrows – equal to the number of monsters you used for their summoning. The Link-Monster then goes to the Extra Monster Zone of the corresponding player, which is the one above the fourth Main Monster Zone from that player's perspective. While Link-Monsters usually can't be placed in the Main Monster Zones, you are still able to get them in there. Because once you have a Link-Monster in your Extra Monster Zone, other Link-Monsters can be summoned in one of the five normal zones, if you have a Link-Monster with an arrow pointing to that zone that is. Even if the monster in your Extra Monster Zone is destroyed, you can still continue to summon new Link-Monsters from your Extra Deck. The only condition is having a Link-Monster with an arrow pointing to that Zone or a free Extra Monster Zone belonging to you."

"So swarming the field and creating a network of monsters pointing to most of the zones is the quintessence of Link-Monsters, is that what you're trying to say?"

"Absolutely! Also two more things: Link-Monsters don't have a defense position, which makes them pretty vulnerable against the Mirror Force-Cards for instance. Also cards that would put them into defense position like Book of Moon don't work on them, keep that in mind! Now for the second thing: You don't always need to send a collection of new monsters to the graveyard for a Link Summon. You can for example also sacrifice a Link 2-Monster plus another monster in order to summon a Link 3. Also there seems to be another mechanic called Extra Link."

"Extra Link?"

"Yeah, Extra Link. You know, normally a player can only use one of the Extra Monster Zones at a time, namely your one on the right hand side. But if you manage to build a chain of Link-Monsters pointing to each other – which is called Co-Link by the way – that goes all the way from your Extra Monster Zone to the empty Extra Monster Zone of your opponent, a Link-Monster can be summoned to that zone. Because some Link Arrows seem to be quite rare, however, you often need three or four monsters to fulfill that condition. But if you can pull it off, you essentially lock your opponent's Link Summon. If the enemy player doesn't have any Link-Monsters left on his field and your own Link-Monsters don't point to any of his zones, you essentially win the duel in that dimension by constructing an Extra Link, since without their signature mechanic, their decks often lack strength."

"Wow, that sounds really awesome! How about the last method, Pendulum, if I remember correctly?"

Zarc appeared in his spectral form at that and smirked. _'The last? By far not!_ _'_ He stated with a knowing grin.

"Pendulum was only recently invented in Standard. Apparently a boy called Yuya Sakaki somehow managed to transform some of his monsters into those Pendulum-Cards during his duel against the champion Strong Ishijima. And you never guess how that Yuya person looks like!"

"Don't say that he is your Standard-Counterpart!"

"Ding-ding-ding, 100 points for Shiryu! Yes, he is, and he also owns a dragon like my Bile Throat called Odd-Eyes Dragon, an Effect-Monster. Well it used to be an Effect-Monster at least."

"Used?"

"You remember how I said he transformed his monsters, similar to how I transformed my normal Rituals into Chō Gishikis?"

She nodded.

"Well, now it is called Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, one of said Pendulum-Monsters. Similar to me he seems to be the only person who owns them, but I have a strong feeling that Standard's authorities are pretty keen on getting their hands onto those Pendulum-Monsters as well. They are a mix of monsters and spell cards – in terms of both artwork and effects. Apparently they have both a level in the normal spot, but also a Pendulum Scale beneath the card's artwork."

"Pendulum Scale? That sounds quite confusing to be honest. So what are they now, spells or monsters?"

"Both actually." Yuga calmly replied.

"Ehhhh?! But how?! This sounds pretty weird, not gonna lie!" She retorted in a confused tone.

"I'll explain it to you. Since you already seemed to understand Link, you should be able to understand Pendulum as well. Pendulum-Monsters are multi-functional. They can be summoned like any other monster, and in that case they also have effects like any other monster, you're with me so far?"

Shiryu nodded.

"Good! Now there's a second way to use them aside from summoning them like normal monsters. You can also place them into two special spell zones at the ends of your duel disk, just like the Link-Dimension has two additional monster zones, you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, I do. I guess you explained Link to me before Pendulum so I would have a comparison, is that right?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be easier to understand if I did it in that order. Now, those two spell zones are called the Pendulum Zones. While being in these zones, Pendulum-Monsters possess different effects from their normal ones. These are their Pendulum-Effects, which are printed on the card in a box above the normal effect box. As long as monsters are in the Pendulum Zones, they use these effects rather than their normal effects. But while having those Pendulum-Effects is quite nice at times, this isn't the main feature of the mechanic."

"So you mean there's more to these Pendulum-Monsters than just their two kinds of effects?!" Shiryu exclaimed.

"Yeah, a lot more in fact. You see, this is where those Pendulum Scales come in. Just like all monsters have a level, all Pendulum-Monsters also have a Pendulum Scale. When you place two Pendulum-Monsters in your Pendulum Zones, their full power is unleashed. Because then you are able to pull off a Pendulum Summon once per turn!"

"Pendulum Summon?! And how does that work, I have absolutely no clue from your previous explanations yet!"

"Don't worry, even its creator Yuya Sakaki needed some time to figure out his new mechanic, over 200 practice duels with his friend Gongenzaka in fact, so it isn't really a shame if you haven't guessed how it works within a few minutes, Shiryu!"

She smiled sheepishly at that remark. _'Guess I was expecting too much from myself again. I should probably just lean back and let him explain instead of trying to achieve everything by my own.'_ She then resumed to paying him attention.

"Allow me to teach you about it!" Yuga continued. "By setting the Pendulum Scale, meaning two Pendulum-Monsters in the Pendulum Zones, you are able to simultaneously summon a variety of monsters from your hand whose levels are in between your scales. So if you for example set a monster with a scale of one in your left zone and a monster with a scale of eight in your right zone, you can summon any monsters with levels from two to seven from your hand."

"Wait, summoning multiple monsters, even high level ones simultaneously?! Isn't that a little broken?"

"It is, and it doesn't end there! When Pendulum-Monsters are destroyed, doesn't matter if they serve as monsters or as spells at that time, they are placed face-up in the Extra Deck rather than going to the graveyard! What's more, they can be revived from there again by Pendulum Summoning, as long as the required scale is set of course."

"Monsters that are spells at the same time and can be both in the Extra- and Main Deck? That sounds pretty bizarre to be honest! But it also seems really powerful, since they can just come back over and over again!"

"Oh yeah, it sure is powerful. Pendulum Decks excel in sustained fights because of their regeneration abilities, yet they still have one deep flaw."

"A flaw? What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it carefully, Shiryu. You need two monsters to set your scale, and they need to have the right scale too, if you don't want to limit your possibilities. Then you also require fitting monsters in your hand. All these requirements thin out your opening hand, so if you go all-out against a Pendulum-Duelist early, you can easily overrun him before he gets his reviving cycle going. So my Bile Throat, which is an OTK-machine, can easily defeat Yuya for instance, especially since its absorption effect triggers before the destroyed Pendulum-Monsters go to the Extra Deck and therefore hard-counters them!"

"Wow, that's true Yuga. You've been analyzing all the other summoning methods parenthetically while collecting information about them. That's so like you, thinking about how you can counter your opponents before you even get to duel against them!"

"I guess that might be true, that's actually one of my habits. But because of the incoming war this might be useful though, so I felt like mentioning it."

"You're right about that one, I suppose. You never know when such things come in handy. Now tell me about the other dimensions, please! How do they look like? How do their inhabitants live? Since we're already on it, how about beginning with Standard?"

"Very well." Yuga replied. "The people in Standard live a happy, carefree life. In the place where I gathered my intel, Maiami City – which seems to be the Standard-Counterpart of our Gishiki City by the way –, the people enjoy dueling in their free time as they lead a quite peaceful and idyllic life. Their city is near the sea, just like ours, and possesses a modern look despite the several parks and green areas it has. It also has two rivers, which support the quiet and beautiful atmosphere even further." _'Since I have no idea about the connections of Reiji Akaba's Leo Corporation and the Professor's Academia yet, I will leave out that part for now!'_ Yuga thought. "There are several Dueling Schools that teach all the summoning mechanics except Link and the people in Standard developed a special type of dueling, so called Action Duels."

"Action Duels? That sounds quite entertaining to be honest! Tell me, how do they work?" Shiryu asked.

"They use Real Solid Vision to create special battlefields on which they duel, so called Action Fields. They can be castles, volcanoes, forests, everything really, no matter how bizarre it is. They run around on these fields with their monsters, which are tangible through Real Solid Vision, and interact with them in order to outsmart their opponents by being one step ahead of them. Special spell cards are scattered around the field at the start of the duel, so called Action Cards. These Action Cards can be picked up by the duelists and can then be activated to grant them certain benefits – or disadvantages, if they happen to pick up an Action Trap instead. While each player may only hold one Action Card at a time, they usually have strong effects that can save you from pinches when used correctly."

"Wow, that's really cool! I'd love to have one of these Action Duels someday! And I bet you would excel in those too, I mean, with your body condition, you could just dash around the field and collect those Action Cards with ease!"

"You're probably right about that. However, I still feel conflicted about the whole Action Duel-thing."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"You see, Action Duels might contribute to the colorful and exiting lifestyle of Standard, there's no doubt about that and I like that lifestyle a lot as well. However, I feel like the existence of them has dulled their dueling skills a bit, always relying on Action Cards in order to save themselves from a tight spot. What if Fusion decides to invade Standard? These people, softened by their love for Action Duels, wouldn't even have the slightest chance if the were thrown into a real fight against the well trained soldiers from Academia!"

Shiryu gulped at that statement. "You mean... Academia is already planning its invasion on Standard?"

"I have no actual evidence about that, however, I have a strong feeling that Academia has already installed some agents in Standard to scout the dimension and collect information that might help to achieve their goal. But anyway, let's stop talking about that unpleasant topic. While I was observing my Standard-Counterpart, I stumbled across another quite interesting person!"

"Don't tell me you found my Standard-Counterpart as well!" Shiryu exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"Yeah, I did indeed! She shares your face, has pink twin tailed hair and wears a bracelet like you do. Her name is Yuzu Hiragi and she appears to be the daughter of the man who owns the Duel School that Yuya is enrolled to – so in a way the relationship between them is similar to ours, I guess."

"That's true. How about their behavior towards each other? Are they a couple as well?"

"No, from the looks of it they are just good friends." Shiryu started to sigh, but she was cut short by Yuga's next words. "However, they seem to have a huge crush on each other, they're simply too afraid or too proud to admit it to anybody, even though you can clearly see that they are in love with each other, even if you only spy on them for a couple of hours like I did."

"Wow, are all our counterparts like this?" She asked him sweat dropping.

"Since both Rin and Ruri are currently being held in Academia, I can't really tell you about their relationships to the Yu-Boys of their respective dimensions..."

"Yu-Boys?" Shiryu interrupted him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Because all my counterparts' names seem to start with "Yu", I decided to create that term as an abbreviation. Whilst we're at it, I called your counterparts the "Bracelet-Girls" since you all possess one of those things. Can I now continue with my explanation?"

"Yeah sure." She scratched the back of her head, embarrassed that she had interrupted her boyfriend like that. He had surely done a lot of work within these last three days, so interrupting him mid sentence was kind of rude now.

"Thank you. And it's alright by the way, I know this is a lot to take in, so just interrupt me if you have any questions or something!" He offered to her.

"That's very nice of you Yuga! Now please continue your story!"

"With pleasure! Right, now where was I? Oh yeah, our counterparts, alright! Even though two of your doppelgangers were kidnapped by that freak Yuri, I could tell that both the Xyz- and the Synchro-Couple were pretty close as well. The Xyz-Couple – Yuto and Ruri – knew each other since quite a while. Yuto is also a good friend of Shun Kurosaki, Ruri's older brother. While their relationship was cut short due to Yuri being the giant asshole he is, they always seemed to be quite close in that regard as well, so I suppose you could say that they were like us in a way. My Link-Counterpart is a very calm and stoic person who doesn't show a lot of emotion, but I believe he likes his girl a lot as well, maybe even the most of them all. Yuri and Serena barely know each other, probably because of the Professor, so I think they are the exception to the rule. Now for the last couple, which I can only guess about as well: Yugo and Rin grew up in the same orphanage and from the stories I've heard about their childhood, Rin was always the more reasonable of the two who scolded him if he messed up something again." Shiryu giggled at that part. "Usually, she would punch him in the gut whenever he did something really stupid. However, they were still really good friends and cared about each other a lot, so I bet they have that kind of relationship as well."

"I see. So in a way you are indeed the strongest of all, since you had enough courage to confess your love to me so openly!"

"That's true I guess." Yuga laughed and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek. Shiryu blushed as a result and she continued the conversation a few moments later. "And what about the general atmosphere of Synchro? How is it like?"

"Let me answer your question with another question: Have you read "The Communist Manifesto" by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels?"

"You mean that thing those German guys wrote around 150 years ago? Yes, I have, why do you ask?"

"Imagine the exact opposite of it, then you have a rough idea about the mentality in the Synchro-Dimension."

"Wow, that sounds horrible! Is it really that bad?"

"It is even worse than "that bad": Ninety-nine percent of Neo Domino City's wealth – that's the Synchro-Counterpart of our city by the way – is controlled by the Tops, the upper class that makes up only one percent of the city's population. The other ninety-nine percent of its inhabitants are called the Commons, who have control over the mere rest of one percent of the city's wealth. That class system counts for the whole Synchro-World as well, although it's a bit more open and fairer in the rest of that dimension. In New York for instance, the Commons control at least five percent of the city's wealth instead of just one like in Neo Domino."

"How is something like this class system still intact?! Haven't the Commons rebelled against the upper class yet?!"

"They have, quite often in fact. Unfortunately, the upper class also controls the executive and its henchmen, meaning the police works only for them. The Synchro-Dimension follows one simple rule: Win and rise to the top, or lose and fall into the bottomless abyss of despair. The poorer part of the population lives in dirty slums filled with nothing but filth, while the Tops enjoy their lives full of luxury and abundance in their penthouses and villas in the upper part of the city. If I were to call that system with one word, it would probably be "Capitalism³ ", because no matter where you look, everywhere things work according to that rule."

"Wow, that's terrible! That sounds like some next level dystopia-shit to me, not gonna lie! I know we also had our problems with poverty here in Gishiki City, but you already fixed all of those, unlike those Top-Snobs who hold the Commons down on purpose to maintain their power and their wealth! I can't help but feel angry when I hear that people in the ruling position abuse their power for their own sake like that! It just makes me furious from hearing it!" She clenched her fists, her teeth gritted, barely being able to contain her anger.

Yuga put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. "I know why you feel this way, and I couldn't agree more with you. This system is deeply flawed and needs to be abolished instantly! Once we set foot into the Synchro-Dimension, we're going to change this system for the better! But for now we just have to deal with it. There are bigger problems than Synchro right now, you know?"

"Right, I almost forgot about Fusion already!" Shiryu said facepalming. "How about Link, how is that dimension like?"

"Link is a highly modern place, even more than our dimension and more futuristic than Synchro if you ask me. They might not have all those classic stuff you'd expect from the future and the atmosphere is more similar to Gishiki or Maiami City than Neo Domino. However, their progress in terms of technology is still unquestionably way higher than in any of the other five dimensions. They have a network called LINK VRAINS, which allows its users to dive into the virtual reality and duel there, similar to how Standard has those Action Duels. Around two decades ago, however, Den City and the rest of the Link-Dimension faced an overwhelming threat when a bunch of artificial intelligences developed in a place within that network called "The Cyberse". They continued to evolve on their own and threatened to take over the human world by manifesting there, trying to subjugate everything, kinda like in Terminator. However, they were stopped by a man called Ryoken Kogami, who formed a team to defend the world against the A.I.s – the Knights of Hanoi. They cooperated with the company which was responsible for creating LINK VRAINS – and therefore indirectly the A.I.-Threat as well. Because they were ashamed that their work was causing a worldwide crisis, the CEO of SOL Technologies, Akira Zaizen, decided to support the Knights of Hanoi with everything they had. At some point even his sister, Aoi Zaizen, joined them and together with her and the other members of the Knights, Ryoken Kogami was able to defeat the A.I.s in a war that took over two years and was fought in the VRAINS network as well as in the outside world – both with traditional weapons and artillery as well as with duel discs. Afterwards, they became heroes and up until now all of the Knights are still respected by the general public, the same thing goes for SOL Technologies, a now worldwide operating company. After that, SOL Technologies used the data it had gathered from the people that used VRAINS before and during the war in order to implement some of its features into real life. They developed special arenas where they could do Speed Duels, something they had tested in the VRAINS network before. These Speed Duels beat even the Riding Duels of Synchro in terms of flashiness, you can believe me with that. While the people of Synchro only duel on motorcycles, so called D-Wheels, the people in Link went even further. Just like in the Synchro-Dimension, they drive around in circular duel arenas. However, instead of motorcycles they use hoverboards for that. They glide on them on a circular track, a few feet suspended in the air, while dueling and sometimes doing a few tricks when they want to entertain the audience."

"Wow, dueling on motorcycles and hoverboards? That sounds really awesome as well, why do we just stand around when we duel?"

"Don't worry, only Link, Synchro and Standard have these kinds of dueling. The rest of the dimensions still does the same good old standing-around-while-dueling-stuff which you already know."

"Okay then, I guess our situation isn't so bad after all. Now then, we have two dimensions left! How about the rest?"

Yuga's expression turned dark at that question as he scowled. "Well, Fusion has this Academia you already heard about. It recruits people from all around the dimension and turns them into mindless slaves who help the Professor to achieve his sinister goals. The Professor rules the place with an iron fist and any disloyalty is severely punished. Any students that try to leave Academia or deserted it already because they have an actual brain and don't support its atrocities are either brought back to it, or, in harder cases, quickly eliminated."

"What do you mean by... eliminated?"

"When I first heard about the method, I didn't believe it to be honest. But that changed when I entered the Xyz-Dimension!" He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, nails digging into his skin. "They killed everybody, Shiryu!" He hissed. "THEY TURNED THEM ALL INTO CARDS!"

Shiryu was speechless, her eyes wide open in terror. "They turn people into cards?!" She slowly uttered while taking a few steps back, her voice barely even audible under her hand covering her own mouth in horror. "How is that even possible?!"

"Academia has a feature installed in their duel disks that allows them to card people once they defeat their opponents. You should know, Heartland City and the rest of the Xyz-Dimension was once an idyllic and peaceful place where people enjoyed dueling, just like currently in Standard. But that all changed when the Fusion-Dimension attacked. From the stories I heard, they arrived there one day out of thin air, summoned their robotic Ancient Gear-Monsters and attacked everything and everyone in sight. It wasn't long until Heartland was burning in the flames of the invasion. Because Academia mercilessly turned everybody into cards, no matter if they were duelists or just normal citizens, the Xyz-Dimension formed a resistance group to oppose the invaders. They were badly outnumbered, however, and quickly lost their comrades in the fierce battles. While some of them are still alive, the main fight is over now. The Resistance is just a guerrilla-group, only attacking when they see an opportunity. But usually the Academia soldiers are the ones who come out on top in the fights because of their sheer number advantage. They roam around in the ruins of Heartland and hunt down the last members of the Resistance and other Xyz-Survivors. The only exception to this rule is Kaito Tenjo, a self proclaimed avenger who lost his family during the war. He hunts down Academia soldiers and mercilessly turns them into cards. He once belonged to the Resistance as well, but he left it to wreak his vengeance against Academia. He is known under the synonym "The Demon of Revenge", mainly because of the summoning chant of his ace monster, Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon. Because he is on a rampage and daily cards students from Academia, the commander-in-chief of the Fusion-Forces in Xyz, Edo Phoenix, is trying to take him down since quite a while now, but they haven't managed to catch him yet."

"That sounds really messed up! I can't believe Academia could do something so cruel and inhumane!" Shiryu said, her voice halfway in between fear and anger.

"You are right, but you only heard about the situation from me. If you had seen it yourself, it would be a totally different story! THE XYZ-DIMENSION IS NOTHING BUT BURNED OUT BUILDINGS AND RUBBLE RIGHT NOW! EVERYTHING WAS TURNED INTO RUINS! THE SURVIVORS ARE STARVING TO DEATH AND THE STUDENTS OF ACADEMIA MADE A GAME OUT OF THE SUBJUGATION OF XYZ, DECLARING IT A HUNTING GAME WHEN THE ATTACK BEGAN! THEY EVEN COMPETE ABOUT WHO CARDS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE! THEY LAUGHED LIKE MADMEN WHILE THEY TURNED INNOCENT PEOPLE INTO CARDS! THE SURVIVORS ARE SO TRAUMATIZED THAT A MAN ALMOST FAINTED FROM FEAR WHEN I JUST WANTED TO ASK HIM A FEW SIMPLE QUESTIONS! **THEY ARE SO AFRAID THAT YOU CANNOT EVEN APPROACH THEM LIKE A NORMAL PERSON, NO MATTER HOW NICE AND CALM YOU BEHAVE!** " Blood started dripping from his palms, his face twisted in sheer anger.

"Yuga..." Shiryu said, concerned about her boyfriend because of his outburst.

"I have made up my mind, Shiryu! For all their atrocities and their terror, Academia has to pay dearly! They carded everyone, destroyed Xyz, tried to take you away from me! Those deeds cannot go unpunished! I shall go to the Fusion-Dimension once more, march right into Academia and take revenge for all the horrible things they have done!" He turned away from her at those words.

"Wait Yuga, you don't have to go that far! I know this kind of behavior is inexcusable, but you don't have to put your life on the line just for petty revenge!"

"I have to do this Shiryu! It's not just for you, but for all the innocent inhabitants of the Xyz-Dimension as well! Even though I'm not from their world, I still feel responsible for them and their deaths cannot be in vain just like that! I have to avenge everyone now, and while I'm at it, I will carry the very same thing to Academia that they've brought to Heartland and its citizens before!" He said, the last sentence in a mysterious, sinister tone.

"The very same thing? What do you mean by that?" She asked him.

He chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? Technically it is already official by now! But I'm going to personally announce it to the Professor and his servants, to confirm it formally as well! What I'm planning to declare is… _**WAR!**_ " His eyes widened at the last part while he turned around to her, gazing at her with an eerie look as he uttered the fateful word.

"War?! But that will trigger a conflict of interdimensional scale!"

"Doesn't that conflict already exist because of the Professor yet? I merely tell him that our side is entering the battle as well!" He retorted.

Shiryu gritted her teeth. _'Damn it, he's right! But still...'_

"I will go there and devastate everything, take revenge for all the lives these bastards took! I will give them a taste of their own medicine!" He announced.

From his look, Shiryu could clearly tell that she wasn't able to change Yuga's mind about his plans anymore. "But please try to hold back at least!" She pleaded. "I don't want to see you giving into your dark side again!"

"I can't really promise you anything,", Yuga said while walking away with an emotionless expression, "but I will try at least. Tell father about the things I've just explained to you. I'm going to leave shortly!"

"Oh Yuga,", Shiryu said in a worried tone full of concern, "this war is really taking a toll on you!" He walked away farther and farther until he vanished from her sight completely. "I hope the people from Fusion won't suffer too severely from your wrath!"

* * *

A few hours later, Yuga was entering the throne room. Ghidorah heard him coming and turned towards him.

"I've heard about the news from Shiryu. Good job on gathering intel about the other dimensions!"

"Thank you, father!" Yuga replied politely.

"I also heard from Shiryu that you are planning to take revenge on Fusion. Is that true?"

"It is, father! For all the things those bastards have done already, they will have to pay the price now!"

"I understand your rage well. I myself am still furious about their attempt to abduct my daughter!" His fist clenched and unclenched a few times, displaying his own desperate fight to maintain control over his feelings. "You may go and wreak revenge on Fusion. But much like my daughter, I ask you to hold back."

"I can't promise you anything either, but I will try to."

"Fine! I give you one day for your operation starting now. I shall await your return, my son. Go and take what you will!" He said, giving his adoptive son permission to fully unleash his wrath.

He bowed to the king for a second, then he turned away from him and pressed a few buttons on his duel disk. A blue portal opened up, in which he stepped into. When it disappeared, Yuga was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 _Academia, Fusion-Dimension..._

Leo Akaba, also known as the Professor, was annoyed to say the least. He was currently walking down the hallways of Academia because he heard a couple of weird noises coming from there. His best soldier, the undefeated Yuri, had failed on his mission in Ritual, which exasperated Leo incredibly. _'I will probably have to resort to more extreme measures if I want to get the girl from Gishiki. Oh well, where there's a will, there's a way.'_ He continued walking down the floor of the Academia hallways. _'Strange, why aren't there any students in the hallways? They should have a break right now, so why is none of them here?'_ He took another step and heard the sound of his foot stepping onto water. _'Huh, why is the floor wet like that? This is getting weirder and weirder!'_ He turned around the corner into a hallway on the right hand side of the previous one. Not even a second after doing that, he stumbled over something right at the edge of the corner, making him fall to the ground. "What the..." He began. ( 3; reference) His words were cut short by the realization about what he stumbled over, however. As he turned around, he gazed into the dead eyes of one of his students. He wore a yellow jacket – therefore he was a Ra Yellow, one of his mediocre students. He had black hair and leaned on the wall of the hallway. The most striking thing about him, however, was the big hole in his chest, almost as if he was pierced by a giant claw or something. When he turned around to the opposite direction, he saw other students as well. His eyes started widening. The shocking thing which they all had in common: Everyone of them was either lying on the ground or leaning against the walls in a similar position and neither of them seemed to be alive. Leo's mind needed a few seconds to process what he had just seen. But once the realization hit his brain, he started hyperventilating. "Impossible! It can't be! It can't be! It can't be!" He whispered in fear, getting a little bit louder with every repeat. Leo continued to advance through the hallway, the fluid on the ground turning out to be blood. As he alternated between looking left and right, he caught sight of piles of dead students, wearing jackets of all kinds of colors – blue, yellow and red -, stained with blood and a mysterious green liquid. Some of them were pierced like the first student, others were covered with the green fluid which cauterized their faces, arms, torsos, everything that came in touch with it really. As he looked closer, he saw that a lot of them had bite marks all over their bodies as well, most of them missing one or more limbs, which seemed to be bitten off. Some really unlucky ones were even chopped in half along their waistlines, separating them in two halves, a sight not the least bit pleasant to behold. The floor was stained with pools of blood which had formed around the corpses. The smell was unbearable, a stench mixed of blood, the caustic fluid and decay rose into his nostrils, almost causing him to vomit as a result. "No, it can't be! IT CAN'T BE!" He cried out. Leo looked to his left and saw another body lying on the ground. The body of the young man abruptly ended at the shoulders. He thought he spotted the corresponding head a few feet away from it, but he didn't dare to look more closely out of sheer horror. As he turned left into the main hallway, he encountered several dozens of new corpses, killed in a similar fashion than the previous ones. Much like in the previous hallway, there were also scratches on the walls and the blue carpet on the floor was torn in some sections. Some parts of the hallways were seared as well, a few flames still burning brightly. "No, impossible! Who could have done something like that?!" He was barely able to keep up his composure, to not empty his whole stomach from the terrors unfolding before him. Slowly, he approached the great gateway leading to his throne room. He noticed that the right door leaf was partially open and entered the room through it. While doing said thing, he had to look to the right side of the throne room, where he saw a figure kneeling on the ground. When he recognized who it was, his eyes widened even further. "Wait Yuri, what are you doing here?! What's going on?!"

The addressed person turned to him, his forehead full of sweat. "S-sor-ry Profes-sor,", He began weakly, the exhaustion clearly visible on his face, "we tri-tried to stop this madman who attacked Ac-ca-de-mia, b-but we were not str-strong enough to take him do-down!" He coughed up some blood while saying those words.

"We?" The Professor turned around towards the left side of the throne room to see his other special student, Serena, kneeling on the ground in a similar fashion to Yuri. She didn't seem to be injured to Yuri's degree, which relieved Leo because he needed her for his special plan. However, he couldn't really say that she was in good shape either, having a few minor cuts and bruises and being exhausted just like Yuri. She looked at him with a face filled with nothing but exhaustion, disappointment and frustration.

"I'm sorry Professor, I was trying to get your acknowledgment by taking down that guy, but I wasn't good enough to defeat him! I'm ashamed to be so useless in times of need! I will except any punishment you deem worthy for my failure!" She slowly uttered. Suddenly a voice called out from in front of Leo.

"Oh, don't worry Serena, you're not the one who's being punished today! The person who is going to pay is the man next to you, Leo Akaba, the Professor of Academia!" Leo slowly looked up while approaching the stranger with the pace of a snail, his eyes widening with every word the unknown voice said. "After your little attempt to disturb the peace of my dimension, I decided to go to this place and take my revenge on you and your henchmen. I defeated the little servant you sent out to my world once more, along with that girl right there." The man told. Leo's hyperventilation intensified once more, increasing with every step he took towards the throne. "For now I shall stop with my punishment. But remember, that for every further try to harm my world, I will repay you tenfold!" The Professor finished fully raising his head and looked upon the figure. It was a young man of about 14 years, casually sitting on his throne, his legs resting on the left armrest. He was wearing royal attire and had a big emblem on his chest, which depicted a white "G" within a blue rhombus, which had silver dragon-like wings attached to its sides. Behind the throne, a giant blue-grayish dragon was lazily lying on the ground, its head poking forward on the right side of the throne. The dragon raised its head a bit to allow its master to pet it. Suddenly Leo's view was superimposed with another image. The Professor saw another young man within his mind, a man a few years older than the one before him, who had white hair and sat on the debris of an enormous stadium. He also petted the head of a dragon in a similar fashion, a red colored dragon with dichromatic eyes. Leo's eyes widened further while returning his attention to the stranger. The boy stroked his dragon for a while before turning back to Leo. "Tremble before our power! Greetings from the Gishiki-Dimension...", He started while smirking, his facial expression slowly twisting into a malevolent grin, eyes turning into slits and glowing dark blue. Leo collapsed onto his knees.

"... **SAIKY** **Ō** **!** " He finished.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And there it is guys, another chapter done. First there's some fluff (aren't Yuga and Shiryu adorable together?), then followed up by some horror as Yuga brutally kills some Academia students (they deserved it though). We get an overview about all the dimensions and Yuga travels around to do stuff. Also Leo has Vietnam... er, I mean Zarc-Flashbacks. Oh yeah, the third note appeared. The last scene is basically just a giant reference to Re-Zero Episode 14, so I put the video into the playlist for comparison (the reading of Rem's letter is equivalent to Yuga's little speech by the way). It was just a perfect inspiration and since it is also the most prominent Theater D-scene in a the show, I couldn't help but include it in my story. You find it in the usual spot. Ah right, the violence in that part is one of the reasons why I wasn't sure about the rating, but I wanted to describe the massacre quite vividly. Don't worry, something of that scale won't appear again anytime soon. Oh yeah, remember how I told you that "the Strongest/Saikyō"-thing will happen again? Looks like it did! Yuga uses it to assert some dominance by making it clear which dimension is superior, further emphasizing the fact that he just took out dozens of Academia students.**

 **Also about the backstory of Link, I had to change a few things from the Vrains-canon since Yusaku doesn't exist in this story. The Knights of Hanoi got a promotion from the villains to the heroes and Revolver became the saver of the world since the A.I.s are indeed evil in this story (And if you are saying "NO, you can't do that, they are so cute, friendly and appear as not the least bit evil even once in the original series!", then you clearly haven't watched Vrains Episode 12 carefully enough where Ai enters the monstrosity mode after Yusaku wins against Revolver, transforms into a Cyberse-Abomination, bites off one of Revolver's arms and almost kills his Vrains-Avatar in attempt to gain Revolver** **'s data or whatever Ai wanted to do with him had he been allowed to** **. That thing looked pretty scary, not gonna lie! Also, late edit, Vrains Episode 68 just came out today. And guess what Lightning declares? That he wants to take control over humanity alongside Windy and the others Ignis, getting rid of them eventually! Evil, I tell you, even with their defensive motive of protecting themselves! In here, they are just even more evil, so making them the antagonists in the Link-backstory seems fine to me). Oh right, Akira also got a promotion (no chess pun intended). From the Security Manager of SOL Technologies to its CEO (all people higher in the hierarchy of SOL Technologies like the Queen and the other people who use chess pieces as their code names don't exist in here by the way), which on the note of a later edit turned out to be his position at the end of Vrains (gosh, I am so good at predicting stuff). So in a way, he's the Reiji of the Link-Dimension now, I guess. But after all, they did such changes of history and circumstances with all the other dimensions as well, so it is pretty normal that I also did it with Link, I guess. I also had to change some of the rulings because of Link, since I can't keep them like they are IRL in an Arc-V fanfiction (because how the heck is everybody getting Link-Monsters? It's just super weird and boycotts all other dimensions if they need Link-Monsters to have more than two Extra Deck-Monsters out at the same time).** **Also there's a rule that says you can only use the Extra Monster Zone on your right, alongside the old summoning order rules (or not rules, rather the way Yu-Gi-Oh games are coded most of the times). We will get to those rules and the Link-Dimension in a few chapters!**

 **In the next chapter Yuga continues his raid in the Fusion-Dimension. As always, review and comment please, any feedback is welcome!**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**And so we continue our journey. Yuga is still in Academia and has just slain around 100 students or so. Let's see what happens next!**

* * *

Chapter 4: Raid on Academia

Slowly, Leo recovered from the shock and stood up. He looked at the stranger sitting on his throne and addressed him. "So you are the one responsible for this?"

"Indeed! I was just taking some vengeance on you folks, but as I said, I am satisfied for now, so I will leave you alone until you decide to do something stupid like invading my dimension again!"

"Who are you?" Leo bluntly addressed him.

"Oh, me? No one really, just the future king of the Gishiki-Dimension and I also happen to be the boyfriend of the girl you targeted. You may call me by my name though. Burn that name into your ears, because if you try anything on me again, it will be the last thing you hear: It's Yuga Gishiki!"

"Yuga Gishiki? Very well then, why are you here besides your revenge? I clearly know that there must be something else than that!"

"Oh, good that you're mentioning it! I wanted to give you a choice!"

"A choice?" The Professor asked.

"Yeah, a choice! Two options, my friend!" He raised two of his fingers. "The first one is giving up your insane plans to conquer the dimensions and repent for your crimes. If you don't agree to that one, the second option will kick in!"

"Giving up my plans?! No way I'm going do that!" The Professor replied.

Yuga stood up from the throne. "Very well! **I HEREBY DECLARE WAR ON YOU ALL!** " He pointed at Leo and his two subordinates, letting his arm wander around the room in a waving motion as he announced his intentions of fighting Academia in a grave, solemn voice full of authority. "WITH THIS, THE INTERDIMENSIONAL WAR TRULY BEGINS!"

"What, you're declaring war on us?!" Serena spoke up. "How can you hope to beat us?! We have the best trained soldiers in all of the dimensions! No one can defeat us!"

"Oh, is that so?" Yuga said in a mocking tone. "If that's the case, why was I able to single-handedly take out 100 of your so called 'best trained soldiers' then, including you two?"

Serena gritted her teeth.

"Well then, I have to go now." He looked at the Professor. "But before I shall take my leave, my dear Leo, I will take a souvenir along with me! Because during my raid here, I was able to gain information about the whereabouts of two certain captives!"

"What?! You don't mean..." Leo's eyes widened.

"YES, I DO!" Yuga's expression intensified. "I know everything about your secret little plans, Professor! Because I found a neat little project folder called Revival Zero!"

"You know about my plans?!"

"Well, not in detail! But I have a good idea what they could be! Now then, Bile Throat, please create us an exit!"

His dragon obeyed and shot a giant barrage of its fluids towards the ceiling. It got cauterized almost instantly, creating a huge hole in the building. Yuga merely shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes you gotta make a door! Bye!" He then jumped onto his dragon, which launched into the air and flew through the hole in the ceiling. Leo ran to his throne and pressed a button on it. "Contact the western and eastern tower immediately! Someone will arrive there pretty soon, so defend them by all means!"

"Understood!" The male speaker on the other side of the call answered. He then hesitated for a while. "Damn, it seems our communication network is damaged, so I can't contact the guardians on the towers!"

' _This must be that guy's doing!'_ The Professor thought.

"We will mobilize all troops available and send them to the towers right away! Don't worry, Professor, the captives shall not escape!"

But Leo honestly wasn't so sure about that.

* * *

Meanwhile Yuga was flying towards the western tower. His rage had subsided a bit after he had raided Academia, took out some of its students and declared war on the Professor. Even he himself wasn't that much of a fan of being angry like that 24/7. While his dark side came in handy in some situations like this, always being in that state wasn't very desirable. "Well then, now I get to do something good for a change and free the two girls who are being held here." He saw the western tower drawing near. When he looked closer, he spotted a female figure standing on top of it. "That must be Diana, the guardian employed here to make sure Ruri doesn't escape!" He murmured. He then smirked at how unsuspecting she was. "This will be easy!" His dragon dissolved and he fell down the last couple of meters, landing gracefully on top of the tower. Diana was startled by the sudden appearance of Yuga and reached out for her duel disk. He walked towards her with a grin. "Let the fun begin! Because this show... **will never end!** "

* * *

Ruri was lying on the bed within her cell. As always she was bored and hoped that her brother Shun, Yuto or another member of the Resistance would come and save her. _'Damn it, Ruri! You should have been paying more attention when Dennis baited you into that trap!'_ She frowned at the memory of the young man she had once called a friend, before he betrayed her and practically handed her over to Yuri, who didn't take long to abduct her to this place. _'Now you're sitting in this tower like the classic princess in distress and waiting for your friends to save you!'_ She woke up from her daydreams when she heard the faint sound of a strange melody. _'Weird, am I imagining things now? Am I slowly getting crazy because of the solitude?'_ She kept listening and after a while she heard a few sentences, spoken by a male voice if she was hearing it correctly.

 **-Today's program is a tragedy!-**

 **-Welcome to the party!-**

 **-This show will never end!-**

Between the second and the third word section that she was able to understand, she also heard a tremendous, powerful roar coming from outside. _'What the hell is happening there?'_ She could then hear the sound of a body dropping to the ground. After a few more seconds, she noticed the steps of a person drawing closer to the door. Then the door opened and a person quickly entered the room. It was a young man of about her age, wearing a blue uniform and white pants. He also had a gray cape, which almost reached to his ankles. But his most striking feature was his face, upon which she gazed almost immediately. "Yuto?" She asked, not believing that he had seriously come to the Fusion-Dimension in order to save her.

"I'm afraid that I can't do you the favor and claim to be said person. I'm not Yuto, sorry Ruri! But I'm not Yuri either, despite the fact that said person has a bit of my style, at least in terms of fashion. I am Yuga Gishiki, the Ritual-Counterpart of them, and I'm here to save you!" He reached out his hand for her.

She slowly stood up. "You're not Yuto?" She uttered, obviously a little bit disappointed that her friend wasn't the one to save her. Then her expression turned serious again. "Why does a person from the Ritual-Dimension come here just to save me, a random girl from Xyz? Why are you here in Academia when you could just be relaxing in our own world? And how do you know my name?" Ruri asked, her voice still expressing her doubts.

"You see, Ruri, when a certain person you're quite familiar with now tried to kidnap my own girl, Shiryu, I decided to go here and take my revenge on Fusion. While raiding Academia, I discovered hints about your whereabouts, so I decided to free you from this place. Now, I know you have a lot of questions, but we can deal with them later when we are heading to our next destination!" He extended his hand once more.

She hesitated for a while. Then she took his hand and together, they left the cell.

"So how are we going to get out of here now?" She asked.

"Oh, that's easy! See and marvel what our technology can do!" He activated his duel disk and slammed down a card on the blue blade. A dark blue dragon with gray wings manifested before them.

"Wh-what is that?" Ruri stammered.

"Oh, that one? That's just my ace monster, Bile Throat! Don't worry, if you're his friend, he isn't as intimidating and scary as he looks! Now then, let's ride on him and get to our next destination!"

"But how are we going to get onto that dragon?! It's huge!"

"Oh, that's easy as well! Just hold onto me!" He wrapped his right arm around her waist.

"Ehhh?!" She blushed at the sudden movement of Yuga. Then she felt the ground beneath her moving into the distance as Yuga jumped, leaping onto the dragon's back with a few more jumps along its spine, coming to a halt at its neck area. He carefully placed Ruri behind him and gestured her to sit down.

"This flight might get a little bit rough sometimes, so it's probably better if you hold onto me while we're in the air." He also sat down during this statement.

Ruri blushed even harder. "You sure this is really necessary?"

"If you don't wanna take the risk of kissing the ground, yes. Anyway, we should get going now!" He gave his dragon a small slap onto its neck, making Bile Throat unfold his wings, ready to launch into the air.

"No, wait!" Ruri yelled. Her complain was cut short by the dragon taking flight however, so she tightly clutched Yuga's waist in order to not fall down during the turbulent flight.

' _Damn, this rescue mission is getting better and better! Not only do I get the feeling of doing something good, I also get the opportunity to sit right in front of a cute girl who looks pretty much exactly like my girlfriend! This is awesome!'_ He thought.

Meanwhile Ruri was also thinking about her current situation. _'Looks like this is one of my better days. Finally someone saves me from this hellhole of a dimension – and it's a guy that looks exactly like my friend too! Although he isn't Yuto, I have to admit that he looks pretty handsome!_ – _No, bad thoughts Ruri, don't cheat on your friend! Only because that guy right in front of you looks pretty much exactly like him, seems to be quite athletic and probably is a nobleman too, it doesn't mean you can just languish as if Yuto never existed!_ – _He is quite the looker though!_ – _Ah stop it, I can't stand it any longer!'_ She internally was torn between admiring Yuga and admonishing herself to not forget about her (almost-)relationship with Yuto.

"Anyway,", She abruptly stated, "where are we going now? Would you mind giving me a little background information?"

"Not at all! You see, the guy who kidnapped you, Yuri, had several other missions of the same kind, yours being the first. He also captured Rin, a girl from the Synchro-Dimension who shares your face, as well as trying to capture my friend Shiryu, also one of your counterparts. I fended him off, however, and now I took some revenge on Fusion – for that incident as well as for your people!"

"You know about Xyz?"

"Yeah, I saw the ruins, heard about the invasion, met some of the scared survivors. It was so horrible that I had to go here and take out some of the students from this accursed school!"

"Did you... card them?" She asked him apprehensively.

"Not really. Since I don't have that barbaric technology, I resorted to other means to take them out forever!"

Ruri's eyes widened in shock. "Then d-did you… kill them?!" She uttered in horror.

"Yes, I did." He bluntly responded.

She put a hand over her mouth, terrified at the revelation. Not only did the unexpected scale of brutality shock her, but also the fact that a single person was able to win against dozens of Academia soldiers – within the boundaries of their own base!

Yuga noticed that and turned around his head to look deeply into her eyes, a serious expression forming on his face. "Oh please, don't say they didn't deserve it! I merely repaid a bunch of them for their atrocities! Did you already forget about the hunting games? How they ravaged your homeland, burned everything to the ground, laid everything to waste, carded your friends and family – duelists and simple civilians alike?! How they took you away from your comrades and locked you up in that tower?!" He pointed towards the point of their departure. "The thousands, – no! – millions of extinguished lives, Heartland, your own fate?! Did you forget about all those things?!" He gave her an intense stare, challenging her to question his motives for taking revenge.

She gritted her teeth. "I know that they probably deserved it." Ruri admitted grudgingly. "But I still don't like your thirst for revenge the least bit! While nothing Academia does is good or could even be called humane, doing the same thing to them isn't any better! I can understand why you wreaked revenge on Fusion, and I'm thankful that you are concerned about the fate of my world, but please don't continue walking on the sinister path of vengeance!" She begged him, pleading him to come to his senses again.

"Don't worry, Ruri. I have already completed my dark assignments here and I don't plan on doing anything like that ever again. Plus, I wasn't really myself a few minutes ago when I killed those students. When I did that, I was consumed by my rage, so I couldn't think clearly. I'm sorry for scaring you like that!" He bowed his head, ashamed to disturb her with his previous actions.

"No need to apologize!" Ruri said in a surprised tone, waving her hands a bit in front of her. "I know that people sometimes get overwhelmed by their darker sides, so I forgive you for your behavior, especially since you have a point with those people being literal demons. But returning to our previous topic, you were planning on getting that Rin-Girl out of her tower, right?"

"Exactly! Since you were the first one to be imprisoned here, I decided it would only be fair if I freed you first! Now that this is done, I will deal with Rin! I'll take out her guardian Apollo, just like I did with Diana!"

"Wait, one question! Did you kill my guardian too?" She asked, a little bit of fear in her voice again.

"No, out of concern about you I just knocked her out, I didn't want to disturb you even more."

Ruri sighed. "That's a relief! Seems like your rage has subsided now." She stated.

"Yeah, mostly. You are quite the pacifistic girl, aren't you?" He inquired in an interested tone.

"I guess so." She replied, a little bit unsure what to say. "I believe that duels should make people smile instead of being used for battles like the one being fought in my dimension right now."

"Dueling to make people smile? That's quite a big dream for a young girl like you!"

Ruri blushed a bit, embarrassed about how naive her dreams might sound to him.

"But I promise that I will try everything in order to end this interdimensional war as quickly as possible and help you realize that dream so it can finally come true! After all, who could deny such a wonderful dream, especially if the person having that dream was a beautiful girl like you are?" He stroked her cheek with his hand for a second, making her blush even harder.

"Well then,", Yuga said as he turned around, "looks like we're about to reach our destination. Brace for the landing!"

"Huh?!" Ruri exclaimed in surprise. Suddenly she felt an impact, making her clutch his waistline harder.

"Looks like we're there at last! Mind if I help you to the ground again?" He rose from his seat on the dragon's neck and picked her up bridal style, jumping down from Bile Throat's back with her and landing gracefully on the tower's floor, putting her down again right after.

' _Damn, this guy's charisma is so disarming, I can't even bring myself to give him a little slap for touching me like that!'_ Ruri thought.

A few feet away, the guardian of the tower, Apollo, who wore a red robe and a helmet of red and golden color, reacted with a shock as he saw the giant bluish dragon and the two people on top of it arriving. "Who the hell are you?!" He yelled. Then he recognized one of the persons. "Wait, you're the girl whom my sister is supposed to be guarding! How did you get out of your cell without her noticing?!"

"You will have to duel me to find out!" Yuga said in Ruri's place, stepping in front of her protectively.

"Fine then! I will defeat you and lock up that girl again! Let's settle this already!"

"My my, an impatient one, aren't we? But to me, a quick finish sounds nice as well, I have other matters to attend to after all!"

"Let's see if you're still that cocky after I utterly crush you!" Apollo yelled, activating his duel disk.

"Oh, we will see about that!" Yuga stated confidently. He then smirked. "Pray, fool! You face the Gishiki Prince!" He said in a semi-loud voice while readying his disk and taking a proper dueling stance, also returning the dragon card back to his Extra Deck, making it dissolve again.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **YUGA VS. APOLLO**

 **YUGA: 4000**

 **APOLLO: 4000**

"I shall take the first turn!" Apollo exclaimed. "From my hand I activate the spell card Polymerization! With it, I fuse Guardian of Tryce and Luminous Soldier! When the radiant sun hits the twinblades, the two warriors become one! YŪGŌ SHOKAN! Descend, Sun Protector!"

 _Sun Protector_

 _Light/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2100/Warrior/Fusion/Effect_

"Now his effect activates! I summon a Protector's Shield Token in defense mode!"

 _Protector's Shield Token_

 _Light/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Warrior/Token_

"And as long as I control one of those tokens, Sun Protector cannot be attacked!" Apollo smirked. "I set one card face-down and end my turn!"

Suddenly Yuga broke out into mad laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! So incredibly feeble!"

Both Ruri and Apollo perked up at that statement.

"What?!" Apollo snarled. "Are you mocking me?!"

Yuga continued laughing and scoffed at him after he had finally stopped. "Yes, of course I am, idiot! You guys from Academia seriously lack a certain thing! In some cultures it is called ORIGINALITY! All those Ancient Gear-Decks your students use get so boring and monotonous after a while! Even you use basically the same deck as your sister, with the exception of the different celestial body your ace monster represents!"

"What?! You've defeated my sister?!" Apollo asked with rage in his voice.

"Of course I did! Did you seriously believe Ruri could have just sneaked around her without anyone knocking her out first?!"

"You bastard!" Apollo hissed. "You will pay for that!"

"You really think so?! 'Cause I don't, that's for sure! Now then, let me guess, your face-down card is Protector's Adoration, right?"

Apollo gritted his teeth.

"I guess that means yes! In that case, let me show you a little something! During your still ongoing End Phase, I activate the quick-play magic card **Gishki** – **Spontaneous Ceremony**!"

"What?! A quick-play spell from your hand during my turn?"

"Yeah, that's right! Because unlike other spells of that kind, this card has the ability to be activated during your turn! Now for it's effect! By discarding one Gishki Magician, I can activate another spell card right afterwards! I discard my **Gishki Magician – Sorcerer** in order to activate Heavy Storm!"

"Heavy Storm?! But that spell is extremely rare! Why would you have a card like this?!"

"You should know that I'm the son of the Gishiki King, the head of our dimension. Getting access to rare cards like Heavy Storm is child's play for a person like me!"

' _WAIT, WHAT?!'_ Ruri thought. _'That guy is a member of the royal family that reigns his world?! Damn, he's an even better catch than I originally expected!_ – _Stop it Ruri, why do you keep longing for a random guy you've met just a few minutes ago! Get a hold of yourself!'_ Ruri admonished herself, having yet another internal crisis.

"Now then,", Yuga continued, "since you seem to know what my spell card does, let's carry on with our duel! All spell and trap cards are wiped out now. Since it's still your turn, you can't activate Protector's Adoration in response to my card! Bye bye, stupid little trap!"

Apollos face-down got blasted away as a strong gust of wind collided with it.

"Now it's my turn! DRAW!" Yuga continued. "During my Standby Phase, my Sorcerer activates his effect! Since he was sent to the graveyard as the cost of my Spontaneous Ceremony, I now get to add a Gishki Magician from my deck to my hand by his effect! I select another Sorcerer! And when Sorcerer is added to my hand by a card effect, he can be special summoned!"

 _Gishki Magician – Sorcerer_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Next up I normal summon Gishki Magician – Caller!"

 _Gishki Magician - Caller_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

"His effect kicks in! I choose the first option, allowing me to add one "Gishki Magician"-Monster from my deck or graveyard to the hand! I select another Sorcerer! And you know what happens next!"

"You... get to summon it, right?" Apollo said, becoming slightly more nervous with every card Yuga played.

"Correct! Now come, my Sorcerer!"

 _Gishki Magician – Sorcerer_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Now I activate the spell card **Gishki** – **Crushing Ceremony**! By its effect, I can lower the levels of my "Gishki Magician"-Monsters in order to destroy one card for each two levels they lost! But those monsters can't attack during this turn! I reduce my Caller's level to two, then I destroy your Protector's Shield Token!" Caller fired a blue energy blast at it, destroying it immediately.

 _Gishki Magician - Caller: Lvl 4_ _→ 2_

"Hah! You fool! You could have destroyed my Protector instead! But for some reason you prioritized my puny token! HAHAHA!" Apollo laughed.

' _That's a questionable play indeed. But maybe he has plan I don't know about yet_.' Ruri thought.

"There was a reason why I spared your Protector, Apollo! It will become part of something much greater, literally! But you will see what I mean in just a few seconds!" Yuga smirked.

"What?!" Apollo exclaimed. "What are you saying now?!"

"Just wait and see!" Yuga responded, his eyes widening a bit. "Now I send my three monsters to the graveyard... in order to Gishiki Summon!"

-"What?!"- Both of them exclaimed in a shocked tone. "Don't you need to activate a ritual spell first?!" Ruri pointed out.

"Not exactly, Ruri!" He grinned at her. "You see, in my early childhood I got my hands on a thing called Chō Gishiki. It works more similar to your Xyz Summon rather than the original Ritual Summon with Main Deck-Monsters from the hand. I simply tribute monsters from my side of the field to summon a Ritual-Monster from my Extra Deck with a level equal or lower than the level sum of the sacrificed tributes!"

"A Gishiki Summon from the Extra Deck?!" Ruri exclaimed in a shocked tone. "Something like that is possible?!"

Meanwhile Apollo was also addressing Yuga. "So that guy Yuri wasn't lying?! He wasn't crazy when he told us about that summoning mechanic?!"

"No, he was absolutely right!" Yuga cried out. "And you were a fool for not believing him! Now witness the ultimate, most sublime form of summoning in the entire universe!" He declared with audible pride in his voice.

' _There is a more sublime form than Chō Gishiki, believe me, Yuga!'_ Zarc remarked flying by in his spectral form, unseen to everyone. _'It's called Integration Summon by the way!'_ He grinned at those words.

"With my three magicians, I fulfill the required level of eight!" The three monsters transformed into a blue orb of light, eight stars aligning above it.

"When many measly beings combine their powers, a new creature is born from their sacrifice, a glutton craving for all sorts of prey! Now become the beast that devours them all! One dragon of endless power, standing above all other creation and consuming all foes in its wake! Tremble before the power of the strongest!"

A blue pillar of light struck down as Yuga raised his right hand.

"GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, ravenous dragon with a stomach full of agony! WELCOME TO THE PARTY! Level 8, Bile Throat Gishki Dragon!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon_

 _ _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Dragon/Ritual/Effect__

"That's the dragon from before!" Ruri cried out as said being emerged from the blue inferno surrounding it. _'Bile Throat Gishki Dragon?'_ She deliberated. _'Could it be...?'_

Even Apollo lost his composure after catching sight of the enormous blue dragon standing upright on the field, roaring menacingly. "This dragon... what is this power?!"

"This is the power of Gishiki!" Yuga's eyes widened. "This is the power of despair! Bile Throat Gishki Dragon's effect! Once per turn, he can destroy any card on the field! I obviously select your Sun Protector! Corrosion Crusher!" The dragon launched a salvo of its signature fluids, hitting Apollo's monster.

"But it doesn't end there! Bile Throat can equip himself with any monster he destroys! Endless Gluttony!"

' _Good thing that this dragon is on my side.'_ Ruri thought as it devoured Apollo's monster. _'Otherwise this would have been pretty unpleasant for me to say the least.'_

"He then gains its ATK, making my dragon even stronger!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 2800 → 5200_

"Impossible!" Apollo murmured, speechless and frozen in fear.

"Now the finish! Bile Throat Gishki Dragon attacks you directly! Throat of Torment – Ravenous Devourer!"

The dragon leapt at the guard, ready to devour him whole. In the last second Yuga remembered Ruri was right next to him, making him address his dragon through their mental link. _'Go easy on him, Bile Throat! Don't bite off any limbs and just give him a little push! I don't want to disturb Ruri again.'_ The dragon obeyed, only knocking Apollo out as a result.

 **APOLLO LP: 4000 → 0**

 **YUGA WIN!**

"You did it!" Ruri cheered enthusiastically. "Now let's save that other girl!"

"Right away!" He approached Apollo and searched him. After a while, a smile formed on his face and he held up a key, grinning at Ruri. She also smiled in return and Yuga beckoned her to come to the door. After a few seconds, it was unlocked and the both of them entered the tower.

* * *

Rin heard strange sounds coming from the exit of her room. _'Are they bringing me dinner already? It's way earlier than usually, so are they perhaps planning something else?'_ She shuddered at the thought of it. A few weeks ago, she had overheard the Obelisk Force-members that brought her the usual food talking about an 'experiment' that a certain Doctor was preparing. _'No way, could it be that they are making me their laboratory rat now?!'_ She braced for the worst. Surprisingly, it was only a teenager who entered her room, accompanied by a girl whom she had never seen before. When she looked closer at the male, her eyes widened in realization. He looked like her friend Yugo, yet he didn't have his signature hairdo or clothes. _'But this isn't the bastard who kidnapped me either, so maybe it's just Yugo in a weird disguise he used to sneak into my cell. Well, a simple question should confirm it!'_ She slowly got up and looked into his face. "Yugo?" She asked in an uncertain voice.

"Rin!" Was the simple reply of the young man.

"YUGO, YOU IDIOT!" She exclaimed while rushing at him, her knee preparing for a kick right into his guts.

To her surprise, the person caught her knee mid-air and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"My my, that's no way to greet the person that just saved you from your prison. Oh, and by the way, I'm not Yugo!"

Rin lost some of her momentum at those words. "You're… not Yugo?" She slowly asked the stranger, returning to a normal stance as she lowered her knee again.

"Nope. But nevertheless I'm here to save you. I know you have a lot of questions on your mind right now, but can you wait with them until we get off this island, please?" He asked, extending his hand.

She looked at him and nodded, taking his hand as well to agree with said plan.

"Excellent! That makes things way easier for us! Oh, I'm Yuga and this is Ruri by the way!" He pointed to the other girl next to him while shaking her hand. "Now let's get outta here!" Yuga exclaimed, letting go of her hand again before heading towards the exit. When both of them followed, they saw him stopping just a few steps after getting outside.

"What's the matter?" Ruri asked.

"We have company." Yuga calmly replied.

When both of them looked around, they saw themselves surrounded by several people wearing Academia uniforms.

Ruri and Rin gasped. -"Oh no, they've found out about us trying to escape!"-

"You cannot escape from here!" The Professor cried out, his troops encircling the trio on the top of the tower. Several dozens of Obelisk Force-members were surrounding them, blocking the staircase down to the bottom of the tower. Right next to the Professor's sides were his two most trusted students again, Yuri and Serena. The latter of them had a determined expression, ready to restore her honor and prove her worth to the Professor. Meanwhile on Leo's right side, Yuri had a cruel smirk on his face.

"Looks like you're done for now, Yuga! What a tragedy, but oh well, I shall enjoy seeing you suffer and being carded right here!" He said with a sadistic smile. He then turned his attention to the girls next to him. "Oh, and for you two, I will gladly lock you up again! Because I love seeing your pointless struggle for freedom failing once more!" His expression turned even darker, making Rin and Ruri shiver at the sight of the demon who had captured them a few weeks ago.

At his words, Serena looked closer at the two companions of her main target. As she did that, her eyes widened. _'Wait, do they look like me? And why do they also have bracelets like the one I have? And why are they all glowing right now? Am I imagining things?'_ Internally conflicted she pulled back into her mind and deliberated for a minute. Meanwhile Yuga addressed the Professor.

"So you managed to catch us in the act? Impressive, Leo! Looks like I underestimated you!"

The Professor smirked at those words. "You see? Our dimension isn't so weak after all! Now then, prepare to surrender to us and hand over the girls!"

As a response, Yuga simply started humming a melody.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Leo asked him in confusion.

"Oh, nothing really. Just humming the melody of one of my favorite songs." He said.

"Prepare to hold onto me!" Yuga quietly whispered to Rin and Ruri in a hushed tone.

-"Huh?"- Both of them exclaimed in a quiet, yet confused voice.

"If you want, I can teach you the lyrics for it." Yuga continued talking to Leo. He tapped three buttons on his duel disk and started singing.

"Fuck this shit I'm out

Mmmm Hmmmm

Fuck this shit I'm out

\- No thanks! -

Don't mind me

Imma just grab my two girls and leave

Excuse me, please!"

He grabbed Rin's and Ruri's waists at those words, who blushed at the sudden body contact. Simultaneously, his duel disk started emitting a bright, blue glow. When the Professor realized what Yuga was trying to do, he yelled at his subordinates.

" **GET THEM BEFORE THEY GET AWAY!** "

The Obelisk Force rushed towards the group from all sides, arms extended to apprehend them. However, the glow intensified and they vanished just in time, causing the Obelisk Force to collide with each other.

" _ **GODDAMNIT!**_ " Leo Akaba yelled towards the sky at the top of his lungs.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **One more chapter done. Yuga goes Obito-Mode and declares war. He then saves both of the Bracelet-Girls as well. Remember how I said that everyone of them would get some time in the spotlight? Yeah, this here was necessary for that, but I think most of the people agree with me that freeing them was a good thing, considering they were only plot devices in the anime with barely any screen time. Yuga also makes a rather unusual exit with them and the Professor is pretty pissed about it as you can tell. I hope you liked the dialogues between him and Ruri, and don't worry, Yuga isn't planning to pinch Yuto's (girl)friend, he's just flirting with her a little (who could be mad at him, that girl is beautiful as hell and looks pretty much exactly like his own girlfriend/future wife). Yuga is just popular with the girls (because of relationship-experience of course), which he abuses to a certain degree admittedly. Oh, and Ruri is also drooling a bit when thinking about him, guess that's normal when you see a better version of your crush who displays his affection openly instead of beating around the bush. But don't worry, like I just said, Yuga won't go Mr. Steal Your Girl in this fanfiction. Also Rin goes for the Gutkick no Jutsu, but Yuga is able to avoid it. I just found that scene in the original series way too awesome (especially Yugo's face right after it XD), so I decided to include it here.**

 **Oh yeah, about the Heavy Storm in this chapter. I'm a follower of the theory that all generic broken cards are very rare in the Yugioh-verse (after the original series and GX that is). Since there doesn't seem to be a banlist, strong cards are just very hard to obtain since they are incredibly rare. I mean, if I remember correctly there was only one of these cards during the whole plot of ARC-V (a Monster Reborn during Yuya's duel vs Shinji Weber, correct me if I'm wrong), so this theory sounds pretty reasonable. The fact that Revolver's Mirror Force was considered a "terrifying card" in Vrains also supports that idea. I'm not a fan of using these generic OP-cards for every character in order to make the duels easier to write though. Some characters will still have them, but there will always be a reason for possessing such cards. There won't be any random goons who just throw around Pots of Greed, Raigekis and Solemn Judgments.**

 **In the next chapter we resume to the Gishiki-Dimension and see how Shiryu reacts to her counterparts. Also more shipping-shenanigans and a great speech lie ahead.**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**And now let's go back to Gishiki. Oh yeah, quick scene before that, not going to take long.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Return to Gishiki

Currently the Professor was sitting on his throne again, the damaged parts of the building slowly getting repaired, as the now barely visible hole in the ceiling displayed.

"Damn, this delays my whole plans by quite a lot of time! Of course it had to be one of HIS fragments to interfere with my happiness once more!" He stood up, walking to a window behind his throne.

"I promise you, Ray, that I will be able to bring you back soon! And when I do that, I will crush this fool who originally separated you and reduced you to your current state!" He clenched one of his fists. "I will start with the one who just came here, continue with the rest and finish with my 'most loyal soldier'. No matter what happens, I promise that you will rise while HE will fall!" He stared into a green glowing chamber behind the window. "That's the true purpose of my plans! That's Revival Zero!"

Meanwhile a ghostly image of a white haired man flew by. ' _That's what you think, Leo! But I believe that it's me who shall rise, while SHE will fall! That is my own plan! That is Project_ _Ky_ _ūkyoku_ _no kura Ry_ _ū tei no shōten_ _– Project_ _Ascension of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!_ _But for shortening measures let's just call it_ _Resurrection Z!_ _HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'_

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Gishiki..._

"Pheeew, that was way too close!" Rin sighed.

"In all honesty, you are right!" Ruri admitted.

"Yeah, saying "Not even close, baby!" isn't appropriate here, I guess. Well then, let's get going!" Yuga said.

"But anyway", Rin continued, "where are we?" She looked around to see a couple of blue houses. "I've never seen a place like that before! Anyone of you got an idea where we are now?"

Ruri shook her head.

"Well, I have a good idea what this place is, Rin! 'Cause it's my home after all!"

"What? This is your homeland?"

"Of course it is! Where did you think would I teleport us? Into the void between the worlds or what?"

"Well, to be honest, that whole other worlds-stuff is still a little obscure to me, so I can't really judge about anything in that regard." Rin said.

"Oh right, I owe you an explanation, don't I?" Yuga asked her.

She nodded in response.

"Very well! Just wait a bit, we need to do something else first."

"What?! You're delaying your answer again?!" She puffed up her cheeks.

"Like I said, we have to do something first. It will make things easier, I promise!"

"That's fine by me!" She replied unsatisfied, realizing she wouldn't get any answers before Yuga wanted it. Rin then gave her counterpart the first proper look. Noticing the similarities and as a result pointing at Ruri she spoke up again. "Wait a second, why do you look like me?!"

Ruri froze, unsure what to say, so Yuga took her place instead. "That is also one of the things I want to explain to you once we arrive at our destination! Just wait and then everything will become clear to you!"

Rin puffed up her cheeks once more, folding her arms in defiance. "I see, you're not the kind of person to give me any information before you see the time fit for it! Very well, then let's get going!"

The small group started advancing forward, the dark purple as well as the green haired girl following Yuga.

"Oh, one more thing!" Yuga addressed the two girls walking behind him. "Try to hide your faces a bit, we don't want to draw too much attention!"

"What do you mean by that?" Rin asked.

"Don't question it, just do what I say."

"Fine by me!" Rin said in an annoyed tone.

They made their way through the alleyways between the houses, slowly advancing to the center of the city. As they crossed one of the bridges connecting the outer districts of the city with the center where the citadel was standing, Ruri abruptly addressed Yuga. "This city is so beautiful, it reminds me a little bit of Heartland! Hey, one question Yuga, how is this place called?"

"This place is commonly known as Gishiki City. Some people also call it the capital of the world, but indisputably it is the center of the dueling world in my dimension!"

"Wow, this place is really cool!" Rin cried out. "Why are all the houses so blue?"

"In this part of the world we build everything with a rare kind of stone, the so called aeoneum – commonly also known as "Blue Marble". It resists corrosion and the ravages of time in general almost entirely, so it's perfect for building houses. It also has quite the charming look, doesn't it?" Yuga replied. Meanwhile both of the girls were staring in awe at the river and the surrounding houses, the sunset illuminating the scenery, making it look even more captivating.

They finished crossing the bridge and advanced towards the fortress. Since they were in the central part of the city now, they encountered a lot more civilians along the way. Suddenly, one of them recognized one (or rather two) of the group's members.

"Hey, isn't that the princess right there?"

"Yeah, you're right!" Another man spoke out.

"But wait, Yuga is with her as well! Hail Gishiki!" A woman cried out.

After a while more of the surrounding people joined in with the woman's call.

 **-"Hail Gishiki! Hail Gishiki! Hail Gishiki!"-**

"Why are they greeting us with your summoning method?" Ruri asked.

"Oh, that's because of the fact that they saw your face. Guess why I warned you to hide it a bit. This is what I meant with unwanted attention!"

"Are we popular here or something?" Rin asked.

"You two not for sure, you just arrived here, so how could you achieve enough glory within a few minutes to make the people cheer for you like that? They merely mistake you for someone else." He explained.

"Oh, I see." Ruri said. "And what about you, are they cheering for you as well?"

Yuga smiled. "They are. You see, I did them a few favors in the past, so they respect me a lot now."

"I understand." Rin murmured. _'This is probably just like with us Commons, we help each other and value anybody highly who does something good for our poor society!'_ She thought. She looked up and suddenly caught sight of something massive.

"Wait, what's up with that giant castle on top of that hill over there?!" She pointed forward to an enormous fortress in front of them.

"Oh, that's Gishiki Castle, the place where our king resides." He told her.

' _So this is the place where Yuga lives? It's a little bit bigger than Yuto's place, not gonna lie!'_ Ruri thought.

"It's gigantic!" Rin exclaimed. "That overshadows even the Tops District in Neo Domino City if you ask me! How didn't we see it from afar?"

"Well, you would normally see it if you didn't constantly look down to the ground. But since I asked you to hide your face that was necessary though, so I can't really blame you for doing that."

They approached the hill on which the castle was built and climbed the stairs leading to the entrance.

"Wait, are you trying to get into that thing?!" Rin asked in a startled voice. "You know, me and Yugo tried getting into the Tops District several times and it never went well!"

"Oh, don't worry Rin, we will get in there with no problem!" Yuga smirked. They approached the eleven guards standing at the door.

"Oh, hi there, Fugaku! You're doing fine, I hope? Would you mind opening the door for us?" He addressed the guards' leader.

"Oh, young master! You are back from your trip I see! Were you successful?" He asked while he and the rest of the guards took the classic position of attention.

Yuga looked over his shoulder at the girls. "You could say so, I suppose! Anyway, I gotta go to father now. See you again sometime!"

"Yeah, have a nice day too, Yuga!" The guards' leader replied as Yuga and his two companions entered the castle through the door the rest of the guards had opened during the conversation.

"What was that about?" Rin asked Yuga.

He simply raised his hand. "What did I say about questions?"

Rin sighed. "Fine! But if your answers don't satisfy me, your guts will soon meet my knee, that's a promise!"

Yuga smirked at that remark. "I believe this won't be necessary here, but if you want to do that, fine by me!"

They continued advancing through the fortress.

"Wow, this building is impressive!" Ruri cried out. Meanwhile Rin didn't seem to share her opinion, scowling and gritting her teeth as if she was reminded about something quite unpleasant. Suddenly, a figure approached them as it came down a stairway.

"YUGA!"

They turned around to face a girl coming from the right, quickly advancing towards them. Yuga's eyes widened at the pleasant sight and he rushed forward to greet her. They met in an embrace which lasted for a couple of seconds.

"So you're finally back, huh? And you don't seem to be injured as well!" Her expression changed a bit as her worries formed on her face. "Tell me, did you do something terrible when you were in Fusion?"

He reacted a bit uneasy to this question and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess you could say so. But I promise I won't do anything like that ever again if that makes you feel better!"

Shiryu deliberated for a while. "Well, I guess they deserved a quick wake-up call, so I suppose it was justified in a way. But since you promise me to not repeat that thing, I'll be satisfied for now and won't inquire any further about it." She then looked behind him and saw the other two girls standing only a few feet away from her. "Wait, are they who I think they are?!"

"Indeed!" Yuga proudly proclaimed. "Now then,", He looked at Rin, "time to answer some of your questions!" He pointed at the dark purple haired girl. "This is Ruri, your counterpart from Xyz! You are Rin from the Syncho-Dimension, and this gorgeous girl right next to me is Shiryu, your Ritual-Counterpart! Oh yeah, she is also my girlfriend, guess I should mention that too!" He told as he wrapped his arm around Shiryu's waist.

-" **YOUR GIRLFRIEND?!** "- Both of them exclaimed loudly in a shocked tone.

Shiryu simply nodded. "Yeah, we got together after spending most of our childhood with each other. About one and a half years ago, we finally confessed our love and ever since then we are a couple!" She smiled. "But aren't you in that kind of relationship with Yuga's counterparts of your dimensions as well? Yugo and Yuto, if I remember correctly?"

Both of them blushed like crazy, literal steam coming from their ears.

"NONONONONO, IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Rin quickly exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her while denying the obvious fact. "We know each other since quite a long time as well, but we aren't in love or anything like that!"

"Same thing goes for me!" Ruri hastily said before Shiryu could investigate any further.

"Oh, that's unfortunate! You have no idea what you are missing out on, all the hugs, kisses and other things, THEY'RE JUST SO AMAZING!" Shiryu said, yelling the last part. The other two girls blushed even more. She then looked up startled. "Oh? Looks like I got carried away, didn't I?" She giggled and awkwardly scratched the back of her head at that.

' _Damn it, why did I never gather up the courage to confess to Yugo? When I meet him again, I should probably catch up on doing that!'_ Rin thought. Meanwhile Ruri was deliberating about similar matters.

' _Wow, this girl is so lucky! Once I encounter Yuto, I should definitely mention that topic as well!'_

Simultaneously, a third person was also in his thoughts. _'Wow, Shiryu is such a tease! I gotta remember doing the same thing when I meet my counterparts!'_ A smug grin formed on Yuga's internal face.

"Anyway, I guess I should officially introduce myself and my girlfriend! I am Yuga Gishiki, son of the current Gishiki King and therefore heir to the throne. And this cute girl next to me is Shiryu Gishiki, daughter of the current Gishiki King – and most likely my future wife!"

"Future wife?!" Ruri cried out in a shocked tone. "You are so far in your relationship that you can already say that?! And what about your origins, aren't you two brother and sister?!"

"No, we aren't." Yuga calmly replied. "I am adopted, so we aren't related by blood."

Ruri sighed in relief. Meanwhile Rin seemed to be absent since quite a while, her teeth gritted in anger.

"So you are… SPOILED, RICH CHILDREN?!" She slowly asked, her voice containing immense anger as she spoke to Yuga, hissing the last part.

"I know what you're thinking, Rin. I've been in your dimension and I know how much a Common like you must despise the upper class."

Shiryu then continued talking for him. "But I can assure you that we aren't like the Tops, especially not Yuga! Have you seen the outer districts of our city?" She asked Rin.

Rin nodded.

"Some of its parts were a lot less fashionable around a decade ago. Once, a lot of those were the poor districts, pretty similar to the Commons Areas in your world. And Yuga belonged to those people as well, around ten years ago!"

"Is that true?!" Rin asked him.

Yuga nodded. "It is. In my early childhood, I was also living on the streets, with barely anything to eat, just getting by with the bare minimum. Back then, the welfare system in Gishiki City was still fairly underdeveloped to say the least. Stealing was an everyday life phenomenon for me, surviving a mere combination of lucky circumstances. You had your friends and an orphanage where you could live at least, Rin, I had nothing at all. The other poor people avoided me because they feared my dragon, which was already quite strong at that time, even before its evolution. But even if I had nothing besides my dragon and my other cards most of the time, one dependable companion still was with me back then: Pain. Pain of starvation. Pain of solitude. Pain of living as a mere shadow in hell. And lastly, pain of being unable to change my own fate, cowering in the darkness like a weakling destined to wither away, blown away like sand into the land of eternal oblivion."

' _That's right!'_ Zarc furiously remarked in his spectral form. _'Because that bitch Ray managed to gain the Gishiki Family for herself, causing her fragment to be reborn into it rather than mine, my fragment had to live in the abyss of human society as a result! But I kept him alive with my power for all those years and made sure that he would still rise to that position! I invented Chō Gishiki after the great separation and locked its power behind a barrier, so Yuga would only need to break that barrier in order to tap into the tremendous powers of the new mechanic again! With my plan, Yuga rose to the top of this world, just like I did back in the Original Dimension and just as I planed! Not even Ray and her interference can stop me anymore!'_ He shouted with a grin on his face.

Ruri covered her mouth in shock as she heard Yuga's tragic backstory. He then continued after a short break.

"It went like that for my entire early childhood, the tides of fate finally turning in my favor at last. With the power of the unleashed determination I held back for so many years, I was able to fight my way into this family by beating the king in a duel when I was four years old. He then adopted me and ever since then I strive to improve the situation for my former comrades, even though most of them avoided me because of my dragon. You remember the district we walked through on the other side of the river?"

Rin nodded once more.

"That was one of the poorer districts around ten years ago."

"But it looked pretty much top notch! How is that area a slum?!" Rin cried out.

"It WAS a slum, around one decade ago. However, I invested the money my father granted me access to after my ninth birthday in order to improve the housing situation in those areas. Now pretty much every person in Gishiki City has a decent place to stay! And in the rest of Japan, things aren't a lot different as well!"

"Is that really true?!" Rin asked Shiryu while scanning Yuga's expression for any trace that he was lying. When she didn't find anything and Shiryu nodded, she sighed and started to speak again. "I'm sorry then!" She bowed her head as she apologized. "I haven't met any wealthy people who are actually nice yet, so I apologize for insulting you like that! I didn't mean to offend you just because you are rich and I'm deeply sorry for verbally harassing someone who had an even harder life than me and Yugo!" She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, obviously embarrassed about her rash previous behavior.

"Don't worry Rin, I guess it's just a new experience for you after living for years in the corrupt society of the Synchro-Dimension. I'm not mad at you at all because of your comment!" Yuga said to her, telling her to stop thinking about that little incident.

' _Well, normally I would be QUITE mad for being called a spoiled brat, if it wasn't a cute girl who looks pretty much like my girlfriend saying it that is! I guess the four lethal subjects don't trigger me that easily when pretty girls like Rin are mentioning them.'_ Yuga internally sighed.

Their ears perked up when they heard another group of people coming towards them. "Ah Yuga, I see you are back!" Ghidorah addressed him while he and the royal guards approached them.

"Who's that old geezer?" Rin asked Shiryu. She sweat dropped a little at Rin's remark.

"Well, that man is Ghidorah Gishiki, the current Gishiki King, leader of the Ritual-Dimension, head of our world and supreme monarch ruling over this castle, the surrounding city and the entirety of Japan. But mainly he is my dad."

" **YOUR DAD?!** " Rin exclaimed loudly. She then realized what she had just done. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment and she hurried up to bow her head to the king. "I'M SORRY SIR FOR DISRESPECTING YOU LIKE THAT! PLEASE DON'T EXECUTE ME FOR MY INSOLENCE!" She begged him, thinking about the halberds, naginatas and katanas the surrounding guards wielded, depending on their respective rank.

The king only laughed heartily. "HAHAHAHA, you're quite a bold girl, aren't you? Don't worry, no offense taken, even though I'm not that old yet."

Rin once more scratched the back of her head because of the awkward situation she had caused for herself again.

"You must be one of those two girls about whom that freak Yuri talked. Rin, if I had to take a guess?"

"Yeah, I'm Rin and I come from the Synchro-Dimension." She stated in an uncertain voice, not sure how to behave towards a royal like King Ghidorah.

"I see! That name totally fits a hot-blooded person like you! The Synchro-Counterpart of my son must be really lucky to have a vivacious person like you by his side!" The king said while extending his hand, obviously amused by the current situation.

Rin blushed and shook his hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right with that." She uttered.

Meanwhile Ruri whispered to Shiryu. "Damn, your dad is quite a chilled guy for a person in his position! Is he always so relaxed and humorous about everything?"

"Yeah, most of the time, if it isn't an interdimensional war we're talking about."

"He seems to be quite popular with the girls too from what I can tell!"

"You have no idea how much he and my mother loved each other until she died during my birth. He was always a charming person and if he wanted, he could have easily gotten another wife after my mom's death, even if he wasn't the king and therefore a better catch for most people. Who do you think helped Yuga honing his girl-interaction skills to the point that you saw today?"

"Wait, you know about his little flirts after he saved me?" Ruri said, getting a little worried that she might look like trying to pinch Shiryu's boyfriend.

"Nope, but I assumed he might do something like that when I thought about him trying to save girls who look pretty much exactly like me. Don't worry, I understand why he would do that, so I'm neither mad at you nor mad at him. It's just a little flirt, right?"

"Yeah right!" Ruri silently uttered, her cheeks flushing a bit. Suddenly she was awoken from her daydreams by the king addressing her with a question.

"And you must be Ruri, right? From the Xyz-Dimension?"

"Yes Sir, I am!" She took his hand and gave him a handshake as well. "It's a great honor for us to be guests in your magnificent castle!"

"Ah, you're a polite one, I see. And a pretty cheerful person as well, I think! I'm glad you were able to keep some of your enthusiasm despite the invasion on your world and your imprisonment in Academia. Much like Rin, you are welcome to stay at my place!"

She slightly bowed her head. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sir, that's very kind of you!"

"Ah, it isn't anything really!" He waved one of his hands in a dismissive manner. "Just enjoy your stay here in the Gishiki Citadel! Anyway, it's getting late, would you guys like to have dinner in the main tower and go to sleep afterwards?"

"Yeah, that would be awesome!" Rin exclaimed. "This should be a pretty good meal for a change! The food we got in Academia wasn't really anything special and the food back in the Commons was even worse, despite the fact that it's my homeland which I cherish, even with all of its flaws." She then turned towards Yuga. "We can talk about the other things tomorrow!"

"Sounds good to me!" Yuga said, rubbing his hands at thought of an imminent meal.

Ruri noticed that and whispered to Shiryu. "Is he always like that when food is involved?"

"Usually. Have you seen his ace monster Bile Throat yet?"

She nodded.

"The colors of his hairs aren't the only things he has in common with his dragon. He absolutely loves to eat, a habit he picked up after being adopted by my dad."

"Then why does he...?" Ruri began.

"Have a hot looking body shape like that?"

Ruri blushed at the blunt answer.

"Don't worry Ruri, I can understand well why you're admiring it!" She chuckled. "He trains a lot to compensate for his massive consumption, enough to not only lose the extra pounds again, but also get quite the athletic body."

"I see." Ruri replied. "And also..."

"Yes?"

"Why aren't you… jealous because of it?"

"Why should I be jealous because of it? You like him a bit and he likes you a bit. Not much of a surprise when we all look like somebody else whom we love. Also...", She continued, "I'm quite certain that Yuga won't cheat on me after a decade of companionship. And even if he did, I would be sure that it was for a girl who deserved it."

Ruri's face became as red as a tomato. "Thank you for friendliness and your understanding!" Ruri slowly uttered. "Would you mind being my friend?" She asked her.

"Aren't we all friends already?" Shiryu warmly smiled at her.

Ruri was surprised about all that kindness. Then she slowly turned to her and embraced Shiryu. "Thank you, sincerely! Finally I'm at a place where the people are nice and warmhearted again! And thank you for being such a great friend!"

The azure haired girl laughed. "No problem, glad you're happy about being away from that accursed Fusion School and back to civilization! Enjoy your stay here in our castle!"

Meanwhile the king was observing the scene unfolding next to him with a grin. _'Looks like the two new girls my son brought with him have settled in quite nicely already. I hope they don't share my daughter's love for Yuga as well or I might have to reintroduce polygamy and commission a bigger bed for the royal bedroom before I retire for my position!'_ The king thought jokingly.

"Well then, let's get going!" Yuga yelled, not being able to wait any longer. The rest of them followed right after him.

* * *

"Ah, that food was absolutely delicious!" Rin exclaimed. "Your cooks here in the castle are the best for sure!"

"You can say that again!" Yuga replied. "Anyway, we should go to bed now. You girls can sleep in two of the bedrooms we have all across this floor of the main tower!"

"And what about nightwear?!" Ruri asked, a little bit embarrassed. "I don't really want to sleep in my sweaty clothes, nor naked as you can probably tell."

"Oh, no problem,", Shiryu replied, "you can just have some of my pajamas, we're about the same size and I have tons of those, don't worry!"

"Very well then! What about you two?" Rin asked the Gishiki-Couple. "You're going to sleep in your respective royal bedrooms, I suppose?"

"Not exactly." Yuga calmly replied.

-"Ehhhhh?!"- Both of the newcomers exclaimed in confusion.

Yuga laid an arm around his girlfriend. "You see, I've been away traveling around in other dimensions for a few days, so I gotta repay Shiryu for my absence a little by spending some extra time with her!"

The two girls turned bright red at that statement. "Wait do you mean…" Rin started.

"…that you will sleep in the same bed with her?" Ruri finished, the embarrassment clearly visible on her face.

"Yeah. I rarely do that, even though we are a couple since over a year by now and we will marry once we hit the 18-years-mark. But we're just cuddling a bit, only skin contact on hands, feet and the usual stuff poking out of nightwear, if that's what you two are thinking."

They maintained the color in their faces, speechless about Yuga's statement.

"Anyway,", He spoke, "I think it's time for a rest now. Good night, you two!" He waved his hand while taking one of Shiryu's with his other, slowly advancing through the halls of the main tower, leaving the two other girls behind, dumbfounded.

After a while, all of them were in their respective rooms. While Yuga and Shiryu fell asleep pretty quickly, Rin and Ruri were still awake and sniffing on their pajamas.

- _'Wow, Shiryu is so lucky! But if they have done something like this before, there might be traces of his scent somewhere on these clothes!'-_ Both of them thought simultaneously in their respective rooms. - _'Damn it, somewhere on these things must be a little bit of his smell at least!'-_ After several dozens of minutes they finally fell asleep due to the exhaustion of the eventful day they've had.

* * *

On the next day, they met in the dining room from the day before.

"Did you sleep well?" Yuga asked them.

Rin rubbed the sleep out of her eyes in response. "Yeah I think so, the beds are really soft and comfortable in here. Also thank you for sending in some of your servants to pick up our clothes in order to wash them overnight! It's really great to wear some clean clothes for a change!"

"Glad to hear that. And no problem by the way, our staff is always working pretty hard and eagerly, so it isn't that big of a deal anyway!" Yuga retorted.

"Then let's have breakfast now!" Shiryu exclaimed cheerfully. After doing that, Yuga stood up and excused himself. "Sorry Rin, but I'm afraid that my promise is delayed once more. I have to report the intel I collected during my raid in Fusion to my dad!"

"Sure, no problem! But after lunch you won't be able to stall any longer!"

"No worries, after lunch everything will be explained for sure! Enjoy the two hours, I'm off now!" He left the room with that.

* * *

After two hours of talking to each other about their dimensions and a little bit of gossip about their respective Yu-Boys and their flaws, Yuga returned to the table, coming back from his report to Ghidorah.

"Guess it's time for lunch now!" He said.

Ruri noticed some sweat drops on his forehead. Before she could ask a question about it, Shiryu, who sat next to her, addressed her preemptively in a quiet voice. "He probably did some training during his report to my father. He always does that in extended conversations and my dad has been getting used to it, so he doesn't mind."

"Oh, I see!" She replied with a whisper.

They then ate yet another meal, very delicious once more. After they were finished, Yuga spoke up.

"Now the long awaited explanation at last! Let us begin with the dimensions!"

He repeated the information he gathered during his three days lasting exploration once more, with a little more details because of his additional visit in Fusion. Both Rin and Ruri looked at each other with concern as their respective backgrounds were explained in detail. They comforted each other as a result, strengthening their newfound bond of friendship. Next up, Yuga explained them the summoning methods, sometimes using some of his own cards as support, sometimes lending cards from either Ruri or Rin, and sometimes using cards he had obtained during his three days lasting trip. At Pendulum he obviously resorted to an oral explanation only since there weren't any Pendulum cards besides the ones Yuya owned, and while Yuga might have his flaws, being a thief wasn't one of them – at least not anymore. After he had finished, Rin asked him.

"So what do we do now?"

"I'm planning on forging an alliance between my world and the others. I suggest that we start with the Link-Dimension!"

"But we need to go to the Xyz-Dimension!" Ruri exclaimed. "My friends need me!"

"Well Ruri, your brother and your friend Yuto aren't even in Xyz anymore, so that would be pretty useless to be honest."

"What?" She stammered. "Shun and Yuto aren't in Xyz anymore?"

"No. They went to Standard in order to catch a certain Reiji Akaba, the Professor's son."

"What?! The Professor's son lives in Standard?!"

"Yes. He's head of a company called Leo Corporation, which owns the most prominent Dueling School in Standard, LDS."

"Wait, you knew about that thing already?! Why didn't you tell me that the person who ordered to kidnap me had a son in Standard?!" Shiryu questioned him in an angry voice.

"Sorry dear,", Yuga apologized, "at that time I wasn't completely sure about his connections to Academia, so I kept it to myself. However, during my raid in Fusion, I discovered that Reiji was thrown out of the Fusion-Dimension pretty rapidly after coming there with a device his father had left back in Standard. Apparently the Professor left him and his mother to go to Fusion a few years ago. When Reiji followed him around three years back from now, the Professor simply sent him back against his will. Seems like this accident has left a few emotional scars on Reiji. He might even try to oppose his father and it that case..."

"...he's a possible ally for us." Ruri finished for him.

"Exactly!"

"But what about Yugo?!" Rin suddenly spoke up. "I can't leave that goofball alone for one minute without him getting into trouble! I have to go back to Synchro now!" She exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I can't do you that favor either, Rin!" Yuga said.

"Huh?! But why?!" She retorted indignantly.

"Well, there are two reasons for that in fact!" He raised two of his fingers. "First off, Yugo isn't that easy to track now."

"What are you saying?!" Rin cried out in a loud voice. "That idiot is audible from a mile away with all his yelling! How could you not spot a person like that, even in the vast slums down in the Commons Area?! And since I know him and his luck, he might even be on TV as we go to look for him, getting chased by Security on a highway track or something!"

"Well, while I understand your points Rin, I'm still afraid that we won't be able to find him that easily anymore. You should know that he's been a little bit… unstable since the last few weeks."

"What do you mean by 'unstable'?" She asked the boy from the Ritual-Dimension.

"Somehow his dragon Clear Wing developed the ability to allow him to cross dimensions. Since that incident, he's been traveling all around the place, looking for you. When I saw him last time on a random encounter in Synchro, he yelled at me with something like 'Hey you bastard, tell me where Rin is or I will beat the crap outta ya!' He then continued after one or two seconds without giving me any time to answer. 'Since you're not gonna tell me, I will just punch your face in!' He yelled that and then charged towards me with like twice the speed the standard human being is capable of. Seems like he confused me with Yuri."

"Oh, so he did that, huh?" A dark, menacing aura formed around Rin. "Looks like he's in a lot of trouble when we meet him again! Say, that idiot didn't hurt you in his stupidity, did he? 'Cause otherwise...!" She cracked her knuckles.

"Oh no, don't worry, he didn't do anything. I just gave him a nice little suplex straight into dreamland and then he was quiet."

"I guess he deserved that." Rin said, scratching the back of her head. "I'm sorry for my friend, he's just way too hotblooded all the time and doesn't use his brain a lot."

"Ah, no problem. His energy might come in handy when we join forces with him. But seriously, while his speed, raw power and so on are surely impressive, he lacks a bit of strategic foresight, I can tell that from our short little encounter already. No strategy whatsoever!"

"Yeah, that totally sounds like Yugo. I told him to use his brain more often, but he still rushes ahead without a worry about what he might get into. When I see him next time, I will have a word with him about that subject, that's for sure!"

"I also said there was a second reason." Yuga continued, raising his two fingers again. "Even if both your friends were in their respective dimensions and easy to find, I wouldn't allow you to simply return there."

Rin and Ruri were shocked at that statement. "But why?! Why would you want to keep us here?!" The girl from the Synchro-Dimension asked him.

"I will answer that question with another question: What do the three of you girls have in common?"

The two of them were speechless and looked dumbfounded for a few seconds. After a while, Ruri spoke up. "Well, we all share the same face and possess a bracelet. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Exactly."

"But how is that a reason for not letting us go home?!" Rin exclaimed, still having no clue what Yuga's point was.

"Well, when that guy Yuri first came into my world to kidnap Shiryu and told me about how he abducted you as well, I came up with a hypothesis. And while I was busy collecting intel and raiding the Fusion-Dimension, gathering even more information, I stumbled across an interesting project folder in Academia called "Revival Zero". It contained pictures of you three, along with a picture of another girl looking like you called Serena – whom I dueled against in Academia, also she was the girl who stood next to the Professor when we were on the tower. Moreover, it contained two empty spots in the column with your pictures. In the other column it had a picture of Yuri, as well as one of Yuto and Yugo and one of me. Like in the other column, it also had two free spots left. Therefore said folder confirmed my suspicion, which is the following: The Professor needs you and all your lookalikes for his plans, there's no doubt about it!"

-"Are you sure about that?!"- Rin and Ruri cried out in a shocked tone. Shiryu remained silent since she already knew about the theory.

"Absolutely sure! Just think about it, Rin! Why would the Professor send his best agent just to capture a single girl from Synchro when he could just send out his soldiers and invade the place like he did with Xyz?"

"Hmm, good point!" Ruri said in a deliberating tone. "And he also did the same thing with Shiryu, which confirms your theory even further. The two missing pictures are probably the other two girls then. Yeah, that makes sense!"

"But why does he have pictures of you and your counterparts as well?" Shiryu asked him. "Does he need you for his plans too?"

"Most likely not. You all heard that he wanted to eliminate me, so me and the rest aren't part of that capture program of Leo's. But surely we are connected to his plans in some shape or form as well, I just don't know how exactly we fit into the picture yet. Oh well, we might find out eventually."

"So you're saying we can't go back to our worlds now without the threat of Yuri appearing again to abduct us?!" Rin asked frustrated, refusing to believe that she couldn't lead her old life anymore because of that.

"No, as of now you two are basically walking jackpots for the Professor. The moment you set foot into your dimensions again, Yuri will probably start tracking you down and recapture you."

Rin gritted her teeth.

"However, there is a way how you can return to your old life without fearing about your own safety!"

Their ears perked up at those words. "So what do we need to do then in order to get back our old lives?" Rin asked curiously.

"It sounds pretty simple, yet it is incredible difficult: We need to defeat Academia and end the interdimensional war. Only if the Professor is stopped, we can be certain that you will be safe!"

"Win the interdimensional war?" Rin asked. "Then how do we accomplish that?!"

"As I was saying, forming alliances with the other dimensions is the way to go. If we join forces with them, taking down Academia will be much easier!"

"That sounds logical." Ruri calmly replied.

Rin, however, addressed Yuga in a frustrated tone now. "But you already took out several of their students on your own, didn't you?! Why can't you just march into Academia again and wipe out the rest?!"

"Well Rin, you see, that won't be that easy anymore."

"But why?!" She asked.

"It's quite simple. The Professor will be prepared from now on, so I won't be able to pull off the same thing anymore. He on the other hand is shitting his pants because of my assault, so he won't dare going here to Gishiki since he expects heavy casualties if he attacks my world. So it's pretty much a stalemate right now."

"But why don't we just stay here then? If the Professor is too afraid to go here, we're safe here in Gishiki, right?" Ruri stated.

"Not exactly. If three of the key-pieces of his plans hide in this world for too long, he will take the risk and invade my dimension. That's one more reason why I suggest that we should go to another world. If you're not in my dimension anymore, we will be able keep out the battle from my world and avoid many casualties. I hope you can understand that."

Ruri nodded. "I know how sad it is to see one's homeland being turned into a battlefield, so I understand why we can't stay here much longer."

"Oh, one more thing: From now on you two shall be held in my safekeeping." Yuga stated.

-"You want to keep us in your safekeeping?!"- The two girls exclaimed indignantly. -"Are you saying that we are your property now or what?!"-

"First off all, a guy can never claim a girl as his property, even if he's been together with her for as long as I and Shiryu have. Some people also call this the first rule of a relationship. Never claim any girl as your own property, that concept is old, outdated and also possessive as hell. In other words, it's something that I despise and that I would never do to you girls, even if I was together with you as well." Yuga replied, making both of them blush as a result. "Second of all, when I said you shall be held in my safekeeping, I meant that you should stay near me so the Professor can't get you that easily when we go to the more dangerous places. I just wanted to say that I wish to guard you and that I want you to stay by my side, so I can protect you better." He explained.

-"Ohhhh..."- Rin and Ruri slowly uttered, realizing what he meant with his words – and also a bit flattered about Yuga's concern.

"Anyway,", Ruri stated after regaining some of her momentum, "you said you wanted to start with Link, right? Why not one of the other dimensions?"

"Well, Xyz is out of question, your people are just way too decimated already and not much of a help, sorry for my blunt and insulting way to express it."

"No, you're right. Our Resistance is barely more than a few survivors who hide away from the Fusion-Soldiers roaming around in my dimension. Compared to the other, pretty much untouched dimensions there aren't many people who can help us, even if their dueling skills are honed by the war." Ruri said.

"Thank you for keeping aside your personal feelings and understanding my strategic point of view, Ruri! I know this is hard for you, but if we want to win this war, we have to proceed care- and thoughtfully."

"So that's it for Xyz, what about Synchro then? It wasn't invaded yet and there are a lot of strong duelists like Jack Atlas in my homeland! Why not go there?" Rin spoke up.

"Well Rin, first off the competitive and conservative mentality of your people will make things hard for conveying our message to them. The higher-ups of your world, especially the Executive Council, are lazy people who mainly think about maintaining the current status quo."

"Yeah, that's true,", Rin admitted, "these old geezers really don't do a lot of stuff in their building, so I doubt that they would just welcome us with open arms and assist our cause."

"Secondly,", Yuga continued, "there is a mole in your dimension who works for Academia."

"A mole?!" Rin exclaimed in a shocked tone. "Wait, are you saying Fusion has installed an agent in my world?!"

"Yeah, I found out about it during my raid in Fusion. I don't know who that mole is precisely, but probably someone in a position with power. Does anybody come to your mind who meets that requirement and who appeared out of thin air in your dimension, Rin?"

"Well, around three years ago a man called Jean-Michel Roger became head of Security and introduced Real Solid Vision to our world. Do you believe he could be said mole?"

"Very likely, but when we arrive in Synchro we will first investigate and make sure that he is an agent before we confront him about that topic. If he is from Fusion though, we will just take it from there and dethrone his as quickly as possible."

"Sounds good to me." Rin replied. "So Synchro is out of question too. What about Standard then?"

"While Standard is also a very good place to seek allies, especially if that Reiji Akaba really hates the Professor, it's not as good as Link. He could still be affiliated with Academia in some way, so I'm not taking the risk before I have to."

"But what is so great about Link if you insist on going there first?" Ruri asked. "It's just like any other dimension, isn't it?"

"Not exactly!" Yuga said. "Unlike all other worlds it seems to be very isolated. Just look at Standard, they have all summoning methods except Link! The Link-Dimension is only accessible through our world, the Gishiki-Dimension, which makes it perfect for gathering allies. Because Fusion hasn't set a foot into Gishiki besides Yuri's little visit – as we know through the Energy Scans from our science department as well as through the information I gathered in Fusion – we can be sure that Fusion has no agents or anything like that in Link either, so it will be easier to form an alliance with them. Also, since our world serves as a buffer between Fusion and Link, the people there will probably be concerned about the safety of their world and therefore join our cause."

"That sounds like a good plan." Ruri said. "So we are going to Link in order to forge an alliance and then head to Standard afterwards, is that right?"

"Yep, that's the plan. However, we still have some spare time since we will have a huge conference in the Gishiki Arena on today's evening."

"What? A conference in the Gishiki Arena? Why that?" Shiryu asked.

"It is time now, Shiryu." Yuga replied in a serious tone. "We cannot hide the truth from our people anymore. Today, everyone in the Gishiki-Dimension will learn about the interdimensional war!"

"Wait, what?! But that will probably initiate a mass panic in the entire world!"

"But we can't keep it to ourselves either. Father has also agreed to it. In fact, he was the one insisting on holding that conference. If we tell them about the conflict in a controlled way, there won't be a lot of problems, unlike in the case they learn about it the forceful way – meaning an Academia invasion. It's better to prepare them for the incoming war now, believe me!"

"Hmm, I guess you might have a point there." Shiryu deliberated. "Better now than too late. But are you certain that they will be able to endure their current situation without freaking out?"

"I'm fairly certain since I myself am the one who will be holding the speech. I promise you that I will convince them to follow our cause!"

She sighed. "If you say so, then I will believe you, I guess. You always inspired the people around you, so why not today? Anyway, what are we doing until the conference?"

"I suggest that you and the two other girls go and relax a bit in the whirlpools. Especially the two latter of you had a pretty hard time in the last couple of weeks, so a hot bath should help to soothe your minds."

"You have whirlpools in your palace as well?!" Rin exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, there are a lot of reasons why Shiryu's ancestors decided to build the castle on this hill, the hot springs nearby being one of them. Since you spent most your life living in the slums, Rin, and you the last few months fighting in a war-zone, Ruri, – not to mention your time in captivity of Academia – I figure it would be pretty fair to let you enjoy some luxury in the meantime. Prepare for the evening, but until then you can lay back and relax in the pools. I gotta go now to prepare my speech. See you later!" He said before walking away.

-"Yeah, see you later too!"- All three of them said, Rin and Ruri grinning widely at the thought of an imminent visit of the hot springs.

* * *

"Wow, there are quite a lot of people in here!" Rin exclaimed. They were currently standing on a special platform within the Gishiki Arena. Pretty much every seat in the large stadium was taken already and the crowd was curious and discussing excitedly about the possible topics of this conference. The stadium was in the eastern part of the city, right next to the sea, the castle being in the opposite direction. In the northern part of the mostly blue colored arena, a special balcony reserved for the royal family was located. It was normally used for the opening ceremony speech of the king during the Dueling World Championship, but it was still a few weeks until that event took place. Right now, Yuga, the three girls and the Gishiki King plus a few guards were standing on that special platform, waiting for the imminent conference to begin. After a few minutes, when everyone had arrived in the stadium, a lot of people standing rather than sitting because of the limited amount of seats, the conference officially began.

"Welcome everyone and thank you for following my sudden invitation to come here!" Ghidorah addressed the crowd. "I'm sure there are a lot of people in here who wonder why I asked you to come to this arena, two weeks before the great tournament in my city. Well, that is because of some recent developments that affect each and everyone of you! That's why you were invited here, to learn about those developments and also to deliver an answer to a question that will be asked to you today!"

-"Recent developments? And what about that question?"- Some voices in the audience asked. A little bit of agitation started erupting within the crowd. The king simply raised a hand to silence them and the audience calmed down again.

"Details about said developments will be delivered by my son now. I will hand over the subject to him, so please listen to what he has to say!"

Ghidorah stepped back from the rostrum at the edge of the balcony and let Yuga take his place while positioning himself a few meters behind him.

"Dear citizens of Gishiki City, Japan and the rest of the world!" Yuga began his speech. "Around five days ago, our world was invaded by outside forces!" New clamor erupted, but it was cut short by Yuga gesturing them to be quiet. "The person who came to our world was a boy called Yuri, originating from another world called the Fusion-Dimension. He tried to abduct our princess, however, I was able to stop him."

The screens in the arena showed footage from the assault which had been taken by Yuga's disk and some of the surrounding cameras in the hallway during their duel with each other. The audience first was shocked about such an incident, but quickly started clapping after seeing shots of the attacker being repelled.

"However, this incident was merely the prelude to something much greater!"

"What do you mean by that, Yuga?" A woman within the crowd asked.

"Well my friends, you see, there are six dimensions in total which we discovered around two years ago. But since we were not able to cross over to any of them with our technology, we didn't take the issue as seriously as we should have done. But with the data which was collected from that guy's intrusion into our world, we were able to finally gain access to the other dimensions. Therefore I went to gather intel on them, returning with some information that I will tell you now as well: In the entirety of the six dimensions there are six summoning methods, namely Pendulum, Synchro, Xyz, Fusion, Link and finally ours, Gishiki. While some methods exists in multiple dimensions, every world seems to have one special mechanic which defines the name of its respective dimension. Therefore we have the Synchro-, the Xyz-, the Fusion-, the Link- and the Gishiki-Dimension, the last of them being our world. The only exception is the Standard-Dimension with their Pendulum-Summon. As some of you may have noticed by now, one of those worlds, namely the Fusion-Dimension, was the one who attacked us. But Fusion didn't only attack us, oh no! They also invaded and destroyed the Xyz-Dimension, killing several thousands of people, while installing agents in other worlds as well. Because of their atrocities in Xyz and their attempt to kidnap Shiryu, I went to the Fusion-Dimension and punished those bastards by taking out some of their troops!"

The crowd broke out into thunderous applause after listening to Yuga's story and looking at some pictures from the other worlds that were shown on the screens all over the stadium.

- **"Way to go Yuga!"** -

- **"Give them a taste of their own medicine!"** -

- **"Violence like that cannot go unpunished! Well done Yuga!"** -

"Thank you for all your encouragement and support, my friends, but I'm afraid that this conflict doesn't end with my raid on Fusion!"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" A man asked.

"You see, the Fusion-Dimension trains Duel Soldiers at a place called Academia, a Dueling School on an island which I attacked one day ago as I said before. It is led by a man called Leo Akaba, also known as the Professor, who plans on conquering all worlds and uniting them into one."

The crowd was shocked at that revelation.

"And while my attack might have disturbed Leo's plans for a while, it won't stop him forever though. Oh, and there's another thing I found out while raiding Academia. For whatever reason there seem to exist counterparts of Shiryu and myself in each of the dimensions, one version of both of us for each world."

-"There are doppelgangers of you and the princess?!"- The audience asked in a shocked tone.

"I don't believe you!" A man yelled. "Counterparts of oneself in other worlds, ridiculous!"

"Very well then!" Yuga said. "I had a feeling that some people might have their doubts at certain points. First off, when I showed the footage of Yuri trying to kidnap Shiryu, didn't you notice some similarities between me and him?" He pressed some buttons on the remote control he was holding to show the pictures once more.

The man looked at the monitors and finally admitted grudgingly. "Well, I have to admit that the part about you might be true. But what about the princess, I highly doubt she has such counterparts as well!"

"If you say so, let me prove you wrong!" He gestured to the girls standing behind him. "Come forward to the railing please!"

Rin and Ruri took a few steps forward until they were right next to him. A few gasps were audible in the crowd, the loudest of them being the man who had doubted Yuga and his words. Another man cried out. "Hey, I think I have seen them before! Weren't they the ones who accompanied Yuga yesterday evening on the streets?!"

"You see? I wasn't lying with my allegations!" Yuga then turned towards the latter of the two men. "And you are right, these two girls, Rin and Ruri, were accompanying me yesterday. You probably thought they were just the princess and you saw double or something, but no, they are actually completely different people. Which leads me to another point!" Yuga continued. "For some reason, the Professor wants to collect these girls looking like Shiryu. It does have something to do with his plans, as I found out through a handy little document that contained one of his projects called "Revival Zero". To get all these girls, Leo always sent out his elite agent Yuri – my counterpart –, so it must be an important part of his plans for sure! And I'm fairly certain that for either that fact or just his dimension-uniting-goal in general the Professor will send out his army to invade our world eventually!"

The eyes of the spectators widened in terror.

"They want to attack our world?! So does this mean that we are no longer safe here?!" A woman cried out.

"Actually you are safe!" Yuga replied.

"Ehhh?!" She exclaimed in confusion.

"You see, when I went to Fusion I made some rather… clear warnings to the Professor that coming to my world will have severe consequences for him. Also since he mainly seems to be after Shiryu and her counterparts, I will just leave this dimension with the girls. In other words: You are safe for now!"

The crowd began cheering again.

"Now our world will enter the war as well and form alliances with the other dimensions in order to take down Fusion!" Yuga continued. "For that, me, as the representative of our world, and the three girls will go to Link first. We will be able to persuade them, and then one after another, the other dimensions will team up until we defeat Leo and his accursed Academia!"

- **"You are surely the best, protecting our world all on your own while sacrificing yourself for the greater cause! You're a true leader, Yuga!"** -

"However, even if you are safe, I still want you to enter the interdimensional war as well!" Yuga calmly continued.

-"What?! But if that Academia has Duel Soldiers like you said, what are we going to do against them?!"- Some voices in the audience exclaimed, the crowd erupting into loud clamor once more.

"While that is surely true, how can you hope to just stay out of the conflict and twiddle your thumbs while the war goes on in the other dimensions with all of the other worlds risking their lives while you just relax and sit back?" That silenced the crowd, so Yuga continued. "I intend to create a team which will accompany me and the girls, which will fight alongside our comrades from the other dimensions in order to defeat the Fusion-Dimension. And that group will consist of the best of you!" He let his arm wander across the audience.

"But you said they had tons of trained soldiers! How can we hope to win against them?" Another man exclaimed, repeating the previously mentioned point once more.

"Do you remember the final battle here at Gishiki City around 700 years ago?" Yuga abruptly asked.

The crowd slowly started nodding.

"It was the final battle in the last great war during the era of warring states here in Japan." Yuga started narrating. "The first Gishiki King and his little country had grown influential and powerful, which caused envy to spread in the surrounding nations. One of its neighbors allied with several other states to form an army in order to destroy the Gishiki Empire. When they arrived here with their forces, the king and his men saw themselves outnumbered by a ratio of roughly ten to one. The Gishiki King only had a mediocre army and his most trusted servants, the Mystical Six Samurai, by his side. When the king noticed that a lot of his soldiers were close to surrendering beforehand, he held a speech to strengthen their resolve again. After that, he and his men valiantly charged into battle, sweeping through the enemy lines. When the dust cleared, the king and his six elite warriors, along with around a third of his original army, stood victorious on the battlefield. It was during that day when the Gishiki Empire attained a decisive victory that enabled it to expand its rule over all of Japan – and some centuries later the rest of our world."

The audience nodded, remembering the historical event that pretty much everyone of them had learned in history class.

"What I'm trying to say here is that even a small team – if resolute enough – can easily overcome any number disadvantage. Courage and skill have always been superior to sheer numbers – quality rather than quantity so to speak. And if a group of resolute, strong duelists flocks around me, I'm fairly certain that we will be able to defeat Fusion, especially with our courageous comrades from the other dimensions assisting us as well!"

A thunderous applause erupted once more. Then one of the people within the audience asked. "But how does one become part of that group?"

"It's actually quite simple." Yuga answered. "The World Dueling Championship will commence in two days rather than in two weeks. The duelists who display significant abilities during it will be tested by my father and if he deems them worthy, they may join the group. However, I have to say that not only skills alone will be a criteria for joining our elite team. They must also be resolute, courageous and ready to die for our world."

"Ready to... die?!" Some of the spectators flinched. Yuga noticed that he might lose their favor here, so he pressed another button on his remote. The western part of the stadium began shaking as the west front of the arena opened outwardly like a giant double-leaf door.

"Wow, it looks like a giant entrance from the west now!" Ruri, who had gone back to Shiryu alongside Rin, exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's true." Shiryu said. "We normally use that mechanic of the stadium at the opening ceremony of the World Championship. The people on the western seats outside are now basically sitting right at that new entrance, which is why those seats are usually the most expensive since you are the first one to see the incoming procession of duelists from the west when sitting there. When the opening ceremony is over and all duelists are inside the arena, the "doors" are being closed again, so that the people sitting on it can watch the duels better."

"So cool!" Rin cried out. "While our Duel Palace also has some extra tracks in the rest of the city that can be connected to the main course inside the stadium, your arena is on a completely different scale in that regard! Your championships must be really great then!"

"Oh, believe me, they are! Anyway, looks like Yuga is continuing his speech now!"

They resumed listening to him.

Yuga pointed at the great fortress in the west. "Do you see this beautiful city? Do you see its majestic castle, its parks of green, its houses and river of blue? Do we want everything that we have worked for so hard during the last decades and centuries being taken away from us again?"

- **"Hell no!"** -

- **"I'm not giving up my new life again!"** -

- **"These guys from Fusion can't have our world!"** -

"I see you are with me!" Yuga smiled. "However, no reward comes without a risk. Since Academia uses a feature in their disks that allows them to turn their defeated enemies into cards, not everyone in my special team might be able to make it through the entirety of the war. But do not waver, because I found out that the carding process can be reverted! And when we defeat Academia, we will find out how to do just that in order to revive our casualties, along with the other victims of Academia! We will bring back the people from Xyz! And we will take down Leo and his henchmen, dethrone that tyrant and restore peace to the dimensions once more! We shall fight and come out on top just like 700 years ago! And when everything is back to how it should be again, we will be hailed as heroes in the six dimensions! Are you with me?!" He addressed the audience.

They began shouting in agreement.

"Very well then, so we're all on the same page now, aren't we? Now, a new part of our history begins! A part were the Gishiki Empire doesn't fight only to maintain order in this world, but in all of the dimensions! A part where we don't grasp glory just in our world, but in the others as well! This is it guys, the beginning of a new era!" He made a short rhetorical break, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, looking at the audience, he raised his right hand in the air and screamed at the top of his lungs. " _ **TO WAR!**_ "

The audience broke out into thunderous, deafening applause that shook the whole stadium. In the households all around the globe that watched the conference on TV, the situation wasn't much different either. When the clamor had subsided a bit, Yuga spoke up again.

"Those who pass the test shall be the front line of our defense. They will fight all around the six dimensions and eventually, I shall achieve victory with them and my other comrades. Train and hone your dueling skills, so you can become part of that prestigious group! Even if you don't make it in there, prepare yourselves so you can put up a good fight in case Fusion invades our world! To those who are strong enough however, you will join forces with me once the team is fully assembled! That group shall have the name of the Gishiki Brigade, a unit that will stand by the side of the Gishiki Ruler just like all those centuries ago. Fight hard and you will surely earn a place in that group! I shall now take my leave and head to the Link-Dimension to gather more allies there! With this, the first interdimensional war begins – the last one even to occur!"

As another round of applause broke out, Yuga turned around and approached Shiryu and the other two girls.

"How was I?" He asked his girlfriend.

"You were amazing! How you used that historical example to back up your points, simply brilliant!"

Meanwhile a few feet away from them, Rexanus, the leader of the royal guards was observing the scene. _'Just you wait Yuga, I'm going to become part of that Gishiki Brigade for sure and take down Fusion alongside you! I will definitely prove my worth to the king and then join you and the forces from the other dimensions! After all, how could I let you down as your oldest friend?'_ He smirked at that.

"Now then, we have wasted enough time!" Yuga said. "Tomorrow, we're gonna head to the Link-Dimension! Let's take the first step to Leo's downfall! Because this show… **will never end!** " He stated, shouting the last part.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **Geez, this chapter was so much fun to write, especially the little interaction-scenes between Yuga and the girls. Like I already said, don't worry, they just have a crush on him, don't assume too much ships yet. I guess I'm just a little tease after all, so don't be too afraid about the classic Yuto x Ruri and Yugo x Rin pairings. Also about the historical backgrounds of the Gishiki-Dimension: I included the Six Samurai in the Gishiki-Canon because they have a pretty solid lore due to their obviously visible connections to each other in their artworks. Also since they're Japanese themed I thought "Why not? They fit into the picture pretty well!". Oh yeah, the Mystical Six Samurai will also be another series of Six Samurais, additionally to the classic, the Legendary and the Secret. And one of the characters will have that deck, make your guesses about who it could be in the reviews! One last thing, if you're wondering about the last sentence of this chapter: While it is one of Theater D's lines and you might therefore associate it solely with Psycho Yuga, he also uses it to express his ambition, in this case to stop Fusion. He is a very resolute person in general and uses the phrase here to describe his limitless determination metaphorically as a never ending show, while also subconsciously referring to his other side which awaits its chance to resurface during the now following war. You see, there is a lot more behind that simple statement of him, it is two-sided just like Yuga in general, whose mind swings between good and evil like a pendulum (you remember that quote from Episode 140, right? Yeah, he embodies that aspect of Zarc as well). Oh yeah, almost forgot that, I changed the name of Roget a bit because I hate the 'T' at the end. It just sounds wrong to me, so I chose the western style of the name instead. Anyway, in the next chapter we will finally see the last two counterparts when we go to Link! Feedback is welcome as always!**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**And therefore we head to Link. Or should I say "Into the VRAINS!"? Oh yeah, before I forget it, I also don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains or any of its characters besides my OCs. Quick note, the Link Marker Directions (Bottom Left, Left, and so on) will be expressed through the cardinal points in the text, meaning West, East, North, South, and the four others... is what I originally said and posted. However, after looking at some Vrains fanfictions, I realized that using the abbreviations of the directions is far more practical. So I reuploaded this with those changes. I will use those abbreviations which are: T (Top), B (Bottom), L (Left), R (Right), TL (Top Left), TR (Top Right), BL (Bottom Left), BR (Bottom Right). I will repeat that announcement in Chapter 8 again for all the people who have read this already and therefore did not see that change, so that they aren** **'t confused when Link hits the storyline again.** **Since the system apparently does not accept special characters like music notes which I originally intended for the background music and clips, or arrows which I intended to represent the Link Markers, I guess that this is the best solution. One last thing: If you are not familiar with the new rules aka Master Rule 4, I highly recommend doing a bit of research before continuing to read, even though I gave you a little explanation about Link Summoning in Chapter 3. Watching one or two episodes of Vrains would be a good start too. With that said, let's jump right into it!**

 ** ** **EDIT: Through a really great guy on the platform, I found out how to make the arrows work, fixing the before mentioned problem!******

* * *

Chapter 6: Ultimate Strategist

 _Academia – still aftermath of Yuga's attack..._

"Dennis, Sora, answer please!" The Professor was currently trying to call his two undercover agents in Standard. After a while, both of them picked up the call on their disks and their faces and the environment around them were displayed on two hologram monitors within the throne room.

-"Yes, Professor?"- Both of them asked him in unison. Normally they wouldn't be contacted like this during their mission, so why would the Professor do something like calling them directly now? His next words answered that question for them.

"There has been an incident here in Fusion." The Professor said.

-"An incident?"- Both of them retorted.

"Correct." Leo continued. "A boy from Gishiki has attacked Academia and taken out around 100 students."

"100 students?! Just by himself? That's impossible! And why does a person from the Gishiki-Dimension even come to our world?!" Sora asked. Meanwhile Dennis seemed to be in his thoughts.

"He learned about our plans to invade the other worlds, so he decided to do the first strike and attacked our base. He is gone and will probably head to the other dimensions now. For the case he comes to Standard, I warn you and give you some new instructions." He projected a data file of said young man for them to see. "His name is Yuga Gishiki, heir to the throne of Gishiki and therefore future monarch of his world. He is around 14 years old and how he looks you can see for yourselves on this picture. He wields a special variant of Gishiki-Summoning called Chō Gishiki. Under no circumstances either one of you is allowed to engage him in battle, both physically and in a duel!"

"But he can't be that strong, can he?!" Sora asked in an indignant tone. "He probably just had luck or something!"

"Sora, first off, don't argue with me!" The blue haired boy flinched at that remark. "And second off all, that guy is really that strong. Or would you call defeating Yuri in a duel having luck?"

This shocked even the previously unfazed Dennis. "What?! He beat Yuri in a duel?!"

The Professor nodded. "Twice to be exact."

Sora was completely shell-shocked by that declaration of Leo and uttered silently. "No way! How can anyone best that guy in a duel, along with defeating 100 students?! Is that person even a human?!"

"That's quite similar to what I thought when I saw him. That's why I decided on the code name "Blue Demon" instead of using his actual name. I repeat myself once more: Under no circumstances you are allowed to engage him in battle, even if you work together or outnumber him in another way! Continue your mission in Standard, but keep your distance from him! Also Sora, if I were you, I would get rid of that jacket of yours. Since he was here in Academia, he knows how our students' clothes look like. If he sees you with them, he will instantly recognize you as a soldier from the Fusion-Dimension. And if that happens, you will share the fate of the 100 students, and believe me, you would rather wish to be turned into a card than that!"

"Ehhhhh?! He didn't turn our troops into cards?! But what did he do then?! You said they were taken out!"

"Yeah, they were, but there are more ways to take somebody out permanently. Carding is our way to do that. He, however, resorted to a more... classic way."

"Don't tell me he...!"

"Yes, he did. He killed our students. Every single one of them!"

Sora suddenly felt sick. Within his mind, pictures of Yuri and the one of Yuga, which he had just seen, merged together into a new vision of a demonic, malicious being that looked at him with killing intent, ready to tear limb from limb after it got its hands on him. Even Dennis didn't feel very comfortable at the Professor's reply to say the least.

After both of them had calmed down a bit, the Professor continued. "Now then Sora, carry on with your mission and try to avoid the Blue Demon as well as you can. I'm sure that if you do your best, our goal can still be accomplished! Glory on the Academia!"

- **"Glory on the Academia!"** \- Both retorted.

Sora ended the call with that. Before Dennis pressed the button to hang up as well however, Leo stopped him.

"Wait, Dennis! I've got some extra instructions for you!"

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Dennis replied.

"The Blue Demon also freed two certain prisoners when he raided our base."

"Don't tell me he...!"

"Yes, that's right. He freed Rin and Ruri. They could possibly accompany him now, so if he goes to Standard, try to capture them again without drawing his attention. I know he will probably protect them like a guard dog, but still look out for chances and take them if you see one coming!"

"Understood!" Dennis retorted.

"Very well then! Good luck on your missions! Glory on the Academia!"

"Glory on the Academia!" With that, Dennis hung up as well.

' _Let's see if I can get my plan back on track.'_ Leo thought.

* * *

 _Link-Dimension..._

"Why are we going into this stadium again?" Rin asked. She, the two other girls and Yuga were currently standing in a queue leading to one of the points of sale in the Cyberse Stadium, the dueling arena of Den City in the Link-Dimension.

"Didn't I say that already?" Yuga asked. "We're gonna watch today's match in this arena."

"But didn't you say that you wanted to gather allies?" Rin retorted.

"Yeah, that's right. And that's just what we will do. You know, one person who participates in today's match is a really strong duelist. I want to witness his dueling first hand and recruit him. And also I've got a little extra plan up my sleeve which I wanna carry out here!"

Rin sighed. "Honestly, all that meticulous planning of yours is sometimes just confusing and hard to look through."

"Oh, if you think that this is meticulous planning, wait until you see one of the duelists of today's match!"

"And here you go again, making not one bit of sense! I guess I will just have to wait a bit and then it might become clear eventually." Rin said, her voice halfway in between moaning and sighing about Yuga's mysterious way to talk about his plans. They reached the counter and Yuga payed for their tickets. "Seriously, why do all the dimensions have the same currency?" Rin spoke up while they were entering the arena. "That's just another random coincidence, slowly I'm getting sick of all those parallels between our worlds!"

"Yeah, I dunno either why it is that way with money as well. But if it means my wealth also helps me in the other worlds, I'm not gonna complain about it." Yuga said.

They made their way to their seats. Yuga was still wearing his classic outfit, with the only remarkable difference being his gray cape, which he exchanged for a version without the emblem on it as well with the additional feature of a hood that allowed him to obscure his face. Shiryu had done the same thing with her cape and Rin and Ruri also hid their identities with similar cloaks. As they sat down, Ruri addressed him.

"Why do we have to hide our faces again? You could have just said that we were three sisters and you our brother or something, so why go through all the trouble with the hoods?"

"You will see soon why I did that." Was Yuga's simple reply. "We don't want people to confuse us for our counterparts or it might get problematic again."

"I see. And I guess much like Rin, I will have to wait to fully understand your words?"

Yuga nodded.

"Well, can't say Yuto was a lot different at times, so I guess I'm used to that mysterious behavior of yours." Ruri said.

"Well, I can say for sure that being mysterious isn't anything that Yugo ever was. His behavior is so blunt and obvious all the time, you might think you're looking into a completely open book when you talk with him. Guess I'm just not used to that kind of behavior, so sorry for whining about it all the time, Yuga!"

"Nah, it's fine Rin. I guess that I just like to keep you girls in suspense, so you can't really blame yourself for that. But like I said, soon it will all become clear! After all it's almost 3 pm and the match is gonna start soon. Enjoy the spectacle Rin, this will be a great duel for sure! The organizers selected this specific time so that a lot of people finishing the daily work could come here and watch it!" He explained.

True to his words, an announcer spoke up not long after that.

"WELCOME EVERYBODY TO TODAY'S MATCH HERE IN THE CYBERSE STADIUM OF OUR BEAUTIFUL DEN CITY! I'M YOUR COMMENTATOR NAOKI SHIMA AND TODAY I'M GOING TO HOST OUR DUEL HERE IN THIS ARENA! TODAY WE WILL WITNESS A CLASH BETWEEN A GUEST FROM ANOTHER DUELING LEAGUE AND THE CHAMPION OF OUR LEAGUE! FIRST OFF, LET'S GREET THE CHALLENGER! ALL THE WAY FROM EUROPE, STRONG, CHARISMATIC AND AN AMAZING ENTERTAINER! PLEASE WELCOME...!" He made a dramatic pause as a person riding on a hoverboard emerged from a special entrance. "...THE CHAMPION OF THE EUROPEAN DUELING LEAGUE, **GOOO ONIZUKAAA!** "

The crowd began cheering as a tan skinned, muscular man with a black and yellow colored outfit rode a hoverboard of the same colors on the circular track of the stadium, waving to the audience. He had yellow hair on the upper half with a few red highlights, and brown hair on the lower half of his head, along with a chin beard of the latter color. When he crossed the part of the stadium where Yuga and the girls sat, Rin exclaimed. "Wow, this is amazing! Riding Duels might be one thing, but actually riding on hoverboards that levitate in the air?! To be honest, I don't care whether we recruit allies here or not! I just wanna see an awesome duel on these things!"

Yuga smiled. "Looks like you finally regained some of your joy, Rin! Hold onto it, it's great seeing you smile like that!"

She blushed a bit at that remark. Then she resumed watching the challenger's entrance. After a full lap around the stadium, he finally stopped at the starting line and spoke up to the audience.

"Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful day so far! Today, I'm going to beat the champion of this place and prove that I can excel even outside of my normal domain in Europe! I shall be victorious, no matter where I duel!" He declared, his blue eyes shining with confidence.

The crowd began clapping again. Ruri wondered about something and asked Yuga. "Why are they supporting Go Onizuka? Aren't they supposed to cheer for their local champion?"

"Don't worry Ruri, they probably do that. They are just excited that a motivated challenger has arrived here and look forward to a great duel. From the looks of it, that Go is pretty confident about his skills and hasn't done a lot of research about his opponent. He has been in Europe for some years now, never entering the World Championship, so he has neglected this league and its champion. But that's even better for the audience though."

"What do you mean by that?" Rin asked confused.

"Well, the champion of this place is known for his tremendous strength. He entered the Japanese Dueling League here in Den City around three years ago, and since then, he has never lost a match."

"Never lost a single match?! Is he that strong?!" Rin asked in a shocked voice.

"He is. He was cornered in some duels, but he always managed to come out on top in the end and learned from his previous mistakes, never repeating them. He is such a feared opponent that most duelists in the annual World Championship simply hope to avoid him in the first few rounds so that they can at least show some of their skills to the audience before they have to face him and be defeated. In his duels, the question isn't IF he will win, the question is HOW FAST he will win! The audience is expecting a less one-sided duel now that a motivated and confident challenger is up against him – instead of the usual opponents who just lose hope at the mere sight of him. He is a man of tactic, an ultimate strategist!"

"Wow, that sounds really powerful! He could even rival Jack Atlas at this point!" Rin cried out.

"Oh, rival is too less I'm afraid. From what I saw from the both of them, even Jack Atlas is no match for the champion of Link!"

"Stronger than Jack Atlas?!" Rin exclaimed in an incredulous tone. "Are you really sure about that?!"

Yuga smirked. "Just wait an see!"

"AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE CHAMPION!" Naoki, the announcer, continued. "HE IS STRENGTH ITSELF! HE IS TEN STEPS AHEAD OF HIS OPPONENTS! HE IS STRATEGY INCARNATE! HE IS THE SON OF THE KNIGHTS OF HANOI'S LEADER! HE IS THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION OF THIS LEAGUE, THE THREE-TIMES CHAMPION OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! PLEASE WELCOME OUR CHAMPION, THE UNPARALLELED..."

* * *

Meanwhile in the underground of the Cyberse Stadium, a lone figure was preparing for his entrance. He checked his black and white colored hoverboard and changed a few of its system configurations before nodding. "Yeah, I guess this should do." He heard steps behind him and turned around. "Oh, it's you, Kumo!"

A brown haired girl of about 14 years approached the young man. She was wearing a relatively formal dark blue colored jacket which looked like it was part of her school uniform. She was also wearing a white dress shirt with a red tie. Over the shirt, she had a light yellow jumper, making her upper body have three layers of clothing in total (excluding underwear of course). Furthermore she was wearing a short black skirt and black stockings that reached up to her thighs. A pair of black and white colored sneakers rounded off her outfit.

"I've come to wish you luck before your match. Even though I figure you probably won't need it." The girl said.

"Oh, that's nice of you." The addressed person replied in a neutral tone. He gave her a quick hug. "Guess that's how dad felt when my mom encouraged him before their battles during the great war."

"Wait, are you comparing me to your mother right now?"

A small grin, barely recognizable formed on the boy's face. "Oh, of course I do! You basically look just like her after all!"

"I don't look like Aoi!" She cried out, a tiny bit of indignation in her voice.

"Oh no, you don't!" He said in a sarcastic tone. "Except that you totally look like her when she was about your age, if it wasn't for your black-grayish eyes, your hair being a bit darker in color and the two light blue colored highlights at the sides of your hair, along with that light blue colored hair clip and ribbon on your right-hand facial side! Oh yeah, there's also a little bit of difference in your fashion because of the changes in the Den City School Uniform over the years and that little bracelet with the white gem of yours too, almost forgot to mention that!"

She sighed, realizing that he had won this argument.

"But who said being like my mother was a bad thing?" He continued, stroking her face with his palm. "You know, Kumo, there are more things you have in common with my mom than just looks. First of all, your behavior is quite similar to hers as well: You are nice, polite, reserved and calm most of the time – and you know that this is just how I tend to behave as well and how I like it. But you can also make a point if need be, just like me. And second of all, I love you just like my mother, even if I don't show it a lot in public." He gave her a brief kiss on the cheek.

"You know, even if you show me your affection, you still remain calm and neutral most of the time. But I guess that's just how you are, and I don't dislike this kind of relationship actually. After all it was me who caused that characteristic of yours to develop back all those years ago, right?"

* * *

 _Den City – Five years ago..._

" _And that settles it!" A younger version of the girl cried out. "Cloudian – Nimbusman, direct attack!" The attack connected and a young white and black haired boy skidded back a few meters before falling onto his back._

" _Man! I can't believe I lost yet again!" He whined._

 _The girl walked up and looked down at the boy lying on the ground. "Seriously, if you always play like this, you will never be able to win!"_

" _Huh? What do you mean by that, Kumo?" The boy asked while sitting up._

" _It's simple: You never use a proper strategy, but always just duel as if you were casually walking down a street. You can't just slam down some monsters on the field and hope that you will win without having an actual game plan! What you need to have is a T-A-C-T-I-C! A TACTIC!"_

 _These words affected the young boy more than she had expected. It was like she had hit a nerve, because ever since that day, he started training in all sorts of strategic games. The great intellect that he already possessed before intensified this evolution even more. He not only stepped up at building his deck and modifying it, but also started playing games like Chess or Shogi, honing his tactical skills in every possible way. She assumed his sudden change of character was probably also influenced by his parents' glory as savers of the world during the Cyberse War, since he didn't want to solely rely on the fame he gained from his descent, but make a name for himself instead. But she still felt like there was something else behind that whole transformation into a strategic mastermind. After two years, he felt like he had honed his skills for long enough, so he entered the local dueling league here in Japan. He quickly became famous for his dueling style and rose to the top of the league in no time at all. He gained a few nicknames during his now three years lasting career; one of them was a play on words called Jūbi – Ten Tails. It sounded pretty similar to his actual name and was a reference to his ten most famous monsters. Rumors said that he possessed an ability called Storm Access which allowed him to reach out into the Cyberse World and create cards by channeling its energy. They weren't wrong though, he actually possessed that ability, she assumed it was because of his father who had fought against the A.I.s in the Great Cyberse War within and without the LINK VRAINS. He was still using some of the old cards that he inherited from his father plus his signature card he had owned before he was even able to walk. But most of his deck was completely new, especially the nine new monsters he had gained through Storm Access which made up the heart of his strategy. Since all of these monsters were dragons that – like most dragons – had a tail, and he possessed a grand total of ten major dragons, some fans had come up with that name. But there was another nickname, one he was much more famous for. When his dad fought as the Knights of Hanoi's leader, he had been called by the same name once. It was a name that depicted both his deck's gun themed cards as well as his sharp mind. His thoughts were just like a bullet, clear and accurate, and since his mind was just like a gun which was shooting down all of his opponents in a simple and effective way with them, the following nickname had become the most prominent part of his professional dueling persona: They called him Revolver, the ultimate strategist._

* * *

"Anyway,", The boy continued, "it appears that my entrance is imminent now. I will see you after the match, Kumo. Enjoy it, and by the way,", He broke his mask of neutrality for a second and smiled at her, "thank you for coming down here to wish me luck!"

Kumo also smiled as a result. "You're welcome! Now give them all a great show!"

He smirked. "Don't worry, I will!" He activated his hoverboard and jumped on it, heading for the exit. "Here I go, Den City! Enjoy my match against Go Onizuka, it will be spectacle like you haven't seen in a long time, even though the result is already determined! For I am..."

* * *

"HE IS STRENGTH ITSELF! HE IS TEN STEPS AHEAD OF HIS OPPONENTS! HE IS STRATEGY INCARNATE! HE IS THE SON OF THE KNIGHTS OF HANOI'S LEADER! HE IS THE UNDEFEATED CHAMPION OF THIS LEAGUE, THE THREE-TIMES CHAMPION OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! PLEASE WELCOME OUR CHAMPION, THE UNPARALLELED **YUBI "REVOLVER" KOOOGAAAMIIIIII!** " Naoki yelled at the top of his lungs.

A tremendous, deafening applause erupted within the whole stadium as several thousand people started clapping and crying out the name of the duelist who made his entrance from the underground. He was dressed with a white jacket and a dark blue T-Shirt underneath, also wearing a pair of black trousers and white shoes. His front hair was mainly white with only a few black highlights while the hair on the backside of his head had the latter color and was rather spiky and unsymmetrical compared to the well kept white part. He was riding on a black and white colored hoverboard which he was quite familiar with from the looks of it. He did a few backflips and other tricks by using the walls of the stadium track as a ramp.

"Wait, the champion of this dueling league is your counterpart?!" Shiryu exclaimed as she saw the boy's face.

"Yes, indeed. I said that he was a pretty interesting person when we talked about him yesterday, didn't I?" Yuga stated.

"He is a pretty interesting person, that's for sure." She replied. "So you are going to recruit him, is that what you were saying before?"

"Yeah, that's correct. That guy will be an enormous help if we get him to join our cause, you can believe me with that."

"So this why you wanted us to hide ourselves!" Rin realized. "If somebody mistook you for Yubi, we would have been hunted down by paparazzi and drawn a lot of unwanted attention!"

"I get why you needed to hide your face, Yuga. But what about us?" Ruri asked.

Yuga simply pointed to a certain part of the stadium. "Do you see that special section of the arena?"

Ruri nodded.

"That's the special loge for the Knights of Hanoi. As you should have realized by now, this stadium is named after the place where the threat that endangered this world around 20 years ago originated. This arena was more or less built to celebrate the triumph in the war against the A.I.s, therefore it was named the Cyberse Stadium, and the heroes of the war – the Knights – got special seats within it." He raised his finger a bit more, pointing towards a more specific part of the section. "Look, over there are Yubi's parents, Ryoken and Aoi Kogami. And look who's sitting next to his mom!"

"Wait that is...!" Ruri exclaimed.

"Yup, that's Kumo Stratos, your Link-Counterpart! Since her parents are on business trips most of the time, she spends a lot of time in the Kogami-Household and in Yubi's environment in general. Therefore she is known to the public as well – you know, when you spend most of the time accompanying a celebrity, you eventually become one yourself. Because of that I wanted you to hide your faces as well. Same reasons as for me."

"I see." Rin said. "Guess it was just like I expected, if you wait long enough, everything you say makes sense eventually. I wish it was the same with Yugo..."

"My counterpart's looks are quite interesting. What is she wearing?" Shiryu asked her boyfriend.

"Oh, that?" Yuga replied. "That's the standard version of the Den City School Uniform. Yubi's mother was wearing one of those things as well, around 20 years ago. The only notable difference to the new ones is that they had a blue tie instead of a red one and the jackets were daker in color. Also they were obligatory. But not only does Kumo wear the uniform at school, but in her free time as well, even if she doesn't have to. Since it fits nicely to her looks as well as to her calm and serious personality, that's not much of a surprise, I guess."

"And he has quite the similarity in terms of fashion and hairstyle with his father though." Shiryu remarked, observing Yubi now. "I mean the white part in the front of his head is basically identical to his dad's. And they both wear a white jacket above a T-Shirt as well!"

"That's because he takes great pride in his origin as son of a world saver, but also because he and his dad share the same nickname. Well, shared in Ryoken's case. He had that name during the battles of the Cyberse War. And Yubi uses this nickname for his dueling persona now." Yuga said.

"And what is that nickname?" Ruri inquired curiously.

"You just heard it from the announcer. It is Revolver." Yuga simply retorted.

"Revolver? That's quite a powerful nickname! Why is he using it?" Rin asked.

"You will soon find out why he chose it. Like you said before, everything I say makes sense eventually!" Yuga replied.

Meanwhile Yubi continued his lap around the stadium. He then began his own statement. He simply raised his right hand and the crown went wild again. Then he addressed the crowd, resulting into an almost dialogue-like chain of questions and answers.

"What do you want?"

- **"A DUEL!"** -

"How will I play in that duel?"

- **"WITH SUPREME STRATEGY!"** -

"What will the result be?"

- **"ANOTHER VICTORY FOR YOU!"** -

"Then just one last question: Who am I?"

- **"REVOLVER!"** -

He smirked and advanced towards the starting line. Go Onizuka looked at him with a curious, but challenging gaze. "So you're Yubi "Revolver" Kogami, the son of Ryoken Kogami, the man who saved our world 20 years ago! I was looking forward to our duel here in my old home, Den City!"

Yubi smirked back, his black eyes returning the gaze. "Same goes for me! Let's provide these guys with an exciting performance!"

"You bet!" Go retorted. They both readied themselves for the start.

"Oh my god, I can't believe that this is actually happening!" Rin exclaimed. "We're gonna see a Speed Duel and Link Summoning in just a few moments! Oh, this might be even better than watching the Friendship Cup!"

The rest of the quartet chuckled about Rin's eagerness while they also awaited the start of the duel along with the rest of the crowd.

Meanwhile the announcer started commenting again. "AND THERE YOU HAVE IT GUYS, OUR CHAMPION YUBI "REVOLVER" KOGAMI VERSUS GO ONIZUKA! WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THIS DUEL?! WHO WILL TRIUMPH IN THE END?! GO ONIZUKA AND THE PHYSICAL REALM?! OR YUBI AND THE PSYCHICAL REALM?! IT'S MUSCLE VERSUS MIND, BRUTE FORCE VERSUS METICULOUS STRATEGY! AND I, YOUR COMMENTATOR NAOKI SHIMA, WILL BE THE ONE TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THIS CLASH OF SHEER AWESOMENESS! NOW THEN, **LET THE DUEL BEGIN!** "

Both duelists accelerated at the start signal and activated their duel disks simultaneously.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **YUBI VS. GO ONIZUKA**

 **YUBI: 4000**

 **GO ONIZUKA: 4000**

"Since I'm the local champion, it would only be fair that the first turn is mine to take!" Yubi said.

"That's fine by me!" Go replied. "Show me what you got!"

"Very well then! But first let me play something!" He pressed a button on his duel disk and melody started playing. ( 4; EDIT: Since Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 is finally out you may instead go to 56, that's the pure OST without background noises or duels in the foreground, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme)

"Huh? What's that melody?" Go Onizuka asked him.

"Oh, that's just my signature theme, "The Power of Revolver"! It will be a nice little background music since my turn is gonna take quite a while! It's my turn! I start by summoning **Quickvullet Dragon**!"

 _Quickvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 800/Dragon/Effect_

"This monster can be special summoned if I control no other monsters! Additionally, I can search out a "Vullet"-Monster from my deck or graveyard when it's summoned! Next up, I normal summon **Powervullet Dragon** which I just added to my hand!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

Meanwhile Rin seemed to find a liking in the music as it reached about the 25-second-mark. "Damn, this theme is addicting! And the duelist using it seems to be quite skilled as well!"

"I once told you, Shiryu", Yuga remarked to his girlfriend, "that every great duelist has a good signature theme song! And just as it is with me, this duel should get quite interesting now that his theme is playing!"

"IT'S THERE!" Naoki announced. "MOST PEOPLE IN HERE KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT!"

Yubi accelerated and turned around towards Go as he drifted in the curve of the arena track, his arm extended towards him.

"Now manifest, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future!" He shot a burst of blue energy from his hand that transformed into a dark blue circuit with eight gray arrows pointing to all of the classic cardinal points.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two effect monsters!" The southwest and southeast arrowheads began blinking in a red color for a few times. "With my Quickvullet and Powervullet Dragon, I set the Link Markers!" The monsters transformed into colorful beams of energy that headed towards said Link Markers, illuminating the two arrows on the bottom of the circuit with the red color from before. "Circuit combine!" Yubi cried out before beginning the summoning chant of his monster after a short dramatic break.

"Dragon with the tail of punishment, become the link to my allies and with your alliance, facilitate my victory! My whiplash that jolts humanity to awaken it from its confined perception of reality! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 2, **WHIP TAIL LINK DRAGON!** "

A light blue dragon appeared. It had a rather slim body and possessed a giant tail of enormous length. Said tail was mainly light yellow in color with a few light blue stripes on it. It had wings of the same bright color with the only exception being the part on the very top of them, which was also blue like the rest of its main body, although in a darker shade. Its eyes had a piercing yellow color, darker than the other yellow parts of its body. While it didn't have any arms, its enormous wingspan compensated more than enough for that, along with the giant tail, which had a golden, cone shaped piece of metal at its tip. It whirled said tail around a couple of times before finally lashing out with it in Go Onizuka's direction, unleashing a powerful roar. While it didn't look completely intimidating overall like Yuga's dragon, it still reserved an awe inspiring appearance.

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

"AND THERE IT IS!" Naoki exclaimed. "HIS FIRST AND MOST FAMOUS TRUMP CARD, **WHIP TAIL LINK DRAGON!** "

"So that is your trump card, huh? Quite a strong monster for a Link 2!" Go complimented him.

"Correct!" Yubi calmly replied. "And now you will witness his true power first hand! But first my Powervullet's special ability activates! When it is used for a Link-Summon, the summoned monster gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 2500 → 3500_

"And now for the ability of my Whip Tail! During my turn, I can activate Whip Tail's effect in order to increase his link range by quite a bit. He gains all missing Link Arrows for the remainder of the turn. So essentially he's a Link 8-Monster now! Link Extension!"

"What?! Such an ability exists?!"

"And it doesn't end there! Once per turn, he can also special summon a monster from the Extra Deck to a zone one of my Link-Monsters is pointing to, treating it like it was summoned by the standard means. Also if Whip Tail is in one of the Extra Monster Zones, his two arrows pointing to the left and to the right can cross the gap between the two Extra Monster Zones! Meaning the western arrow pointing to the left now enables me to use your Extra Monster Zone as well! Alliance Force!"

"WHAT?!" Go exclaimed in an incredulous tone.

"LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, Topologic Gumblar Dragon!"

 _Topologic Gumblar Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲►▼)

A dark blue colored, mechanical dragon appeared in the left hand Extra Monster Zone after Whip Tail had let out another roar, almost as if it was calling its new ally. Yubi smirked. "Extra Link!"

Go Onizuka reacted with shock when he saw his zone being used by Yubi's new dragon. "WHAT?! An Extra Link with only two monsters?! And with a 3000 ATK Link 4 as well?!"

"That's right! That is the special ability of my dragon – Link Extension in combination with Alliance Force! And the eastern marker of my Gumblar Dragon can also cross the gap between Extra Monster Zones due to being summoned by Whip Tail's effect, making it a Co-Link between these two and therefore an Extra Link for my Whip Tail as well!"

"But I can still summon Link-Monsters thanks to the northern arrow of your Gumblar Dragon!" Go exclaimed, having found out the flaw in this seemingly perfect lockdown-strategy.

"If you believe that this helps you, fine, keep on thinking that." Yubi retorted in an emotionless tone that gave away nothing about the message he delivered with that statement.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Just wait and see!" He grinned. "Next up I activate the equip spell Varrel Reload! It allows me to special summon one "Vullet"-Monster from my graveyard. Return to me, Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

"And then I play the field spell card Revolve Sector Launch! All my Vullets gain 300 ATK and DEF!"

 _Powervullet Dragon: ATK 1800 → 2100; DEF 1200 → 1500_

"Also I can special summon up to two Vullets per turn from my hand in defense mode with its additional effect! Come, **Doublevullet Dragon** and **Ghostvullet Dragon**!"

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1100/Dragon/Effect_

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

"The effect of Powervullet Dragon! Whenever another "Vullet"-Monster is summoned to the field, I can draw a card! Since both of my monsters were summoned simultaneously however, I may only draw one card here. But now the effect of Doublevullet Dragon also activates! When it's summoned, I can summon another Vullet from my deck, hand or grave! I choose another Powervullet from my deck!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

"Now the summoning of my second Powervullet triggers the effect of my first! I draw again! Then I activate the continuous spell Supply Squad! In addition to that, the quick-play spell card Squib Draw! I blow up one of my Vullets in order to draw two cards! I select my first Powervullet Dragon which I revived with Varrel Reload!"

Said monster exploded with a loud bang.

"But now multiple effects kick in! First off, Supply Squad! Once per turn, when one of my monsters is destroyed, I can draw one card as a compensation! And second is Varrel Reload! When the equipped monster is destroyed, I may draw one card! Which means I will draw a total of four cards now!"

"AND HERE IS ONE OF OUR CLASSIC YUBI MOVES!" Naoki yelled. "HE NOT ONLY MANAGED TO GATHER FIVE MONSTERS ON HIS FIELD, BUT HE ALSO REPLENISHED HIS HAND JUST LIKE THAT! WHAT IS GOING TO DO NEXT?!"

"I can answer you that, Naoki!" Yubi said in a confident voice. "Since I already control a "Vullet"-Monster other than this one, I can special summon **Phantomvullet Dragon** from my hand!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Dragon Effect_

"And thanks to Powervullet, I can draw yet another card! I then activate the continuous spell **Varrel Generator**! Once per turn, I can add a "Vullet"-Monster or a spell or trap that specifically lists such a monster in its effect from my deck or grave to my hand! I select another Phantomvullet! Now I special summon it!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Dragon Effect_

He grinned and looked at his opponent. "You know what comes next, don't you?"

"You get to draw another card!" Go Onizuka said grudgingly.

"Correct! Supply and resupply, maintaining control over the board while always keeping enough cards in my hand to launch another assault in case my offensive gets taken down. Most duelists simply blow their entire load and then look dumbfounded when their board is wiped. But I am different! I can always recover from any relapse and corner my opponent once more! That is my strategy! Duel Monsters is just like chess or any other strategic game. Whoever maintains control over the resources, wins in the end! I never lose my ground while I continuously advance towards the enemy! For me, a duel is just like a war! That's why I call my style Warfare Dueling, a dueling technique that reloads my hand just like a gun! That's another reason why my signature theme is called "The Power of Revolver!""

( 4/56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme end)

The crowd cheered again.

"Warfare Dueling? That sounds quite interesting to be honest! I have to admit that you're one of the strongest opponents I have ever faced, even though it's just the first turn!" Go Onizuka complimented him.

"I haven't seen what you can do just yet, but I have a strong feeling that I will have to say the same thing about you at the end of this duel!" Yubi smirked at him.

"Wow, this guy is really good!" Rin exclaimed in reverence. "He summoned seven monsters during the first turn and still has four cards in his hand, not to mention the three spell cards on his board, along with a two card Extra Link! You really weren't kidding when you said he might be stronger than Jack Atlas!"

"He isn't even completely serious right now." Yuga calmly stated.

"What?!" Rin yelled in a shocked tone. "How is that not serious?!" She pointed at Yubi and his seven dragons.

"Have you noticed his Topologic Gumblar Dragon?" He simply asked her.

She nodded, confused about that abrupt statement.

"It has a special ability when it's Extra Linked. Namely to destroy the opponent's entire hand once per turn, along with inflicting 3000 points of damage."

"What?! It can burn him for that much while also destroying his whole hand?! This effect lets even my Windwitches look like a joke in comparison, so why isn't he activating it?!"

"First off, yeah, it probably does." Yuga replied. "Yubi's deck is pretty much the ultimate all-rounder and can do most of the specialties of other decks, in most cases even better. For why he isn't activating that effect, the answer is simple actually: If he uses it, the suspense is taken away from the duel. Losing his entire starting hand while also receiving three quarters of his LP as damage right off the bat might discourage Go Onizuka and make his performance less spectacular, which is something Yubi can't have. He lives from the duels in this arena and needs the visitors for his career, therefore he must ensure that the duels are epic or else he might lose his audience. So you could say he holds back to make the duel more entertaining. If he was to go into a real battle however, he would mercilessly use all of his powers to strike down the enemy, there's no doubt about that. That's another reason why I chose him for our squad."

"That makes sense." Ruri said in a deliberating tone. "His Warfare Dueling is a mentality which is pretty much perfect to face the soldiers from Fusion. I have to admit that you choose your allies very wisely, Yuga!"

"Thanks, Ruri!" Yuga grinned at her. "But that isn't all! Just watch and you will see that he provides far more than that!"

They resumed watching the duel.

"Now all my Vullets gain the 300 ATK and DEF boost from my Revolve Sector Launch!"

 _Doublevullet Dragon: ATK 1500 → 1800; DEF 1100 → 1400_

 _Ghostvullet Dragon: ATK 800 → 1100; DEF 1900 → 2200_

 _Phantomvullet Dragon (X2): ATK 1700 → 2000; DEF 800 → 1100_

 _Powervullet Dragon: ATK 1800 → 2100; DEF 1200 → 1500_

"WITH THIS, YUBI HAS MONSTERS WORTH A TOTAL OF ELEVEN CARDS AND WITH A TOTAL ATTACK OF 14500 ON HIS SIDE OF THE FIELD!" Naoki Shima cried out enthusiastically.

"Now appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future!" Yubi exclaimed. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two monsters apart from tokens! With my Ghostvullet and my two Phantomvullet Dragons, I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 3, Three Burst Shot Dragon!"

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲▼)

Another mechanical dragon appeared in the third Main Monster Zone.

"Now I activate the effect of my Ghostvullet Dragon! If it is in my graveyard and I control another "Vullet"-Monster, it can be special summoned at the cost of being banished once it leaves the field!" The monster reappeared with the stat boost from his field spell Revolve Sector Launch.

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"Now the effect of Powervullet kicks in once more, letting me draw another card. Then appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Vullet"-Monsters! With my Ghostvullet and Powervullet Dragon, I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Show yourself, Link 2, Booster Dragon!" Yubi cried out.

 _Booster Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1900/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

"It will be placed into my fifth Main Monster Zone at the very right and it also receives the boost from Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Booster Dragon: ATK 1900 → 2900_

( 5; reference)

"And then appear again, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two effect monsters! I set my Link 3 Three Burst Shot Dragon and my Doublevullet Dragon into the Link Markers!" The two monsters transformed into four beams of energy that flew to the corresponding markers. "Circuit combine!"

The crowd became fired up again, anticipating a long awaited monster.

"Now I will have you bear witness to another of my favorite cards, an instrument of destruction! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, The embodiment of annihilation! The unstoppable TOPOLOGIC BOMBER DRAGON!"

An orange colored mechanical dragon emerged. It stood still in a stance, slowly raising up its arms while gathering energy which was flowing towards the sole green eye in its head. After it had fully powered up, it unleashed a deafening roar along with a tremendous gust of wind that blew against the spectators sitting nearby.

 _Topologic Bomber Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (↙▲↘▼)

"AND THERE IT IS GUYS, I CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE SPECTATORS WHO WITNESSED THE DRAGON'S ENTRANCE FIRST HAND, AS YOU KNOW TOPOLOGIC BOMBER IS QUITE POPULAR BECAUSE OF IT! ALSO THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE GREAT TEN DRAGONS THAT YUBI OBTAINED, EXCLUDING HIS WHIP TAIL OF COURSE! WITH THAT, HIS SECOND TRUMP CARD HAS ARRIVED AS WELL!" Naoki chimed in.

"Wow, that dragon is huge!" Rin exclaimed. "And this wind it unleashes upon being summoned, amazing! Good thing we were sitting nearby when Yubi played it!"

' _Now I have to proceed very cautiously if I don't want to spoil the surprise!'_ Yubi thought. "I place my Topologic Bomber Dragon in my third Main Monster Zone!" The dragon appeared right in the middle of Yubi's field. _'Since it has to be another monster being summoned and Bomber must be on the field already, its effect won't trigger now.'_ "Then I activate the first effect of my Whip Tail! By doing so, Link Extension ends prematurely and it loses its six new Link Arrows again! But even though my Whip Tail and Gumblar are no longer co-linked due to Whip Tail losing its additional arrows, my Gumblar Dragon is still being treated as Extra Linked since it was summoned with Alliance Force!"

Yubi's first monster returned back to normal, however, Gumblar retained the bluish aura it had since it was summoned, indicating that it still possessed the power of the Extra Link.

"I set three cards face-down and end my turn with that! But I'm not done because my Powervullet Dragon's effect lets me special summon another Vullet from my deck since it was destroyed, namely by my own Squib Draw! Another Ghostvullet Dragon is summoned into the fourth Main Monster Zone in defense mode!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"Also the attack point increases from my Powervullets expire!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 3500 → 2500_

 _Booster Dragon:ATK 2900 → 1900_

"This concludes my turn! Show me what you got!" Yubi challenged his opponent.

"Wow, he managed to get out five pretty strong monsters and six spell- and trap cards on his field in just one turn! Before I've heard about all the additional zones in the other dimensions, this is what I've been considering a full board!" Rin exclaimed in utter admiration. "And he still has two cards in his hand as well!"

"Now let's see what his opponent can do!" Shiryu said.

"Very well! Finally it's my turn! DRAW!" Go Onizuka yelled. "I normal summon Gouki Suprex in attack position!"

 _Gouki Suprex_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

"And when I do that, I can special summon one "Gouki"-Monster from my hand! Appear, Gouki Twistcobra!"

 _Gouki Twistcobra_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

Yubi smirked. "You really did it! You triggered my little surprise for you!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Go asked in a surprised tone.

"The effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon! Whenever a monster is special summoned next to a Link-Monster's Link Marker, my dragon annihilates all cards in our Main Monster Zones! Because of the rules, the second monster of a player must be summoned to the fourth zone! And since a lot of swarming decks run cards that special summon another monster or monsters that can be special summoned when you already control another monster of that archetype, my Bomber Dragon is pretty much the perfect countermeasure for that thanks to the northern arrow of Gumblar Dragon which points to that zone! And since you are one of the players who run such a deck, you're now going to feel my Bomber Dragon's wrath! Reduce everything to rubble! Full Overlap!"

The dragon readied two special winglike extensions on its upper body which charged up with yellow-greenish energy. It then unleashed the gathered power in all directions, resulting in explosive, yellowish rays of energy heading everywhere.

"Fine then!" Go Onizuka gritted his teeth. "I activate the quick-play spell **Gouki Guard**! This prevents my "Gouki"-Monsters from being destroyed by your dragon's effect! Furthermore, they can't be destroyed by card effects until the end of this turn! So my monsters are safe! But yours will be wiped out now!" Go exclaimed with a victorious expression on his face.

"Not a bad counter admittedly. But I think that I won't lose anything either." Yubi retorted. "First off all, the two monsters in the Extra Monster Zones are safe anyway. And second of all, my Link-Monsters can't be destroyed by card effects since my Topologic Gumblar Dragon prevents that because it is currently Extra Linked!"

"But your Ghostvullet will still be destroyed!"

"Not really. My Whip Tail Link Dragon activates his effect! Heroic Sacrifice!"

The dragon unfolded its wings, redirecting the blasts coming towards Ghostvullet to itself instead. First it looked like Whip Tail would succumb to the explosions from Topologic Bomber, but it endured somehow.

"Huh?! What just happened?!" Go asked him.

"It's simple. My Whip Tail just has the tendency to sacrifice himself for his comrades. When my monsters would be destroyed, I can destroy him by his own effect instead to save his friends. However, thanks to my Topologic Gumblar Dragon's Extra Link-effect, none of my Link-Monsters can be destroyed by card effects. Which means my own dragon's self destruction ability fails and he survives as well! You see, all my monsters work together as a team. On their own they might be powerful already, but together they are completely unstoppable!"

"Well then guys,", Yuga addressed the girls next to him who were watching the duel, "now you know some more reasons why I picked Yubi for our team! Not only is his Topologic Bomber Dragon perfect for handling multiple opponents, his defense is almost unbreakable too as you just saw!"

"That's true." Ruri said. "The Obelisk Force is mostly acting in three-man-teams or bigger groups, so when they Fusion Summon their Hound Dogs into one of the zones that Yubi's monsters point to, their entire fields will be blown up while his monsters survive."

"Yeah, exactly. Like I said, this guy is pretty much perfect for us! Let us observe what he does next!" They payed attention to the duel again.

"Well, even though we both prevented our monsters from being destroyed, it is still my turn and I will use it wisely!" Go Onizuka cried out. "From my hand I discard Gouki Bearhug in order to special summon Gouki Headbatt in defense position!"

 _Gouki Headbatt_

 _Earth/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

"Because of its effect, my Suprex gains 800 ATK!"

 _Gouki Suprex: ATK 1800 → 2600_

"And now appear, my circuit!" Another blue circuit with gray link arrows appeared in the air. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Gouki"-Monsters! With my Suprex and Twistcobra, I set the Link Markers!" His two wrestler monsters transformed into rays of light which flew into the respective Link Markers. "Circuit Combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, Gouki Jet Ogre!"

 _Gouki Jet Ogre_

 _Earth/Link 2 /ATK 2000/Warrior/Link/Effect/_ (◄▼)

"Since his spell card's effect is still in play and nothing will be destroyed again, please refrain from activating your effect for now, Bomber! It's just a waste of time." Yubi addressed his mechanical dragon.

The dragon obeyed and stopped the charging process in its wings.

"I summon it to my fourth Main Monster Zone since it's the only zone available!" Go continued. "Then I also add two new "Gouki"-Cards through the effects of my Suprex and Twistcobra since they were sent from the field to the graveyard! Next I activate the spell card Gouki Re-Match! It allows me to special summon two Goukis from my grave, as long as they have different levels! Come forth once more, Gouki Twistcobra and Gouki Bearhug!"

 _Gouki Twistcobra_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

 _Gouki Bearhug_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

"The effect of Bearhug activates! One of your monsters loses half its ATK until the End Phase! I select Topologic Gumblar Dragon!"

T _opologic Gumblar Dragon: ATK 3000 → 1500_

"Appear, my circuit! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least three "Gouki"-Monsters! With my Jet Ogre, Bearhug and Headbatt, I set the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!" Go cried out as he initiated another Link-Summon. "Now I will show you one of my trump cards as well! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, GOUKI THE GIANT OGRE!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre_

 _Earth/Link 4 /ATK 3000/Warrior/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

The crowd broke out into yet another round of applause as Go Onizuka summoned his ace monster. It was – like its name suggested – a giant ogre wielding a sword of equal magnitude.

"Much like before I get to add two new "Gouki"-Cards to my hand thanks to my Bearhug's and Headbatt's effects! And with a total of four of them in my hand, I will now use some of them as well! First off, I discard Gouki Larilizard in order to special summon another Headbatt from my hand!"

 _Gouki Headbatt_

 _Earth/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

"This time, I select my Giant Ogre for the ATK-gaining-effect of it!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 3000 → 3800_

"And then, since I already control a "Gouki"-Monster, I can special summon this card from my hand! Come, **Gouki Sharkshooter**!"

 _Gouki Sharkshooter_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

Another animal wrestler entered the field. It looked like a shark wearing the classic Gouki attire, its golden champion belt depicting an image looking pretty similar to the movie cover of "Jaws".

"Next up is the effect from my Larilizard! It can be special summoned from the graveyard if another "Gouki"-Monster is summoned to my field! Come, **Gouki Larilizard**!"

 _Gouki Larilizard_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

A reptilian Gouki entered the field at Go's words. It obviously shared its looks with the rest of his monsters.

"It is banished once it enters the graveyard again, however! And now appear, my circuit! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Gouki"-Monsters! With my Slingshark and Larilizard, I set the Link Markers! Circuit Combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, another Gouki Jet Ogre!"

 _Gouki Jet Ogre_

 _Earth/Link 2 /ATK 2000/Warrior/Link/Effect/_ (◄▼)

"Now my Larilizard is banished due to its effect! However, I still get to add a new "Gouki"-Card through its effect, same goes for my Sharkshooter! And right after doing just that, appear again, my circuit! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two "Gouki"-Monsters! With my Jet Ogre and Headbatt, I set the Link Markers! Circuit Combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, Gouki The Great Ogre!"

 _Gouki The Great Ogre_

 _Earth/Link 3 /ATK 2600/Warrior/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘▼)

"You get to add another "Gouki"-Card thanks to your Headbatt, right?" Yubi asked in a bored tone.

"Correct!" Go Onizuka exclaimed victoriously. "Our decks both seem to have that supply-and-resupply-thing, right?"

"I suppose so." Yubi answered. "I have to admit that you're on a whole different level than the previous challengers."

"You bet! After all, I'm the champion of the European Dueling League!"

"AFTER A LONG SERIES OF COMBOS, THE EUROPEAN CHAMPION GO ONIZUKA ALSO MANAGED TO SWARM HIS FIELD WITH STRONG MONSTERS! WILL OUR CHAMPION BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND GO'S ASSAULT?! OR WILL GO ONIZUKA COME OUT ON TOP IN THIS EPIC CLASH OF CHAMPIONS?! I'M WAY TOO EXITED ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT!" Naoki yelled in a way too overenthusiastic tone.

"Anyway, moving on!" Go exclaimed. "When my Jet Ogre is sent to the graveyard, I can have all Goukis on my field receive a 500 ATK bonus for the rest of this turn! Also all your monsters lose ATK equal to their defense points thanks to my Great Ogre!" Go said. "So your smaller dragon is weakened! Ogre Pressure!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 3800 → 4300_

 _Gouki The Great Ogre: ATK 2600 → 3100_

 _Gouki Twistcobra: ATK 1600 → 2100_

 _Ghostvullet Dragon: ATK 800 → 0_

' _I'm not blowing my entire load, like that guy said previously, doing that leaves me in a bad situation if something goes wrong.'_ Go Onizuka thought. _'My monsters have enough ATK to wipe out all of his lifepoints, so I'm going to save my Cobra's effect in case something unexpected happens.'_ "Now I activate the effect of my Giant Ogre! Since his attack points are different from their original value, he gains 1000 more until the end of this turn!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 4300 → 5300_

"Now battle! I'll start off slowly by attacking your Booster Dragon with my Twistcobra!"

The attack connected and Yubi's monster was wiped out.

 **YUBI LP: 4000 → 3800**

' _I could activate Booster Dragon's effect, but I think I will refrain from that for now!'_ "My Supply Squad activates! It lets me draw one card from my deck!" Yubi drew another card after saying that.

"But that doesn't matter! Because now Gouki The Giant Ogre attacks your Topologic Gumblar Dragon!" Go cried out.

"I see." Yubi said in a deliberating tone. "You plan on destroying my Gumblar so you can let the rest of my monsters blow up by my own Bomber Dragon's effect in case I'm not finished off by your attack. That's why you weakened it with your Bearhug!"

"That's right! Once you Gumblar Dragon is destroyed, the rest of your formation will come crumbling down as well! If you don't lose through this attack that is!"

"THIS COULD BE IT, GUYS! IF THIS ATTACK SUCCEEDS, YUBI IS NOT ONLY GOING TO LOSE HIS FORMATION, BUT THE REST OF HIS LIFEPOINTS AS WELL!"

"My Giant Ogre is unaffected by effects of monsters with an ATK equal or lower than himself! Which means you can't reduce the battle damage you're about to take by weakening him with a monster effect! THIS IS THE END! **OGRE SWORD!** "

"I don't think that your attack will finish me off like that!" Yubi calmly stated. "My Whip Tail Link Dragon activates his third ability! By selecting a monster other than himself, I can choose to give one of the two monsters the ATK of the other! I select Topologic Gumblar Dragon and grant it the attack points of my Whip Tail until the End Phase! Adapter Boost!"

The light blue and yellow dragon tucked its long tail into the dark blue mechanical dragon. Gumblar didn't seem to mind that however, on the contrary, it looked pleased as waves of energy were flowing through the tail right into it, strengthening it again.

 _Topologic Gumblar Dragon: ATK 1500 → 4000_

"But even if you lower the damage and survive, your dragon won't! Keep going, Giant Ogre! Ogre Sword!" Go exclaimed as his Giant Ogre struck down its blade onto the dragon. When the dust cleared, Gumblar was still on the field.

 **YUBI LP: 3800 → 2500**

"But how?!" Go Onizuka cried out. "How is your dragon still on the field?!"

Yubi simply pointed at his Whip Tail Link Dragon. "Whip Tail's fourth effect again! Heroic Sacrifice! I destroy him instead, but because of Gumblar, that is prevented once more! You see, my dragons have each other's backs!"

"What?! Your dragon can also activate that effect upon battle destruction?!"

"Effect destruction, battle destruction, bouncing them back to the hand, deck or Extra Deck, banishing them, tributing them, everything really! My Whip Tail can prevent all that by sacrificing and destroying himself!"

"What?! But how do you break through this formation then?!" Go exclaimed in a shocked voice.

Yubi raised a finger. "There is but one weak spot in this formation. Whip Tail can't activate his effect when he is attacked and destroyed by battle himself."

"Wow, you can't get through his monsters if you don't attack his dragon directly?! That's insanely powerful, now I know for sure why you wanted him to be our ally!" Rin said.

"Yeah, that's right!" Yuga replied. "While the rest of the dimensional dragons me and my counterparts own focus on strengthening themselves by weakening others, his dragon works together with its teammates and steps into the breach for them. Paired with Yubi's strategy, this makes him pretty much invincible!"

"But one weak spot remains." Ruri stated calmly. "If his dragon is attacked directly, it can be destroyed by battle and then his formation will collapse."

"You shouldn't assume something like that, Ruri!" Shiryu said. "A duelist who has worked out a strategy so complex and perfectionist won't just overlook a flaw in his tactic as simple as an attack!"

"Then I will just attack your Whip Tail Link Dragon with my Gouki The Great Ogre!" Go Onizuka yelled. "At this moment, I activate my Twistcobra's effect! By tributing one Gouki, I can increase the ATK of another "Gouki"-Monster! I sacrifice Twistcobra itself and add its 2100 ATK to my Great Ogre!"

 _Gouki The Great Ogre: ATK 3100 → 5200_

"YUBI HAS ONLY 2500 LIFEPOINTS LEFT! COULD THIS BE THE END?!"

"I don't think so!" Said person exclaimed. "By discarding **Shieldvullet Dragon** , I can activate its effect! I select one special summoned monster which will become unaffected by my opponent's card effects for the rest of this turn! I could have used this effect on your Great Ogre in order to prevent it from gaining ATK, but I'm about to do something even better! I select my Whip Tail!"

"But why?!" Go Onizuka cried out in a confused tone.

"It's simple. I want my Shieldvullet in the graveyard for another of its effects! When an attack is declared while it is in the graveyard, I can activate this effect and choose from two options! I select the first one, which is special summoning and redirecting the attack to it! Come in defense mode, Shieldvullet Dragon!"

 _Shieldvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 500 → 800/DEF 2200 → 2500/Dragon Effect_

"Having multiple ways to stop your opponent? Wow, that is pretty awesome, this guy is insane! He's even styling on his opponent by choosing his own monster instead of interrupting Go's plays!" Rin exclaimed.

"Don't forget that placing the protection effect on his ace monster is a pretty good play though!" Yuga pointed out.

"Right, that monster being unaffected by everything the enemy plays for a whole turn is quite handy as well." Rin admitted.

"Now your attack is received by my Shieldvullet and I don't take damage!" Yubi smirked.

"That's what you're thinking!" Go grinned back. "From my hand, I activate the quick-play spell **Gouki Sudden Return**! It allows me to special summon one Gouki from my graveyard, but it is destroyed during the End Phase! Come again, Gouki Jet Ogre!"

 _Gouki Jet Ogre_

 _Earth/Link 2 /ATK 2000/Warrior/Link/Effect/_ (◄▼)

"Sudden Return also allows me to activate the effects of the summoned monster during my Battle Phase! Which is just what I will do! By destroying one "Gouki"-Monster, I can change all your monsters into attack position! I sacrifice Jet Ogre itself! Which means the measly 800 ATK of your Shieldvullet, which will also be reduced to zero thanks to Ogre Pressure, are up against the 5200 of my Great Ogre now! Or no, rather 5700, since Jet Ogre's effect also triggers upon being sent to my graveyard!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 5300 → 5800_

 _Gouki The Great Ogre: ATK 5200 → 5700_

 _Shieldvullet Dragon: ATK 800 → 0_

"AND ONCE AGAIN YUBI MANAGES TO AVERT DEFEAT, ONLY TO FACE IT AGAIN A COUPLE OF MOMENTS LATER!"

"NOW, THIS IS THE END FOR REAL! **OGRE AXE!** " Go yelled, certain of his imminent victory.

Yubi simply smirked. "We shall see!"

"WHAT?!"

"Here comes my counter! Reverse card open! The continuous trap Call of the Haunted! I special summon Powervullet Dragon from my graveyard!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 600 /DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"But how does that help you?!" Go Onizuka cried out in a confused tone. He then looked at the middle of Yubi's field and his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you don't mean...?!"

"Yes, I DO!" Yubi yelled in a triumphant voice. "Since the Powervullet Dragon I just summoned was placed in my fifth Main Monster Zone by the rules – a zone that my Whip Tail points to – the effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon now activates! I protect my three Link-Monsters with my Whip Tail-Gumblar Dragon-combination! My three other monsters however..." His eyes widened. "…ARE WIPED OUT! FULL OVERLAP!"

Bomber Dragon charged up its wings and annihilated Yubi's three Vullets in a loud explosion that shook the entire stadium. Call of the Haunted also vanished since its target was among the destroyed monsters.

Yubi smirked. "Sometimes you gotta make sacrifices in order to win the war!"

Go gritted his teeth. "In that case, I will just use the replay and attack your Whip Tail instead!" His Ogre refused to move however. "Hey, what are you doing?! Attack his monster already!"

"It can't." Yubi declared in a calm voice. "Your monsters cannot attack anything other than Shieldvullet this turn before said monster is destroyed by battle! But since my Bomber Dragon took it out before you could do that..." His smile widened as he turned his face towards Go, shooting him a victorious grin.

"…I can't attack now!" Go uttered grudgingly, gritting his teeth even harder.

"That's right!" Yubi retorted.

"AND HERE HE GOES AGAIN, DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE! YUBI WAS ABLE TO FEND OFF ALL OF GO ONIZUKA'S ATTACKS! BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THAT'S OUR CHAMPION RIGHT THERE, SO I SHOULDN'T BE TOO SURPRISED!" Naoki Shima commentated.

"Now end your turn, so I can begin mine!" Yubi demanded.

"Fine! But first I will set a card face-down! My monsters' ATK return to normal! Also the effects of my Bearhug and your Whip Tail end and your Gumblar Dragon's ATK returns to normal as well! Turnover!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 5800 → 3000_

 _Gouki The Great Ogre: ATK 5700 → 2600_

 _Topologic Gumblar Dragon: ATK 4000 → 3000_

"But before I start, let me activate my dragons' effects really quick!" Yubi said. "I can now substitute my destroyed dragons for new ones from my deck! I start with Shieldvullet Dragon, which might have been banished because I summoned it by its own effect, but much like your Gouki Larilizard, its effect still activates! I special summon the third Powervullet Dragon from my deck!" It entered the field with both the boost from Revolve Sector Launch and the decrease from Gouki The Great Ogre.

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 600/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"Next up is my Ghostvullet! With its effect, I special summon a Doublevullet Dragon from my deck!"

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500 → 400/DEF 1100 → 1400/Dragon/Effect_

"Now the effect of my Powervullet lets me draw one card. Also Doublevullet's effect kicks in, letting me summon another Vullet from my hand, deck of graveyard! I select one Powervullet from my graveyard!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 600/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"Which lets me draw once more! And finally I summon my third copy of Ghostvullet Dragon with the effect of my destroyed Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 0/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"And guess what, I get to draw another two cards thanks to my two Powervullets!"

"Holy fuck, this guy does even draw cards during his opponent's turn!" Rin cried out.

"And together with the one card he got from Supply Squad, it was a grand total of five as well!" Shiryu remarked. "With the two cards he had at the end of his turn and the Shieldvullet he discarded, that means he now will have seven cards in his hand after he draws, two more than he had at the beginning of the duel! His draw engine is simply insane! Wow, this guy might even be stronger than you, Yuga!"

He smirked while hearing his girlfriend's words. "We shall see about that!"

"Now it's my turn! DRAW!" Yubi yelled.

' _I'm still not in a bad position.'_ Go thought. _'I have two Link-Monsters, one face-down and one Gouki Re-Match plus another "Gouki"-Monster in my hand. If I can make it through his turn, I can revive two of my Goukis with my Re-Match and start my swarming cycle anew. But like I just said, I have to endure this turn for that!'_ Suddenly a loud voice along with an ominous background theme woke him up from his thoughts.

( 6; reference)

"You should really pay more attention to your opponent!" Yubi addressed him.

Go looked back to him at that statement. "You plan on summoning something big?" He asked the white and black haired teen.

"Of course!" Yubi grinned. "Otherwise I wouldn't be playing this background song now!"

"What is that soundtrack?" Rin asked, wondering about the new background music.

"Oh, that? That's another background theme Yubi uses in his duels. I think it was called "Piercing Bullet" or something like that!" Yuga responded.

"It sounds cool as heck!" The Synchro-Girl exclaimed in admiration.

"Now I will show you another behemoth, one of the strongest in my whole arsenal!" Yubi continued with a smirk. "Brace yourself, a hailstorm of bullets lies ahead!" He shouted.

"Kuh!" Go uttered, gritting his teeth. "This turn will be hard to survive for sure!" He realized grudgingly.

"APPEAR! The circuit that illuminates my path into the future!" Yubi cried out after a dramatic pause. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least three effect monsters! With my Doublevullet, Ghostvullet and my two Powervullet Dragons, I set the Link Markers!"

The four monsters transformed into colorful beams of energy and Yubi began drifting in one of the arena's corners again, facing his opponent once more, one of his arms stretched out.

"Circuit combine! My gale that pierces through the closed world! Behold, this is the bullet that will decide your destiny! LINK SHŌKAN! Manifest, Link 4, An all-purpose artifact of mass destruction! The unmatched VARRELLOAD DRAGON!" He shouted.

A great red colored mechanical dragon with black horns and turquoise, translucent wings appeared on the field after striking a pose and letting out a roar as the music in the background reached its climax and then stopped.

( 6 end at 1:40)

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

"AND HERE IS YET ANOTHER OF YUBI'S TRUMP CARDS! THIS TIME IT'S THE STRONGEST OF THE THREE VARREL DRAGONS, VARRELLOAD DRAGON! NOW HE HAS ALSO SUMMONED HIS THIRD TRUMP CARD!"

"It will be summoned to my fifth Main Monster Zone!" Yubi declared. It appeared on the very right of his field as a result. He then grinned. "And now the effect of my Bomber Dragon kicks in! It destroys all cards in the Main Monster Zones, but mine are safe due to my two dragons! Full Overlap!"

"My Giant Ogre isn't affected by monsters with less or equal ATK than him!" Go Onizuka exclaimed to remind Yubi of his Ogre's effect.

"Then let me change that! I activate my Whip Tail's effect to grant his ATK to Bomber Dragon! Adapter Boost!"

Waves of energy surged into Bomber Dragon's body as Whip Tail plugged its tail into it.

 _Topologic Bomber Dragon: ATK 3000 → 5500_

"I activate my set card!" Go cried out. "Another copy of Gouki Sudden Return! It revives my Gouki Twistcobra!"

 _Gouki Twistcobra_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 0/Warrior/Effect_

"And I activate its effect right away! I tribute my Great Ogre to increase my Giant Ogre's ATK by its attacking power!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 3000 → 5600_

"Also Giant Ogre activates his effect! He gains 1000 ATK since his attack points differ from their original value!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 5600 → 6600_

"Good idea! But I have already prepared a countermeasure! I activate the quick-play spell card **Link Reinforcements** from my hand! It grants one of my Link-Monsters 500 ATK times its Link Rating! So my Link 4 Bomber Dragon will receive 2000 ATK!"

 _Topologic Bomber Dragon: ATK 5500 → 7500_

"Damn!" Go gritted his teeth. "In that case I activate another effect of my Giant Ogre! If he would leave the field by a card effect, I can make him lose exactly 500 ATK instead! Ogre Protection! And since my Twistcobra was sent to the grave, I get to add a new "Gouki" card to my hand!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 6600 → 6100_

"So you also used the effect of Twistcobra to create more protective layers around your Ogre? Impressive! But we shall see how long he can endure against my dragons! Next up, since my Varrelload was just Link Summoned with two Powervullet Dragons, it gains 2000 ATK until the End Phase!"

 _Varrelload Dragon: ATK 3000 → 5000_

"And now I use the effect of my field spell again and special summon two Vullets from my hand in defense mode! Show yourselves, Magnavullet and Metalvullet Dragon!"

 _Magnavullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

 _Metalvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 1400 → 1700/Dragon Effect_

"Since they were special summoned into the second and fourth zone, Bomber Dragon triggers once more! Full Overlap!"

"And I activate my Giant Ogre's ability once more! Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 6100 → 5600_

"Very well then! I will just continue to weaken your Ogre until it collapses! I activate my second copy of the quick-play spell card Squib Draw from my hand! I blow up the Magnavullet in my second Main Monster Zone to draw two cards! Don't forget the extra card from Supply Squad!" Yubi said as he drew three new cards. "Since a spot just became free on my board, I will allow the Ghostvullet in my graveyard to take it! Since I still control a Vullet, it can be special summoned from my graveyard!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"And now my Bomber Dragon triggers again! Full Overlap!"

"I activate Ogre Protection again!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 5600 → 5100_

"This time I will allow Bomber to destroy one of my monsters, namely Ghostvullet since I need the zone. The rest is saved as always!"

All monsters survived the explosion of Bomber Dragon thanks to Whip Tail and Gumblar, except the previously mentioned monster.

"Now Ghostvullet Dragon is banished since it was revived with its own effect! Next I special summon the third copy of it from my graveyard!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"And much like before, Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!" Go Onizuka simply retorted.

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 5100 → 4600_

"Now the last Ghostvullet is banished! Furthermore your Ogre is weak enough to be targeted by my Varrelload Dragon now! And I will do just that and activate its effect! I can decrease the ATK and DEF of one monster by 500! And cards and effects cannot be activated in response to that! I select your Ogre of course! Anti-Enemy Vullet!"

The dragon turned towards Go's monster, letting out a roar before firing a red laser beam from a canon within its mouth, decreasing the ogre's stats.

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 4600 → 4100_

"Now the effect of my continuous spell Varrel Generator! I add one of the Phantomvullet Dragons in my graveyard to my hand! With this, I have seven cards in my hand again! I now special summon Phantomvullet since I already control a Vullet on my field, namely Metalvullet Dragon! Come forth again!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"But it will leave as fast as it has come! Topologic Bomber Dragon again! Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 4100 → 3600_

Yubi smirked while showing another copy of Phantomvullet Dragon in his hand. "You know what happens next!"

Go gritted his teeth.

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 3600 → 3100_

"Let's see..." Yubi deliberated. "I have five cards in my hand now and still need to power down your Ogre a bit. Oh, I know just what to do! I activate the spell card Pot of Avarice! With it, I can recycle five of my monsters in the graveyard and draw two cards right after! I select three copies of my Phantomvullet, one Powervullet and one Doublevullet!" The automatic Programm of his futuristic Link-Dimension disk shuffled the cards back for him. "Draw! Seems like Lady Luck is also on my side today! I drew one of the Phantomvullets which I will summon again now!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"Welcome back and bye again! Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 3100 → 2600_

"YUBI IS CONTINUOUSLY WEAKENING GO'S ACE MONSTER! I HAVE A FEELING THAT HIS GREAT OFFENSIVE WILL BEGIN SOON!"

"It will, be assured of that! But first I will activate another spell card! You see, even if I didn't draw into Phantomvullet, I still would have summoned it! I activate Quick Revolve! It allows me to special summon one "Vullet"-Monster from my deck, but it is destroyed during the End Phase – which doesn't matter though! The second Phantomvullet!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 2600 → 2100_

"The end draws near! I activate my second copy of Varrel Reload! I special summon one Vullet from my grave and equip it with this card! While my choice honestly doesn't matter here, I pick Quickvullet since it hasn't been on the field for quite a while now!"

 _Quickvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300 → 1600/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon/Effect_

"I'm afraid that you have to leave again, my friend! Full Overlap!"

"Ogre Protection!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 2100 → 1600_

"Finally its weak enough to be targeted by my lesser monsters! But first I draw another card since the target of Varrel Reload was destroyed! I then activate the effect of my Whip Tail in order to increase the amount of his Link Markers! Link Extension!"

Whip Tail became Link 8 again.

"And then I activate his effect! I special summon one monster from my Extra Deck to a zone one of my monsters points to! I choose the second zone, next to my Gumblar! Now it's time to show you my forth and final trump card! Alliance Force!" He raised his hand and pointed to the sky, his blue-yellowish dragon roaring yet again as a blue circuit formed out of the energy both he and his Whip Tail emitted. Its four respective Link Markers were immediately filled despite no monsters transformed into the necessary materials – thanks to Whip Tail's effect of course. "LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, The canon that slaughters all my enemies! My namesake **TOPOLOGIC REVOLVER DRAGON!** "

An enormous mechanical dragon emerged from the circuit. It was mainly black in color with only a few white parts, which were its gigantic cannons on its arms and legs. It also had an even bigger cannon on its back, which reached up its spine and beyond its head because of the sheer length of it.

 _Topologic Revolver Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (↙↖▲▼)

"IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE, IT'S THERE! THE FINAL TRUMP CARD OF YUBI AND HIS MOST PROMINENT SIGNATURE MONSTER APART FROM WHIP TAIL! THE VERY REASON WHY WE ALL CALL HIM BY THE NAME OF REVOLVER! **TOPOLOGIC REVOLVER DRAGON!** " Naoki screamed at the top of his lungs, not the least bit able to hide his excitement. The crowd however seemed to be equally amazed and cheered like crazy. Obviously that dragon was even more popular with the audience than Bomber or Varrelload.

Yubi grinned, seeing all four of his favorite dragons towering above him, accompanying his ride on the track and flying ahead of him along with Gumblar. "I summon it to the second Main Monster Zone, like I said before! And then I activate my set card, the trap Tactical Exchamber! I destroy my Metalvullet Dragon in the fourth zone to special summon another Vullet from my deck! Come, Magnavullet Dragon!"

 _Magnavullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"Now you will witness a tandem of destruction! Both my Topologic Bomber and my Topologic Revolver Dragon will activate their effects! Since a monster was special summoned next to a Link-Monster's Link Marker, my Bomber Dragon clears the Main Monster Zones again! Furthermore my Revolver Dragon forces you to mill five cards from your deck! But this isn't all! Since my Magnavullet is targeted by a Link-Monster's effect, it can destroy itself to send one of your monsters to the graveyard! Which means you will have to activate Ogre Protection twice in order to save your monster! Now go, Magnavullet!"

The bullet shaped dragon approached Revolver Dragon and transformed into a living cartridge for it. It then entered the barrel of Revolver Dragon, which bowed down to aim at Go's monster with the giant cannon on its back. After a while it fired, causing a thunderous boom to be audible within the arena.

"Decimation Salvo!"

It struck the Ogre, which survived thanks to its effect, however, it took five of Go's cards with it which were send to the graveyard by Revolver Dragon's ability.

"Also since my Revolver Dragon is Extra Linked due to its Co-Link to my Gumblar Dragon, you now take 300 points of damage whenever a monster is sent to your graveyard! Which means the three milled monsters deal you 900 points of damage!" Yubi said while turning around with his hoverboard, extending his arm to point at Go Onizuka. "Heart-Seeking Howitzer!"

"I activate the second effect of my spell card Gouki Guard! By banishing it from my graveyard, I don't take effect damage for the rest of this turn!"

"Smart! But your Ogre still loses 1000 ATK thanks to my Magnavullet and the now following Full Overlap!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 1600 → 600_

"And here you see another side of Yubi's deck!" Yuga explained to the girls. "These Vullets are some of his older cards. While his newer Vullets revolve around swarming, his old ones focus on destroying themselves to become living ammunition for his greater Link-Monsters!"

"Wow, this guy has quite a unique deck!" Shiryu said. "It has so many strengths at the same time and barely any weaknesses! He corners his opponents continuously while also having an indestructible defense!"

"And now the second ability of my Topologic Revolver Dragon!" Yubi continued. "Once per turn, I can revive one level four or lower monster! Or a Link-Monster if I destroy one monster before! I choose to summon one of my Vullets! Appear again, Magnavullet Dragon! Tactical Reload!"

Revolver Dragon's body charged with energy. Then Revolver Dragon shot a burst of energy from the giant canon on its back into the sky, the smaller dragon emerging from the energy beam, flying to the zone it was summoned to in its normal form.

 _Magnavullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"And just like before my combo triggers! Decimation Salvo! Full Overlap!"

"IF GO ONIZUKA DOESN'T COUNTER THIS MOVE, HE WON'T BE ABLE TO KEEP HIS MONSTER ALIVE!" Naoki yelled.

"But I will! I simply have to give my Ogre enough ATK to activate his effect twice!" Go exclaimed. "From my graveyard, I banish Gouki Sharkshooter! By doing so, I can select one "Gouki"-Monster which is targeted by an effect or attack of a monster with higher ATK than it! It gains 500 ATK until the End Phase! Or 500 ATK times its Link Rating if it happens to be a Link-Monster! So my Giant Ogre is strengthened by 2000 attack points!"

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 600 → 2600_

"Since my Ogre has more ATK than your Magnavullet now, its effect fails!" Go smirked. "Too bad!"

"But my two other dragons still succeed with their effects, milling another five cards from your deck and decreasing your Ogre's ATK by 500 due to your Ogre Protection!" Yubi declared unfazed by Go's move.

 _Gouki The Giant Ogre: ATK 2600 → 2100_

As Giant Ogre powered down, Go Onizuka realized that the Magnavullet Dragon which had just been launched at his monster returned to Yubi's side of the field.

"What?! Why is your dragon coming back to you?! Didn't you just use its effect to turn it into living ammunition for your Revolver Dragon?!"

"Indeed." Yubi stated in an neutral tone. "But I have managed to develop a combo with my Whip Tail Link Dragon which I call Infinite Bullets!"

"Infinite Bullets?!"

"Yeah, it's pretty simple. When I activate the effect of my Vullets, I chain the protection effect of my Whip Tail to it, preventing them from self-destructing. Therefore they just return to me after I shoot them at you!"

"So he managed to reap all the benefits from his monsters while finding a way around the downsides?! A truly masterful duelist, I have to admit that! Definitely better than Jack!" Rin said.

"And he also gets to special summon seven Vullets from his deck at the end of this turn due to their previous destruction!" Ruri remarked.

"If he had enough monster card slots for summoning them that is! Also I doubt that this duel is going to last long enough for that!" Shiryu stated.

"Now that his Ogre is weakened enough, Yubi's offense will begin." Yuga said. "And he will tear Go Onizuka apart!"

"You have fought well!" Yubi praised his opponent. "But now, this is going to end!" He pressed a button on his disk at that. A new song began in the background, the audience getting fired up like crazy. ( 7, Treachery - Bleach OST)

"What it that background music?" Rin asked. "From the spectators reaction, it must be quite the thing!" She stated.

A smile formed on Yuga's face. "This, my dear, is Yubi's best and most prominent theme! While his other soundtracks are quite good as well, especially "The Power of Revolver", they pale in comparison to this one. "The Power of Revolver" is technically just a copy of the Knights of Hanoi-Theme, which his father and the rest of the knights used before in the Cyberse War. He also has permission to use that theme for his duels since he is the son of their leader, so he uses it a lot. But this one right now is completely different. Yubi actually hired a composer and a whole orchestra and choir for that one. Ever since winning his first World Championship, he used it as his signature theme. He plays it whenever he gets fully serious, at the final rounds of important tournaments or matches like this one right here when the finale is imminent."

"Wow!" Rin exclaimed. "It's sounds so mighty and powerful!" She stated as the violins began playing, humming along. "Having good background music is surely a trademark of a splendid entertainer."

"Yeah. And this one is also a bit more savage than his other themes because of its lyrics which you will hear soon. But I think it fits somebody who uses that style of dueling. That's why it is called "Warfare Dueling". Some people even call the song "Yubi Kogami" because it is his personal theme."

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!- The choir began, starting the lyrics of the background song.

"That was a great duel." Yubi began.

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

"But like all good things, it has to come to an end now!" He continued.

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

"Like the lyrics are telling you now, my victory is imminent!" He spoke in unison with the third line of his song.

-You will lose, it shall nevermore end differently!-

"So let's begin the final round of this match!" He grinned at his opponent.

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

"My dragons will pierce you and your monster!" He said.

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

"And nothing will stop them!" He declared.

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

"No holding back anymore!" He stated.

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"I AM **YUBI KOGAMI!** " He cried out his own name in unison with the choir.

"Kuh!" Go cursed as an instrumental break began. "This is gonna be one hell of a Battle Phase!"

Yubi went silent for a while and closed his eyes, the crowd getting even more exited, anticipating the grand finale. Then his eyes opened widely and he announced to the audience. "NOW THE CRESCENDO! BATTLE! My Topologic Bomber Dragon attacks your Gouki The Giant Ogre! Ultimate Malicious Code!"

-"I can tell that you've never seen strategy!"- The refrain began anew, the audience chiming in as well, singing along.

"YUBI GOES IN THE OFFENSIVE! IF THE 7500 ATTACK POINTS OF BOMBER DRAGON CONNECT WITH THE 2100 ATK GIANT OGRE, IT'S OVER FOR THE EUROPEAN CHAMPION!" Naoki Shima exclaimed.

-"I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!"-

"I discard the monster I added with my Twistcobra's effect, Gouki Octostretch! By doing so, battle damage is halved! Also my Giant Ogre cannot be destroyed by battle due to his own effect!"

-"I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!"-

The red-purplish ray of energy struck down on Go Onizuka's monster, but both him and it survived the attack.

-"You will lose, it shall nevermore end differently!"-

 **Go Onizuka LP: 4000 → 1300**

"Now my Bomber Dragon could normally inflict damage equal to your monster's ATK. But since the effect of your Gouki Guard is still in play, the Aiming Blast of my dragon misses!" Yubi stated. _'I could also activate the second part of Aiming Blast to destroy Gouki The Giant Ogre and force it to lower its attack even further. But that would ruin the perfect zero LP finish!'_ He debated with himself.

-"Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!"-

The energy blast fired by Topologic Bomber Dragon missed its mark and Go continued gliding on his hoverboard unharmed.

-"Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!"-

"But it's far from over! Next up my Topologic Revolver Dragon attacks your Giant Ogre! Virulent Revolver Missile!"

-"And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!"-

The dragon fired dark blue streams of energy out of all of its cannons, which united into one beam of tremendous size. The Ogre survived again, but its owner didn't withstand the attack without some damage.

-"Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!"-

 **Go Onizuka LP: 1300 → 400**

Yubi made another dramatic pause, the first half of the refrain repeating one last time while the audience kept on singing, the voices in the song as well as in the stadium plus the violins in the background theme increasing in volume, the suspense getting more and more intense with every line of the lyrics they sang.

-"I can tell that you've never seen strategy!"-

-"I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!"-

-"I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!"-

-"You will lose, it shall nevermore end differently!"-

"It isn't his Vullet-Deck with the Topologic- and Varrel Dragons that makes him such a feared opponent. Of course, these monsters are incredibly powerful. But that alone doesn't make him so strong." Yuga commented while the lines were repeated for the third time. "His intellect and strategy – that is what makes him superior to the rest! A man with these abilities and cards combined – his abilities are far beyond anyone else's in this dimension! A truly unstoppable force so to speak!"

"And now the grand finale!" Yubi exclaimed. "My ace monster will attack yours and settle this duel once and for all! Behold, this is the true power of Revolver!" He declared.

-"Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!"-

"Whip Link Dragon, attack his Gouki The Giant Ogre! With this, my strategy prevails once again! Tail of Punishment – Lashing Strike!"

-"Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!"-

The dragon used its enormous tail to strike Go's monster with such an incredible speed that it almost sounded like a gunshot, piercing its chest with it while ramming the golden cone at its tip through its body. As the attack connected on the Ogre, it exploded with a loud bang, causing the spectators to break out into a deafening applause.

-"And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!"-

' _Looks like my best wasn't good enough. But against such an opponent and with the crowd getting fired up like that, losing isn't a shame!'_ Go thought as he saw the explosion heading towards him. A smile formed on his face as the shockwave enveloped him, Yubi's theme ending simultaneously with one last line and a short melody as an outro.

-"Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!"-

 **Go Onizuka LP: 400 → 0**

 **YUBI WIN!**

As the smoke cleared, both duelists emerged on their respective hoverboards. Go accelerated a bit to approach Yubi.

"What a splendid finish! You're quite the entertainer, I have to admit that! Also, about the duel itself, you really were one step ahead of me all the time, weren't you?"

"I guess so." Yubi retorted. "But I have to admit that you fought really well, better than anyone I've met before."

"Likewise!" Go replied. "You are by far the strongest opponent I've ever faced! I will continue to improve and duel you again! But for now I will settle with my defeat! After all, with the crowd being amazed like that, I can't be mad about a loss as the entertainer I am!"

Yubi smirked. "I will look forward to it! But now let's give them a proper show!"

They waved at the audience, making them clap even louder. Some people cried out Yubi's name, some Go's, and after a while, they cheered for both.

Naoki began shouting again. "AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR DUEL, WITH YUBI EMERGING AS THE WINNER! BUT EVEN IF GO ONIZUKA LOST, THE AUDIENCE STILL SEEMS TO LOVE HIM! AND I DO SO AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS..." He did a short rhetorical break. "... **WAS AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME DUEL!** THANKS TO BOTH DUELISTS, YOU TRULY GAVE US AN AMAZING AFTERNOON!"

The crowd continued cheering as the duelists made a few more laps around the track before finally coming to a halt. Yubi descended from his hoverboard as he drove to the right, next to a gate that connected the ranks of the spectators with the track. There, a familiar figure awaited him already.

"Congratulations Yubi, it was an awesome performance you gave us today!" Kumo addressed him.

"Thanks Kumo, I'm quite satisfied with it as well."

"Although you could have used a lot of effects to end the duel more quickly, especially your Gumblar Dragon's!"

"Yeah, that's right I guess. But if I used those, the duel would have been way less spectacular and I can't do that as an entertainer! Don't worry Kumo, if worst comes to worst, I will use all my power! But I guess you know that already, after all, that's just how I am!"

He gave her a brief kiss, the both of them standing in a blind spot of the stadium, protected from most peoples' curious gazes.

"I suppose that's right." She blushed a bit before continuing. "Now then, won't you go to the commentator in the middle of the stadium to pick up your price for winning this match?"

"Sure I will! Wanna come along?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Why not? I'm known to everyone in this town anyway, so I might as well follow you into the spotlight!" She positioned herself on his right side and followed him to the commentator platform in the middle of the stadium.

"THAT WAS ANOTHER CRAZY MATCH YOU GAVE US THERE, YUBI! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO THE CROWD?!" Naoki Shima asked him as they approached the commentator.

He took the microphone from him. "Nothing really to be honest. But I thank each and everyone here for coming to my match, especially my opponent Go Onizuka! A champion is nothing without his fans, so I appreciate every single one of you!" He spread his arms and pointed to the audience sitting all around the arena.

"MODEST AND HUMBLE, JUST LIKE WE KNOW YOU!" Naoki spoke up again after reclaiming his microphone. "APPLAUSE FOR OUR CHAMPION PLEASE!"

Another round of thunderous applause erupted within the stadium and they called out his name again.

-" **REVOLVER! REVOLVER! REVOLVER!"** -

"Here is your price!" Naoki said, this time without the microphone, as he handed a card over to Yubi.

"Card of Sanctity." Yubi murmured to himself, smirking while looking down at the card in his hand. "This will make a fine addition to my deck!" He took out his deck from the holster and put the new card into it while removing another. "Bye bye, Card of Demise! I have now found a replacement for you!" He put the old spell card into his pocket while internally deliberating what new combos he could do with the spell card he'd just acquired.

* * *

"Now then, it's time to make my move!" Yuga stood up from his seat.

"What are you planning to do?" Shiryu asked him.

"I'll give them a little encore after this insane duel! Just sit down and watch!" He headed down the ranks of the stadium, climbing over the railing that separated the seats from the track, jumping down a few meters. He landed gracefully on the track of the arena and quickly ran towards the middle of the stadium. Some security employees noticed him, but they were way too slow and couldn't stop him. He reached the middle and snatched the microphone from Naoki Shima.

"Dear Citizens of Den City!" He began while reaching for his hood. "After this amazing performance from Yubi Kogami right there, I thought I might also tell you a little something!" He threw his hooded cape up in the air, revealing his face in the process. "And it will be something worth the time, that's for sure!"

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **Wow, this was the longest chapter I've had up until now! Nevertheless it was amazing to write, especially the fact that I managed to reach the exact ATK values to reduce LP to 0 multiple times without correcting a single value was quite amusing! Guess I had luck with the numbers I picked for my ATK increases xD. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and like my new Counterparts! Revolver just helped me rekindle my love for the anime and made me watch Vrains, so I guess it was predestined that he would appear in this fanfiction! His deck is used by his son Yubi, with a lot of new support I made up to change Rokkets – or rather Vullets in this case since I prefer the Japanese names – into an extremely strong swarming deck rather than the slow deck it is IRL. Yubi is the last guy who will get a major music treatment and he will use a lot of Vrains soundtracks. In here we had the Knights of Hanoi-Theme which is pretty hard to get since Vrains is far from finished right now. I apologize for the background noises in the video once you look into the usual playlist, but sometimes OST is really hard to get, especially if the show is young and the makers refuse to release any OST. It should still do its job and convey some of the Vrains-Spirit though. Oh, and I also put the first summoning of Bomber and Varrelload in the playlist for comparison, they are just way too good to not rub it in your face. I just love that entrance of Bomber, the summoning itself is not too long and still feels as epic as other signature summonings in the Yu-Gi-Oh!-franchise. And Borrelload is still a 30-dollars-card IRL, might change after the reprint in the Mega Tins though. (By the way, the background theme when it was summoned is the one at the beginning of the clip that is played until around min 1:40. I just called it Piercing Bullet here, no idea how the OST is really named since Vrains doesn't release anything as I mentioned before. EDIT: It has been released, the soundtrack is named "Hanoi Approaches", Vrains Sound Duel 1 #22) Lastly, he has one very serious theme which is his personal background music for wrecking people I guess. When I first listened to some Bleach-OST I was like: "What the hell, this shit is awesome!" While I haven't watched a lot of the anime, I can still say that this show is light years ahead of other animes in terms of music. Therefore Yubi gets the Aizen-Theme aka "Treachery" as his personal badass track. I altered the lyrics though to make it more fitting for him, similar to what I did with Theater D. Also, in order to not upset any Bleach-Fans reading this story by besmirching their precious soundtrack, I tried to keep the pattern and number of syllables for every line in this song (11, 11, 11, 12; 11, 11, 11, 12). I'm not sure whether "there'll" is pronounced in one or two syllables, but in case it's two, just say it in one (after all it's the same thing with "I'm" or "it's" or "we're" for instance), then it will fit into the pattern again. You can find the full song with new lyrics somewhere below in these notes and listen to the original by going to my YT-Channel as always! (You should really look up the soundtrack and re-read the last scene, it makes it trice as epic, I promise!) I hope you liked my changes and look forward to more "Warfare Dueling"/"Yubi Kogami"-Moments in this story, because this track will sure as heck be used again! (By the way, if you haven't checked out Bleach-OST yet, go on YT, that shit is lit af, highly recommend it). As you can guess from the fact that Yubi gets the signature OST from the final villain of Bleach (the anime, not the manga), said person will be a force to be reckoned with in this fanfiction. Now for the character that uses the music and those monsters itself: Yubi is pretty chilled and stoic personality-wise, but he shows some emotions #1: towards Kumo when they are alone; and #2: during his duels. Imagine him having a bit of his father's dueling persona mixed with being chilled and unfazed most of the time, then you have a good idea about his behavior. Also about his dad, the great Revolver himself made his appearance in here as well! I paired him up with Aoi (I dunno, I guess I just like that ship) and yes, just like Yuya and Yusho/Yoko or Shiryu and Ghidorah, Yubi is their actual son in this story, which is pretty obvious due to Yubi and Ryoken sharing the core of their hairstyle aka most of the white parts of their hair (well it would be obvious if I had shown you a proper image of Yubi before, but don't worry, we will get to that). The second Counterpart, Kumo, also made her appearance in this chapter and she is a lot like Aoi, both in terms of fashion and behavior. Furthermore Naoki Shima, Yusaku's and Aoi's classmate from Vrains makes a cameo, the spot as an overenthusiastic commentator was just way too perfect for him since he loves dueling, but isn't very good himself. He even commentated a lot of Playmaker's duels in the show, so he basically asked me for it. And Go Onizuka is here too! Yeah, maybe he will appear again, but for now let's call it a day with him. He made a fine opponent for Yubi and I hope you liked their duel!**

 **Also regarding the rules of Duel Monsters in this fanfiction in case that you're confused: We still have the old summoning order from previous times (or just the Online- and DS-Games since they were programmed this way, dunno, but it** **'s a rule here)** **, which is: middle zone, zone right from that, zone left from the middle, zone at the very right, zone at the very left. (That summoning order works this way: If a spot in that sequence is free when you summon a monster, you have to adapt to this rule. Meaning if you already control a monster, but it is in your second Main Monster Zone for instance, you still have to summon your monster to the third zone in the middle). I will refer to them as first – fifth Main Monster Zone (counting from the left to the right) from now on, guess that is the clearest way to describe it to you so you can understand it well. Link-Monster Rules still apply, but only for themselves, other Extra Deck-Monster-Sorts aren't affected by the classic link rules (aka Master Rule 4). Oh, and there is one more rule, namely that you can only use the right Extra Monster Zone if you're not using Extra Link. The classic Speed Duel Rules with only three slots instead of five and so on don't exist in my story since Speed Duels in here are more like glorified Riding Duels rather than another format.**

 **Oh yeah, if you're wondering about some effects as well as Yubi's possession of the generic OP cards, here is the answer: Some of Yubi's monsters have effects that differ from both the anime as well as the IRL effects. I already said that this will happen at the very beginning of my fanfiction, but now I will explain why I do that. In case you haven't noticed, e.g. Topologic Gumblar Dragon's hand discard effect upon special summoning a monster next to a Link-Monster's Link Marker didn't trigger. Also Borrelload was targetable for Whip Tail's protection effect and Bomber Dragon didn't have the restriction that it prevents other monsters from attacking during the turn it activates its destruction effect. These changes have but one simple reason: Yubi can't have his monsters sabotaging his own plays. When talking about him as a duelist, the word " _SYNERGY_ " is written in capital letters, italics, bold and underlined (as I just did there, lol). Like you already saw, all of his cards together are like a giant machinery which works in perfect harmony, the best example for that is his Dimensional Dragon (and yes, I know it's COMPLETELY BROKEN for a Link 2, but blame it on the "Heavenly Dragons are the OPest cards in the ARC-V universe"-thing which I already mentioned). Actually, there is a reason why his dragons are different from those Ryoken/Revolver used in Vrains: Since Yubi's Storm Access is way more powerful than Revolver's (mainly because he is a reincarnation of Zarc while also being Ryoken's son), his monsters came out of the Cyberse in a more perfected way, which is why his cards have fewer drawbacks. Oh yeah, Gumblar's first ability, Unformed Card, and both parts of Bomber's secondary effect are optional by the way in case you're wondering. For Go's Giant Ogre and some more minor modifications on his cards, I admittedly have no particular reason why they are different from the Vrains and IRL versions aside from ARC-V being a different version of the Yu-Gi-Oh!-reality. I could have simply made a "new" monster called "Gouki The Titanic Ogre" or something, but this would have been more or less just a ripoff, so I decided to leave it be. But I needed to do these slight changes for the sake of the duel, so I hope you don't mind! I also made some new Gouki cards and based the two new monsters on the Slingshot and the Lariat. I hope you could still recognize the naming pattern without reading this, and if not, oh well, now you know it. **

**Now for the generic cards Yubi owns. This is pretty easy to explain actually. As a three-times world champion he participates in tons of tournaments and wins these cards as prices, just like the Card of Sanctity in this chapter. So him having those cards is perfectly fine. Oh yeah, I just remembered another thing: I put the Three Burst Shot Dragon/Triple Burst Dragon and Booster Dragon in this duel to indicate that Yubi still uses a lot of Revolver's lesser Link-Monsters. They don't count towards his ten signature dragons that gave him one of his nicknames though. He owns the three Varrel-/Borrel-Dragons, six Topologics and his signature card Whip Tail Link Dragon. Like you just heard, he will have three new Topologics in addition to Bomber, Gumblar and Trisbaena. One of them has already appeared, Topologic Revolver Dragon, which refers to the nickname he shares with his dad as well as the general gun themed archetype he uses of course. For the two others you might have to wait for a while, but it will be worth it, I promise!**

 **Almost forgot, here's the obligatory list of differences between Whip Tail and the other dimensional dragons:**

 **1\. It is the only dragon that has neither a level nor a rank (because it's a Link-Monster obviously)**

 **2\. It is the only dragon without defense points (same reason)**

 **3\. It is the only dragon without arms (Clear Wing has no legs and Odd Eyes no wings though)**

 **4\. It is the only dragon that unleashes its true strength when it is with allies instead of getting stronger by weakening the opponent's monsters or profiting at the expense of the enemy in some other way**

 **5\. While it isn't extraordinary tall (its head-to-toe-height is only around 3.5 meters, so a little bit shorter than Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing and Starve Venom) and only reaches 5 meters in height due to its enormous wings, its length is pretty insane. Due to its giant tail it reaches about 15 meters** **–** **just 1 meter less than Yuga's blue behemoth – therefore making its tail looking disproportionately larger in comparison to the rest of its body – distinct from the other dragons. It makes up a bit more than half of its length, giving it the ability to be used for its namesake's purpose – lashing other monsters that is**

 **Now then, here are the lyrics of the song as I promised you before! (To any experts at music: Please don't criticize me too harshly, I'm not that comfortable with technical terms of song-parts etc., especially not the English ones!)**

* * *

 **Warfare Dueling/ Yubi Kogami – Lyrics**

(Intro)

I can tell that you've never seen strategy!

I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!

I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!

You will lose, it shall nevermore end differently!

Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!

Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!

And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!

Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!

(Interlude)

(Repeat x2)

(Outro)

* * *

 **Next chapter Yuga makes his grand encore in the Link-Dimension. That will be the last chapter of my exposition, then we start with the real plot! Like always review please, feedback is appreciated very much!**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**And the last chapter of my exposition begins. Let's not waste a lot of time and get right into it!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Dimensional Alliance

"Dear Citizens of Den City! After this amazing performance from Yubi Kogami right there, I thought I might also tell you a little something! And it will be something worth the time, that's for sure!" Yuga threw his hooded cape up in the air, revealing his face in the process.

Some shocked gasps were audible within the crowd as they looked at the strange person who had entered the commentator's platform and snatched his microphone.

- **"Wait, why are there two Yubis?!"** -

- **"What is that guy doing over there?!"** -

- **"And why the heck does he have the same face as the champion?!"** -

Upon hearing the variety of questions that concerned the audience right now, Yuga spoke up again.

"I'm sorry, guess I should introduce myself first! My name is Yuga Gishiki! I've come here to tell you a few interesting things, and once you understand them, I'll ask you a question!"

"What question? And why is your last name the same as a summoning method?" A man within the audience asked.

"You will soon know the answers to both of your questions! I will come to them eventually! But first, there are a few other matters we have to discuss about!" Yuga replied mysteriously.

"And there he goes again, not saying anything before he deems the time ripe for it!" Rin stated, leaning on the railing that separated the seats of the audience from the track.

"Looks like he is going for it again." Shiryu agreed. "Another long talk followed by the revelation of the things he said during his introduction."

The three girls, who had stood up from their seats to follow him, were currently standing on the edge of the spectators area, however, they refrained from jumping over the railing like Yuga did. They kept watching, staying passive like Yuga instructed them, but ready to take action in case anything troublesome happened.

"To start my little talk with you guys, I'd like to refer to some of Yubi Kogami's summoning chants, more specifically to his Whip Tail Link Dragon's and Varrelload Dragon's: Your perception of reality is indeed quite confined and there is indeed a new wind piercing through your world. Although your world is by far not as closed as you might think it is when you hear Varrelload being summoned!"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Naoki Shima asked him, having found another microphone to substitute for the one that Yuga snatched from him.

"It's pretty simple actually. You believe that you are the only ones existing, not considering the possibility of other life out there! But in reality there is, quite a lot in fact: There is a total of six dimensions, your world being one of them. All of these worlds have special summoning methods. You may think that your Link-Summon is something unique, but to be honest, it isn't! There is also Fusion-, Synchro- and Xyz-Summon and all of them come from the Extra Deck as well!"

- **"No way!"** -

- **"Other summoning methods from the Extra Deck?!"** -

- **"You must be kidding us! Other worlds, bah!"** -

Yuga turned to the dubious crowd, more specifically to the man who had yelled the last exclamation. "I can guarantee you that this is the truth. There is furthermore the newly invented Pendulum Summon in a dimension called Standard and lastly there is Gishiki Summon, which you know as well. The latter of those methods is the dominant and only method in my world, the Gishiki-Dimension. Since our rulers have adapted the name of the summoning method for their own family name and I happen to belong to said royal family, I have a summoning method as my last name. Gishiki Summon exist in all dimensions, that's why you were able to realize that circumstance."

"So you're from a world where only Ritual Summoning exists and you also are an aristocrat in that world, did I understand that correctly?" Yubi addressed him.

"Wait, are you believing this guy's nonsense?!" Naoki asked the champion in a shocked tone.

"Why not? It sounds so far-fetched that it might even be true, so I am inclined to believe him, if he delivers proper evidence of course." He replied. Yubi then gestured the security staff which had meanwhile made its way to the commentator platform to refrain from apprehending Yuga.

"I'm glad that you are such a sensible person, Yubi! Don't worry, I will prove my claims in time! Now moving on! Like I said previously, your world isn't as closed as you might think. Me being here is the best evidence for it! But I haven't come here to harm you, no, quite the opposite actually! You see, there is the Fusion-Dimension which causes trouble in our whole multidimensional plain. It is led by a person who is called the Professor and trains Duel Soldiers to attack and invade other worlds." He tapped a few buttons on his disk to display some images of Academia and its people on the big TV screens all around the arena.

"So that's what he's been during parenthetically while watching the duel!" Shiryu exclaimed.

"What do you mean by that?" Ruri asked her.

"He hacked into the system of this arena to gain access to the screens! What a smart move!" She retorted.

"Yeah, showing them actual footage helps his plans immensely!" Rin stated.

"They already invaded one of the other worlds, the Xyz-Dimension, and destroyed it almost entirely." Yuga continued, showing a few new pictures from Heartland. The people understandably gasped at these sights of horror.

"No way anything as terrible as that could happen!" A man doubted him. "These images must be fake!"

"No, they are real!" Yubi spoke up in a calm voice. "I'm quite an expert at things concerning IT and I can assure you, these images are 100-percent real."

"So they really did all that? They really laid waste to another world?" The man asked in a fearful tone.

Yuga slowly nodded. "I'm afraid so. I've been there personally and I can assure you that Xyz is nothing but rubble and a few survivors right now. These people from Fusion can turn people into cards, which is pretty much equivalent to killing them if you ask me. But not only that world is endangered by the Fusion-Dimension, oh no! They also have some agents in a few of the other dimensions already and plan on invading them as well. But there is another thing concerning a very special person here!" He turned towards Kumo who was standing next to Yubi. "The leader of Academia – the place where the Duel Soldiers are trained – has a very special plan."

"A special plan?" Yubi asked him.

"Yes, a special plan." Yuga replied. "He wants to conquer and unite all dimensions into one. But even though that this is his official goal, I'm afraid it's just a facade to cover his actual plans."

"What do you mean by that?" Yuga was addressed, this time by Kumo.

"You see, the Professor sent an elite agent to my world to kidnap a certain person. That agent had not only completed several other missions like that before, but also had pretty interesting looks if I do say so myself!"

"What do you by… 'interesting looks'?" Yubi asked him, his voice still calm and unfazed.

"As you and the audience might have noticed by now, we share the same face."

Yubi nodded.

"Well, that kidnapper had the same face as well! And it doesn't end there! The girl he was tasked to abduct looked just like the girl next to you as well! And on his previous missions, he had already kidnapped two girls who also share their faces!"

"You mean… Kumo and me have counterparts?" Yubi asked him.

"Yeah, exactly! When I scouted the six dimensions and attacked Academia to take revenge for Xyz, I came up with a theory. And when I found a certain project folder during my raid in Fusion, that theory was confirmed!"

"And what is that theory?" The Link-Counterpart asked him.

"It says that the Professor has a very special project called "Revival Zero" which is his actual plan. For the fulfillment of that plan he needs all six counterparts of your friend Kumo. And all of his current actions only confirmed that theory, so it is very likely that he already targeted your girl as well!"

"He wants… me?!" Kumo whispered fearfully, her previous calm way of behavior gone just like that.

"While I'm inclined to believe you about us two, I'm a little bit skeptical about that whole counterpart story when it comes to Kumo. Would you mind giving me a little bit of evidence regarding that as well?" Yubi asked him.

"Not at all!" Yuga retorted. He searched for the three girls within the crowd and after he had found them, he waved at them, beckoning them to come closer. The followed his request and descended by using one of the gates that connected the spectator stands with the track. While they drew closer to the platform in the middle of the stadium, they slowly removed their hoods, revealing faces looking just like Kumo's. They walked up to Yuga and positioned themselves right next to him.

"Now then, would you mind coming over here so we can compare the four of you better?" Yuga asked Kumo.

She looked a little bit uncertain, but after a while she reluctantly moved to stand in line with the rest of the girls.

"And, what do you think?" Yuga – who had walked next to Yubi to share his perspective – asked him. "From what I can see, their faces look pretty much the same, don't they?"

Yubi slowly nodded. "Yeah, I have to admit that there's a strong resemblance." Meanwhile there were a few gasps audible within the crowd as they also realized that Yuga's words were true.

"But that's not all! Girls, mind if you were raising your right arms for a bit?" He asked the four of them. They obeyed, letting yet another similarity become visible, along with even more gasps being made by the spectators.

"They all have those mysterious bracelets? Now that is an interesting coincidence!" Yubi exclaimed, his voice giving away some of the curiosity that currently occupied his mind. "So you're saying that this Professor needs all six girls wearing one of those bracelets for his plans?"

Yuga nodded. "Yup, that's what I've found out so far. Anyway, I want to introduce you to some people now since it's rude to just parade them in this stadium without mentioning their names at least. Now then,", He beckoned his girlfriend to come closer, "first off, this is my adoptive sister and lover, Shiryu Gishiki."

Yubi took her hand and shook it. "Nice to met you."

"Likewise." She replied.

"Moving on, this is Ruri Kurosaki, the Xyz-Counterpart of Shiryu and Kumo."

She advanced to the two boys and took Yubi's hand, just as Shiryu did before.

"So you are from that world which was destroyed? I'm sorry for your homeland and how the Fusion-Dimension has changed your fate by attacking it." Yubi stated, a bit of sympathy and pity audible in his voice despite his usual stoic behavior.

"Thank you." She replied, some of the sadness of losing her home returning at the thought of it.

"And finally we have Rin from the Synchro-Dimension!" Yuga exclaimed.

The last girl walked up to Yubi and shook his hand.

"Big fan of your dueling!" She grinned at him. "Your strategy is very impressive if I do say so myself!"

Yubi was a bit surprised and scratched the back of his head at that statement. "In that case,… thank you I guess. I'm glad when people enjoy my dueling!"

After the last of Yuga's three girls had walked behind him, he addressed the last girl standing on the opposite site. "Well then, with that, only your girl is left! Nice to meet you!" He said as she slowly approached the rest of the group. "You are Kumo Stratos, right?"

She took Yuga's hand. "Yes, I am. Nice to meet you too!" She then greeted the other three girls behind him as well.

"Now then, since all counterparts have introduced themselves now, I want you to get to know a few other people as well!" He pressed another button on his disk and the image changed. On the screens, a man wearing bluish royal attire became visible, a large group of people somewhere behind him.

"Hello everyone in the Link-Dimension!" The man spoke up. "I'm Ghidorah Gishiki, the current Gishiki King and therefore ruler of the Gishiki-Dimension. As my adoptive son just explained to you all, we have an interdimensional war going on. The Professor is trying to subjugate everything, along with kidnapping my daughter and her counterparts for his plans, so our dimension made the decision to oppose the Fusion-Dimension and wage war against them. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to someone with authority in your world now. Is someone like that here in your arena right now?"

The audience deliberated for a while. Then a few voices spoke up.

- **"What about the head of SOL Technologies?"** -

- **"Yeah, let him speak for us!"** -

- **"Akira Zaizen! Akira Zaizen! Akira Zaizen!"** \- They cried out after a while.

"Very well then!" A person stood up from a section next to Knights of Hanoi's seats. "I am Akira Zaizen, head of SOL Technologies, the company that brought Speed Duels into the normal world and helped to defeat the A.I.s in the great war! You have something to discuss with me, you say?"

"That's right!" Ghidorah retorted. "Like I said, our dimension plans on waging war against Fusion. Since your world is only accessible through ours, we serve as a buffer between you and Fusion. Therefore we came here to request your aid in the interdimensional war!"

"I see. So that's what you want." Akira stated.

-"Wait, you want us to fight against Fusion?"- Some people exclaimed.

"Yes, we do!" Ghidorah replied. "But since my son is already familiar with persuading crowds and this whole conflict mostly affects the younger parts of our populations because they still have their whole lives ahead of them, I will hand over the role of the orator to my son now!" He said while looking at Yuga.

"I guess you're right with that! Our children have to bear most of this conflict's consequences indeed. Since you're the strongest duelist in this world and represent both SOL Technologies and the Knights of Hanoi through your heritage, I will leave these negotiations to you, Yubi!" Akira stated, exchanging eye contact with his son-in-law.

"Very well." Yubi replied.

"Now then,", Yuga spoke up, "like my father just said, we need your help to take down Fusion. But since we are both strong duelists, let me describe it with a metaphor, how about that?"

"A metaphor?" Yubi asked curiously.

"You know this card?" Yuga took out a spell card from his pocket and showed it to him.

Yubi nodded. "United We Stand. An equip spell that grants the selected monster 800 ATK and DEF for each monster the player controls. Quite a powerful card if you ask me, especially in my world since we have seven monster card zones, I have a couple of those. Why do you show me that card?" He asked him.

"This card represents my plans quite well actually." Yuga retorted. "The Fusion-Dimension has hundreds, maybe thousands of well trained Duel Soldiers at its disposal. Opposing such a group will be hard for anyone who tries." He then started spreading his arms to point at all the people sitting around him in the stadium. "But if several dimensions come together and work as a team, any enemy can be defeated, just like any low level monster with barely any ATK can overpower the strongest tower monsters if enough allies are around it while it is equipped with this card! Your dimension may be safe now because Fusion has to go through my world first, but that doesn't mean that you will be safe forever. Besides that, Fusion is a threat that endangers all worlds, not just mine. And don't forget about all the atrocities they have committed in Xyz! I ask you and your people for your help! Let's work together, so that peace can be restored within the six dimensions once more! Your dragon symbolizes how important alliances are, so I suggest that our two dimensions form an alliance as well! And this brings me to my question which I mentioned at the beginning: It is a question about trust,..." He slowly extended his hand to Yubi. "... so will you stand with us?"

A small smile formed on Yubi's face as his stoic expression made way for some emotions. "I see your points and I have to agree with you! All the terrible things that Academia has done and the chaos its simple existence breeds within the six dimensions are just unbearable! And since it even threatens my world, it is high time for it to vanish! I can only speak for myself right now, but I will help you defending our worlds with all of my might! So to answer your question, I will stand with you!" He took Yuga's hand and positioned himself right next to him.

"And I will stand with you as well!" Kumo said in a brave voice while also walking towards them. "Because they not only targeted me as a person, but also think about ruining our beautiful Den City, I won't just sit around idle and wait for them to get me!" She came to a halt next to her boyfriend and smiled at him. He smiled back because Kumo had supported him once again.

"And we will also stand with you!" A white haired man leading a large group of people exclaimed. They walked down to the track and the platform afterwards. That caused some clamor within the audience.

- **"It's Ryoken Kogami himself!"** -

- **"The Knights are with them as well?"** -

- **"Looks like father and son are on the same page here!"** -

Ryoken approached Yubi alongside Aoi, Spectre, Vyra – also known as Dr. Kyoko Taki in the real world –, Faust aka Aso in real life, Doctor Genome and the rest of his comrades. "I have already fought in a war two decades ago and like everybody in here knows, we have won that war! Now we just have to overcome an obstacle again! May it be A.I.s or Duel Soldiers from the Fusion-Dimension, we people here in Link have always managed to defeat threats from other worlds!"

The audience started clapping. Obviously Ryoken had made a good point here and just like during the previous war, they followed his leadership and judgment.

"Well then, if the Knights are in it as well and think we can win this, let's do it then! Let us work together with Gishiki and defeat that Fusion-Dimension! I'm with you as well, so let's forge that alliance already!" A man within the crowd exclaimed. After a while, some of the surrounding people picked up his call until it was audible everywhere in the stadium.

- **"LET'S MAKE AN ALLIANCE! ALLIANCE! ALLIANCE! ALLIANCE!"** -

After everyone had calmed down a bit – and with a little bit of silencing by Ghidorah and Akira – the Gishiki King on the other side of the monitors spoke up again. "Well then, now it's decided! Our two dimensions will work together and eventually we will recruit the other worlds as well and take down Fusion alongside them!"

"But how we are going to fight against them?" Akira asked in a curious tone.

"It's quite simple actually!" Ghidorah replied to the leader of the other world. "As you can see and probably hear just a few seconds ago, I'm currently sitting in the Gishiki Arena, a great stadium within my capital similar to your Cyberse Stadium. We have a huge crowd gathered here as well because of the alliance we just forged. But having a counterpart to the crowd gathered in your stadium isn't the only reason why they are here now!"

"What do you mean by that?" Akira asked him.

"You see, starting tomorrow we will have a great tournament here in our arena. The best duelists of that tournament will become the defense soldiers for our world, the Gishiki Brigade. Once they are assembled, they will reunite with my son's little troupe which goes to Standard in the meantime to gather even more allies. I suggest if you intend to join forces with us, you should probably do the same!"

Akira slowly nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense! We gather the strongest duelists of Link here in the Cyberse Stadium and have them duel each other. The best will then become our defense unit. But how do we call them?" He deliberated.

"I have a suggestion regarding that!" Ryoken Kogami suddenly spoke up.

Akira looked at his brother-in-law. "Then go ahead and tell us, Ryoken!"

"Well, as you all might remember it was me and my troupe, the Knights of Hanoi, who saved the world during the last crisis." He said. "So why don't we make a reference to that and give them a similar name? How about… the Paladins of Hanoi?"

"Paladins of Hanoi?" Akira scratched his chin. "Hmm, that sounds pretty good actually! So we will work together and have the Gishiki Brigade and the Paladins of Hanoi join our exploration forces once we've assembled them, is that right?"

"Yes, that sums it up." Ghidorah retorted. "Since our young people have done most of the work in forging the alliance, how about giving them the closing words of this day?"

"Sounds good!" Akira replied. "Yubi, you may talk in my place again!"

He nodded and looked at his Gishiki-Counterpart. "Shall we?" He asked him.

"As you wish!" Yuga replied. The positioned themselves in the center of the platform, almost back to back, and started with their final speech.

"People of Link!" Yubi began, stretching out his arms.

"And people of Gishiki!" Yuga continued, doing the same.

"We have all been jolted from our confined perception of reality!"

"And we all have been invited to a rather unpleasant party!"

"This war is just like a board game with the right tactic winning in the end!"

"And this war is just like a show that will never end!"

Both of them activated their disks at their respective sentences and slammed down their ace monsters on it. Bile Throat and Whip Tail appeared, letting out their signature roars, calling out to each other.

"Wow, they are completely in sync despite they have only known each other for a few minutes now! And even their dragons seem to get along with each other!" Shiryu wondered.

' _Of course they do, that's how they should act as brothers after all! And you will see just how good they work together when they turn on you to choke the life out of you and your friends, stupid fragment of that accursed bitch!'_ Zarc said, flying by in his spectral form.

"Yeah, Yubi has never been on the same page with anyone like that before, not even with his dad." Kumo retorted.

"It is as if they have been born as a team!" Rin said.

"Yeah, they are just way too much in unison right now." Ruri stated. "But it should help to motivate the crowds in both dimensions!"

"We will fight and win with supreme strategy!" Yubi continued.

"And we will fight and win with wild determination!"

"We will form alliances with all friendly worlds we enter!"

"And we will consume any opponents in our wake!"

"We will become the whiplash that strikes down on Academia's back!"

"And we will become the beast that devours them alive!"

Their eyes widened as they shouted in unison. -"WE WILL BECOME THE FORCE TO DEFEAT FUSION AND RETURN PEACE TO THE SIX DIMENSIONS! **WE WILL BECOME THE SAVIORS OF THIS WORLD!** "-

The crowd erupted into raging applause – in both of the two dimensions.

* * *

"Now then, how shall we proceed?" Yubi asked. It was evening by now and Yubi and his parents had invited Yuga and his companions to stay for dinner at their house. Since Kumo's parents weren't around, she was also at the Kogami-Household and sat on the table as well.

Yuga spoke up after swallowing a spoonful of the food on his plate (which is two spoonful for other people). "I suggest you and Kumo accompany us from now on. We want to go to Standard next and we could really need a few more people in our little troupe, especially if they are strong duelists like you two."

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. If what you were saying earlier was true, then staying here in Link will just endanger my world since Kumo is one of the main targets of that Professor."

Yuga nodded. "Yes, that is just why I left my world as well. We need to get the girls somewhere else to keep the battlefield away from our homes. Oh, and by the way,", Yuga said while shoving another spoonful of his meal into his awaiting mouth, "your mom's cooking is amazing!"

Aoi was flattered by that compliment and rubbed the back of her head. "Thank you! I guess that I just have some talent in that regard, that's all!" She said, being way to humble for her work.

"No, I'm not exaggerating! This is the real deal! I have tons of good cooks in my castle and I must say that this stuff is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I might come around every once in a while after we are finished with taking down Fusion!"

"Feel free to come." Ryoken stated. "We aren't the poorest people anyway and the rewards we got after the war will probably allow us to live a carefree life like this for several decades and more, so one additional person sitting at our table hardly matters, I suppose."

Yuga bowed his head. "I'll gladly take that offer! Oh yeah, one more thing, guys! I have prepared a little something for you all!" He opened some of his pockets to take out several stacks of cards. Yuga turned to the three girls one after another and gave each of them them one stack of cards. Lastly, he also gave Kumo a smaller stack.

"What are those?" Rin asked him.

"You remember how I asked for your decks before we departed to Link?" He addressed her.

She nodded. "Yeah, that made me quite uncomfortable to be honest. Going to another world without your deck in case anything bad happens is kinda scary."

"Understandably!" Yuga replied. "But it was worth it, believe me! As you can see now, we have made a couple of updates and added some new cards after analyzing your decks."

"Wow, how did you do that?" Ruri asked him.

"Quite simply actually! We just made a few new cards by using our technology to recreate the structure of the other summoning methods. With all the new data, we now can easily create any card except Pendulum-Monsters, meaning we made light years of progress in quite a short time. Therefore we were able to create new Synchros, Xyzs and so on. I also added some cards I acquired during my journey through the dimensions. Though those may be from different archetypes than the ones you use, they should still work since they are generic enough!"

"I get how you could do that with the decks of the other three girls,", Kumo addressed him, "but how about me? You didn't take my deck or anything, so how could you select new cards that fit into my deck?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Yubi replied. "I simply described him your deck and he passed on the information to his science department. Since I know each and every one of your cards from memory, it wasn't much of a problem to be honest."

"You know every card in Kumo's deck from memory?" Rin asked. "That's quite impressive!"

"Like I said,", Yuga stated, "while I might be smart, this guy is a genius!"

Yubi was flattered, which even broke his stoic mask a bit. "Hey Yuga, don't try to sell yourself short! You managed to make two different worlds team up, that's also nothing a person without an admirable intellect could do just like that!"

Yuga scratched the back of his head. "I guess that's true!" Meanwhile the girls scanned their cards and Kumo realized something.

"You gave me Fusion-Monsters, too?"

"Yeah, I guess it could help in certain scenarios, even if the method itself isn't that pleasant."

"Using the weapon of the enemy is a smart move, don't worry! After all, Yubi did the same when he created his Cyberse-Dragons with Storm Access!" She reassured him. "Besides not the method itself is evil, the people using it are!"

"I guess you are right with that." Yuga said. "I did the same with your deck by the way, Rin!" He turned to the green haired girl. "Since you didn't have too much negative experiences with Fusion as well, I also included some Fusion-Monsters in your cards."

She nodded. "That's fine. I can't wait to see the look on those bastards' faces once I use their own monsters against them!"

"For you, however, I refrained from doing so, Ruri. I know that this is kind of a touchy subject for you, but if you want your Fusion-Monsters, I have them with me. But you needn't accept them if you don't want to." He looked her into the eyes with concern.

She hesitated and pondered for a while before finally extending her hand towards him. "I know that they have destroyed my homeland and I won't forgive them that easily, but as Kumo just said, the method itself isn't evil, even if I connect many negative incidents with it. So maybe I will be able to show that Fusion can do good as well by using them, just as you convinced me of the power of Ritual-Summoning with your Chō Gishiki. There might be many prejudices, but I will show the world that Fusion – which the people deem malignant – can be benevolent as well, just as Gishiki – which most people deem weak and outdated – can be strong! So please give me those cards!"

"Well said!" Yuga exclaimed. "Here you go!" He handed her over the small stack of cards. "Oh, and all your duel disks have been upgraded for interdimensional travel by the way! We meet up at the Gishiki Citadel and then head to Standard after breakfast tomorrow!"

After they had finished with eating, each of them went to separate places. Yubi, however, stayed in the room with his parents. "Mom, dad, there is something I have to discuss with you."

"Something you have to discuss with us?" Aoi asked him. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, but you can't come with me when we leave tomorrow."

"What?!" Ryoken exclaimed in a shocked voice. "Why not? We would be an enormous help, no?"

"Yes, most certainly." Yubi replied in a seemingly emotionless tone. "But we need you here so you can help out in Gishiki in case Fusion tries to harm either it or our world by breaching its defenses. The same thing goes for Go Onizuka and the other adults as well. Also there is one more reason..."

"I DON'T CARE WHAT REASON THAT IS!" Aoi suddenly yelled in outrage. "I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO TO THE OTHER DIMENSIONS ALONE!"

Ryoken was startled by that sudden outburst of his wife. Normally, Aoi was quite calm and reserved, a characteristic Yubi had inherited from her.

"But..." Yubi tried to speak up again.

"NO 'BUT'! THERE'S NO WAY I'M LETING YOU LEAVE ON YOUR OWN!"

" **BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU!** " Yubi suddenly cried out at the top of his lungs. This outburst surprised both of his parents since their son was usually even calmer than Aoi, so him yelling like that was a once in a lifetime experience for them right now. "Look,", He continued, his voice quiet again, "father already lost grandpa during the Great Cyberse War and I don't want the same thing to happen to either of you. You will be much safer here in our dimension and besides that, your presence, dad, will inspire the people here in Link to fight even harder. You might have to fend off a few little squads from Fusion every once in a while, but overall, you will be safe."

"But why do you need to face the enemy at the front lines on your own?!" Aoi replied, still not fully accepting her son's decision. "We are your parents, so we should help you at least!"

"Like Uncle Akira said today, the youth is mostly affected by this whole war and should therefore fight the hardest since it directly decides their future. And besides that, I'm not alone, I have tons of strong duelists around me, one of them undefeated up to this day. And I can fight for myself pretty well too, which is why Yuga has picked me as his co-leader after all! No matter how you look at it, it is my responsibility to do this, so please just accept it!" Yubi begged her.

"But...!" Aoi began before she was silenced by Ryoken putting a hand on her shoulder. "He's right, Aoi. Let him go!"

"But Ryoken, do you seriously think that this is a good idea?" She asked her husband.

He nodded. "I can understand his motives well. You know how I was after my father died."

She knew that he had never truly overcome Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami's death indeed. Even though their marriage and the birth of their son had distracted him from it, she still could tell how much his absence pained him. That feeling of pain culminated when Yubi once asked him if he could meet his grandfather after he had heard about him when he was around four years old – of course unaware that said person was already dead. She could never forget Ryoken's painful expression on that day, his desperation of disappointing his son while also being reminded of being unable to safe his father during the war. It was just heartbreaking to watch.

"Okay then,", She slowly said, "I will allow you to go, but please promise me that you will be careful and come back safely!" She besought him in a worried tone.

"Don't worry, I will!" Yubi reassured his mother. "I'm the son of two war heroes after all, so there's no way I'm going to die in this interdimensional conflict! Also I have a smart brown haired girl right by my side, and we all know that people like that tend to win their wars." He smirked at them while saying the latter of those sentences.

"I guess that's true." Ryoken retorted while scratching the back of his head. "To be fair, Aoi was a great help during the war and Kumo is just like her in many ways. That's why you like her so much, don't you, Aoi?" He turned to his wife.

"I have to admit that Kumo is a lot like me and definitely a good influence on him." She stated. "If she looks out for him as well and Yubi plays it smart, they could actually manage to pull off the same thing as we did."

"Right!" Ryoken agreed. "And I also saw something on your holster Yubi, is it the thing which I believe it is?" He asked his son.

"Indeed!" He grinned as he pulled out a piece of metal.

"Your revolver?" Aoi asked him.

"Yup!" He smiled, grinning from ear to ear. "I made some modifications on it, so now I'm equipped for any hardship to come!"

Yubi had owned that revolver since the beginning of his dueling career. He had once crafted it by himself when he began dueling as a pro. While it didn't have the function you'd expect from it – shooting bullets that is – it had a lot of other handy features such as a grappling hook which he used for stunts in the arena, for example to pull up himself up onto his board again after jumping or – in rare cases – falling from it. It also contributed to his dueling persona as "Revolver", increasing his fame even more. But it also had a lot of other useful features for everyday life. And from his last words, they knew it now had even more abilities which could possibly make his mission easier to accomplish.

"I will use my dueling and this revolver to make a name for myself! And alongside Kumo and the Paladins of Hanoi, I will save our world from this new threat, just like you did all those years ago!" He looked at his parents with a determined expression while saying that.

"I'm sure you will!" Ryoken replied. "After all, you learned from the best!" He hugged his son with that, Aoi joining them right after her husband.

"Good luck!" She whispered, gently kissing Yubi on the forehead.

"Thank you, mom! Thank you, dad!" He quietly said. The family stayed in this embrace to say farewell from their son for an entire hour.

* * *

Meanwhile Kumo was casually lying on her bed, her phone pressed against her ear while talking to her parents.

"And you're sure you need to go to the other dimensions?" Her dad asked.

"Absolutely sure." Kumo replied. "As you saw on TV today, Yuga said that this Professor needs me and my counterparts for his plans, so me staying here endangers everybody in our world, not just me. I'm sorry to make you worried, but I have to do that!"

"We understand what you think." Mrs. Stratos said at the other end of the line. "And we're proud of you that you act so grown-up already!"

"Thanks mom, that means a lot to me! And don't worry, after all I'm not alone, but have Yubi and the others with me! And when we are finished selecting the respective members of our two dimensional squads, there will be even more people around me who can help me in a tight spot!"

"Yeah, that's true!" She replied. "With the three-times world champion/your boyfriend by your side, you should be fine! And what about those other guys, are they really that good?"

Kumo nodded. "They are, believe me with that! That Yuga might even be better than Yubi if he isn't lying about never having lost a single duel in his life yet. And my counterparts don't look bad either, especially if they utilize the new cards they were given by Yuga."

"I see." Her dad stated. "So it looks like you're in good company then! Promise me to come home safely, please!"

"Don't worry, I will! Bye mom and dad!"

-"Bye Kumo!"- Mr. and Mrs. Stratos replied.

After saying goodbye to her parents, she hung up.

* * *

Yuga, Shiryu and the two other girls were currently back in the Gishiki-Dimension. Ghidorah had insisted on testing his son's resolve once more, so they were dueling right now. Both of them were already battered and had their respective ace monsters out. Before Ghidorah towered the mighty Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon (Light/Level 12/Scale 0/ATK 4500/DEF 4500/Dragon/Ritual/Pendulum/Effect). Meanwhile on Yuga's field was Bile Throat, looking small compared to the three-headed bluish dragon that Ghidorah controlled.

"I'm impressed, father!" Yuga exclaimed. "Not only did you manage to make your own Chō Gishiki back all those years ago, but you also figured out a way to turn it into a Pendulum-Monster! How did you do that?"

Ghidorah chuckled. "It was quite simple actually. Using the data you collected in Standard, we were able to reproduce the Pendulum-Energy and gather just enough of it for my dragon's transformation! Now it can also revive itself from the Pendulum Zone in case it leaves the field!"

Yuga whistled in amazement. "Wow, that's a nasty power-up right there!"

"And don't forget its other effects! While it is incredibly hard to summon due to needing twice the material, meaning level 24, with one of them being my Chaos MAX Dragon, it is definitely worth the price! It can attack up to thrice per Battle Phase and deals doubled battle- as well as piercing damage! Also it can neither be targeted nor be destroyed by card effects and the first time each turn when it would leave the field, it doesn't!"

"Wow, that monster is a total beast!" Rin exclaimed, who was watching the duel alongside the other two girls.

"Agreed!" Ruri said. "I wonder how Yuga is getting past this behemoth if he intends to win that duel."

"Now then,", Ghidorah spoke up again, "it's still my turn and my Supremus Dragon will attack your Bile Throat!" He pointed at Yuga's monster. "Ultimate Chaos Burst Stream of Supremacy!"

Yuga just smirked. "I will not fall here! Reverse card open! I activate the trap Waboku! This saves my dragon as well as my lifepoints for the rest of this turn!"

Ghidorah clicked his tongue. "You always manage to hold off my dragon long enough to allow your dragon to retaliate, don't you? Well then, since my two next attacks of Supremus Dragon won't change anything, I will just set three cards face-down and end my turn!"

"Very well then, it's my turn now! Draw! I know you plan on stopping my assault with your three face-downs, so let me deal with them first! I activate the spell card Harpie's Feather Duster! It destroys all of your spells and traps!"

"I won't go down that easily!" Ghidorah yelled. "I activate the trap card Solemn Judgment! By paying half of my LP, I can negate and destroy your Feather Duster!"

"Not bad, but I have something even better! Trap card open, Dark Bribe! Your card is negated and destroyed – at the cost of you drawing a card as a compensation! Therefore my Feather Duster succeeds and destroys your whole backrow!"

A gust of wind swept away Ghidorah's three cards.

"Next up is the effect of my Bile Throat! Once per turn, I can target one card on the field and destroy it! I select your Supremus Dragon! Go, Corrosion Crusher!"

"But isn't that dragon untargetable?!" Rin cried out.

"And it's indestructible too!" Ruri yelled with equal confusion as her counterpart.

"But that doesn't matter." Shiryu calmly stated. The two other girls turned around to the girl standing in between them. "Bile Throat's first ability has the power to destroy its target no matter what. It doesn't care about protection effects or abilities that prevent its prey from being targeted. Also it doesn't allow its target to react to it with its own effects, so the targeted card is doomed as Corrosion Crusher is activated. Once it sets his gaze upon something, that thing will perish, no matter what!"

"Wow, that's immensely powerful!" Rin exclaimed. "So are you telling me that even the Dichroic Mirror of Yugo's Clear Wing won't work against Corrosion Crusher?" She asked her.

Shiryu shook her head. "No, even that effect won't work. Like I said before, Bile Throat owns the power of destroying anything and anyone, no matter the circumstances!"

' _And once, there was an even greater dragon with a similar ability of total destruction!'_ The spectral Zarc remarked unheard by them. _'So guess where it got that effect from!'_ He said while smirking. _'And honestly, I can't wait until I can finally crush you and those other bitches next to you with my sweet little God Slaughter! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'_

"Now my Bile Throat can equip himself with your Supremus Dragon!" Yuga continued. "Since your dragon will be equipped before it leaves the field, your third protection effect as well as the effect that sends your dragon to the Pendulum Zone cannot be activated either! Endless Gluttony!"

Bile Throat slowly devoured the much bigger dragon, taking a while to swallow all of it. After it had done that, it powered up like crazy.

 _Bile Throat Gishiki Dragon: ATK 2800 → 7300_

"Your plan wasn't a bad one, dad!" Yuga spoke up again. "If I hadn't destroyed your three face-downs before, you might have been able to counter me! Your Malevolent Catastrophe would have destroyed all spell and trap cards upon Bile Throat's attack, meaning my Bile Throat would have been targetable again since it lost the protection effects inherited by being equipped with your Supremus Dragon. And then your Magical Cylinder would have negated my attack and finished me off! You also had a backup plan to negate and destroy my dragon once he activated his effect by using Solemn Judgment! But I've seen through your strategy!"

The king applauded him. "Very well done, Yuga, I see you are ready for this war! Are you now going to finish me off with your dragon's fourth ability, Ravenous Rage?"

Yuga shook his head. "No, you probably have a copy of **Guardian with Eyes of Blue** in your hand right now. You will just negate the effect damage, so I will simply attack you! And since my dragon is pretty much unstoppable through Digest Adaption right now, you won't be able to avert my final attack! Go, Bile Throat Gishki Dragon! Finish him off now! Throat of Torment – Ravenous Devourer!"

The attack connected and Ghidorah's lifepoints dropped to zero. The girls and the rest of the small audience clapped at Yuga's win.

The king slowly stood up and approached his son. "I have tested you again and just like all the times before, I think you are ready for your assignment! Go to Standard and lead our forces to victory in my place! I think you will make a great king and in this war, you shall prove your leadership to everybody in all of the six dimensions for the very first time! Now then, go ahead and show everyone the power of Gishiki!" He smiled at his adoptive son.

Yuga nodded. "I will, be assured of that!" He then turned around to the girls. "Now then, let's rest until the morning and then let's head to Standard!"

They nodded and cheered enthusiastically. -"Alright!"-

* * *

On the next morning, the four of them along with the two counterparts from Link were standing in a yard of the Gishiki Palace, preparing for their departure to the Standard-Dimension.

"Is everyone ready?" Yuga asked them.

They nodded.

"Good. Now Yubi will give you a few extra instructions and then we get going." The boy from Ritual said.

"Thank you for passing the word to me, Yuga!" Yubi stated while looking at his partner. "It's just a few clarifications, but still pay attention please!" He addressed the four girls. After they nodded in agreement, he continued. "Stay close to us all the time please! Or at least move in groups and pay close attention to your surroundings when none of us is around! We don't want a random Fusion-Agent or Yuri abducting one of you!"

They nodded.

"Furthermore, if any of you gets into any extraordinary trouble, just use the traveling feature in your disk and return here please! Then you can just port back to our base in Standard!"

They nodded again.

"And finally, try to hide your identity! We don't want Fusion to discover that you are in Standard, if they don't know about it already that is!"

"But won't revealing ourselves distract the Professor from attacking our homelands?" Kumo asked him.

"That's true, but I have a good feeling that he will learn about us being in Standard soon enough anyway! For now, let's not push our luck by rubbing that fact right into Leo Akaba's face!" Yubi replied.

She nodded in agreement. "Hmm, that makes sense."

"Well, are we set then?" Rin asked enthusiastically.

"Yup, the time has come." Yuga replied. He pressed a few buttons on his disk to open a portal. "Let's go!" He said while advancing towards it, flanked by Yubi and the four girls following right after them. "With that, the Great Interdimensional War truly begins!" He stated.

"And we shall win it!" Yubi retorted.

They entered the portal and vanished.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And there it is! With that, my exposition is done! We finally have an alliance between two dimensions and Yuga & Yubi had a speech where they took turns. Like you might have noticed, they referred to their personalities as well as to their catchphrases or signature dragon summoning chants in it. And that speech also contains some metaphors of course (my favorite shit). Now the squad heads to Standard and will eventually join forces with the other two troupes as well (Gishiki Brigade & Paladins of Hanoi). We will enter the normal ARC-V Plot after Yuto attacks Sawatari (that's Episode 7, I think), but before the hostile takeover attempt on the You Show School. Since the battlefield is carried away from Gishiki and Link, you could say that this exposition was the Gishiki- and Link-Arc. These places won't be as relevant as the other four dimensions anymore since the fight is carried away from them to protect the citizens' lives, but don't worry, we we still revisit them every once in a while. We will have all the classic four arcs however, so look forward to a new beginning with a lot more interesting characters messing around in the classic plot! The Standard-Arc will focus more on Yuga and his little squad rather than Yuya (as I said in the first chapter, I don't like Egao-Man too much). Don't worry guys, tomato-head will still appear a lot, but I will leave out some details of the minor events (God, how I hated his qualification matches! During that Quiz-Duel I was like "Please just end me already, I don't wanna see that crap!". The duels against Mieru and Gongenzaka were cool though because of his new dragons). But all in all, the plot will focus more on Yuga and pals, I think it is way more interesting to see what new people are doing instead of re-experiencing the same old plot over and over again with literally copypasting every duel turn by turn. **

**Also I've just seen Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains Episode 59 which tells me that Revolver will most likely make a comeback in the anime now. He will probably get new cards, which means that I will have to overthrow my Ten-Tails concept which I developed at the very beginning of my designing process and changed later on, bringing it up to 18. I already fully designed Yubi's two new Topologics and have the names for the eight other monsters, so in case Revolver uses new Varrels or Topologics, I might have to increase the number of ace card dragons depending on how productive Konami is with him (likely one Synchro-Monster at least if the people are right with their predictions). The Ten-Tails only counts for the first parts of the story anyway, since Yubi will have some character development and new dragons as a result. The final number is now at 18 like I said before, but might increase, depending on Konami.**

 **Oh right, last chapter I promised you to get to the visualization of my OCs! And that's just what I will do now! You see, I stumbled across a handy little thing called "Rinmaru Games Mega Anime Avatar Creator". It allows you to design some simple anime characters, so guess what I did! I made some of the main characters of my fanfiction. I will put the images I've come up with in a video on my YT-channel, name is still the same as my profile here on this website. While the game surely has its limits, it should still help to give you a very rough idea about the looks of my characters, so if you're curious, go there and check it out! I will also put it into the Arc-V2 playlist! ( 8) You can also search "Yugioh Arc V2 OC Introduction" on YT, then the video should pop up with Shiryu on the thumbnail and you can also get on my channel for the playlist of BGM and clips like I already mentioned. So if you are interested in how the four new Counterparts look like, go there and you will find the answer! They are not as perfect to the point where they could be used in an actual anime, but I feel like it** **'s a good start in terms of design for sure.**

 **Now regarding upload schedule, I'm thinking about somewhere in between once per week and every three weeks, we will see how my writing process goes and I will adapt to that! For now, I'll take the golden value in between, so prepare for two-week-uploads, we will take it from there I guess. Also review as always, feedback is highly appreciated! If any questions regarding my story are on your minds, feel free to ask them! I wish you an enjoyable time reading this fanfiction and accompanying me through this story! I hope I get to finish this since it already took me around 70k words or something for the mere introduction. But oh well, if I keep on writing, we should get to the end of this story eventually!**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So here I am again. You know, I originally said that upload schedule was every two weeks. However, since this story reached the double digits with the favs in just three days and I am quite thankful as a result (we all have to start somewhere, right?), I decided to upload this as well. Like most of you can guess from the fact that the first seven chapter came out all at once, I produced them in advance since they were my exposition to start things off. I also held back this chapter because I will start going to university next month, so I would have a backup chapter in case I didn't find much time to write. However, as I said before, I'd like to express my thanks for all your support, so I'm publishing this now since it would be unfair to you to keep it in my drawer instead of releasing it. It's quite a long chapter too since it starts off the Standard-Arc. The first one of the "actual" plot so to speak. Don't get used to so much content in such a short time though. Also, you might not notice, but in my writing process there was a huge gap between this chapter and the last one (I produced in advance, as I said before). The reason for that gap: I was making cards. A lot of new cards in fact. Well, at least I got the female main cast covered now and I learned one or two things about songbirds, cold stuff, meteorology, the history of Ancient Japan, music, felines and the moon while doing so. Now then, let's continue with the plot so I can use them.**

 **Also a little announcement from Chapter 6: I changed the system of how to express the Link Markers after realizing the cardinal point were highly impractical compared to the abbreviations. You can go back to Chapter 6 and re-read the notes at the beginning really quick, then you know how it works from now on. Also, since I realized that there might be a little bit of confusion about the entirety of dueling rules in this story: We basically play with Master Rule 3 (The Pendulum-Format), but Link coexists with it and still plays with the same rules, except that the other methods from the Extra Deck don't depend on it (meaning people don't need to play Link-Monsters to summon more than one Synchro-Monster for instance). Then we also use the summoning order rules from the various game iterations of Yu-Gi-Oh (middle zone, zone right from that, zone left from that, zone at the very right, zone at the very left). This is done mainly for Yubi since it improves the field control of his deck by forcing his opponent to look out when they want to summon multiple monsters (as you have seen in Chapter 6 when the northern arrow of his Gumblar Dragon prevented Go from summoning a second monster due to Bomber Dragon's nuke effect. Go countered it, but that won't happen all the time as you can guess). Also I like the summoning order because I think that the field looks nicer when it's organized and symmetrical rather than monsters being placed left and right in utter chaos like in the current Link-Format. (The order counts for spells and traps as well by the way). But like I said, it's mainly for convenience so Yubi can wreck people. Link-Monsters are still summoned normally however, meaning that they can be placed in any available zone that meets the requirements of Link Summon, regardless of summoning order.**

 **Additionally, here is a little preview on how this story plays out: As most of you have realized by now, the two new male counterparts are super broken. And that's right, at this point of the story, they fuck up everybody in a duel, hence why Yuri lost so badly against Yuga. However, the general power-level of characters will be way higher in this story than in the original series. At first, Yuga and Yubi will be overwhelmingly overpowering. But as the time goes by, all characters around them catch up to them – the guys from Fusion as well as their allies and friends. The Bracelet-Girls for instance will – like I told you above – get a lot of Support Cards (hands down, Ruri and Rin deserved it the most) and therefore be very, VERY strong, to the point where they could beat the Canon-Yuya with all four dragons (meaning the one after the final episode) to a pulp with their new decks. Same thing counts for the rest of the Yu-Boys and the other characters. So instead of starting off with some weak duelist who evolves over the course of the story to a splendid one (like Yuma from Zexal for instance), my main cast starts off strong already while the others slowly adapt to that; eventually even Yuga and Yubi will have the usual anime-struggle against the antagonists. I guess I did it this way because dvdryms inspired me a bit with his story "The Fifth Factor" which the majority of you should know by now (after all it's the most popular ARC-V story on this platform). His protagonist Yukio Tachibana also starts off as a quite capable duelist because of his backgrounds as the former champion of that illegal underground dueling circuit. But just like Yukio, my already overpowered main cast of new Yu-Boys will also make some progress during the story, so the current Yuga and Yubi are still far from getting to their maximum strength.**

 **Anyway, let's get to the story! All actors are now in place: The always optimistic and smiling Standard-Counterpart, the short tempered and hot-blooded Synchro-Counterpart, the resolute and strong-willed Xyz-Counterpart, the nonchalant and (if you ask me) completely insane Fusion-Counterpart, the double-sided and determined Gishiki-Counterpart and finally the strategic-thinking and stoic Link-Counterpart! Alongside their respective Bracelet-Girls and the rest of the characters from the six dimensions, they will now start a new version of the ARC-V story! A second version, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V2! (Yeah, I know my naming idea was probably terrible.) Let's jump right into it, after all, the fun has just begun and this show will never end!**

 **Sike, not just yet. I suppose that this would be the right place to drop an opening now. Hmm, let's see. (Realization hits) Oh, how about this one? ( 9)**

 **I mean, it was an ending in Vrains, but if you accelerate the pace a bit, it should fit for an OP as well. Therefore "Believe in Magic" – Nightcore-version is good, I'd say. Here's the short version if you don't wanna listen to the full one, that will also be the one at the beginning of the following chapters since the full one is only appropriate at the first time if you ask me ( 10). Why am I doing this whole OP-thing you might ask? Simple, for the same reason other people post lists of background music in the reviews of fanfiction-stories (again shoutouts to ThePLOThand). It just feels good to me, so I do it. Also it supports building up atmosphere which helps a lot when reading this story. I'm sorry that I can just give you some music, if I was good at animating, I would maybe design a little something and create my own short opening. However, since getting good at animation takes quite a while and therefore slows down the writing process like crazy, you** **'ll** **just have to settle with the audio, I guess. We'll get a new one every once in a while. Like always, feel free to check it out! Anyway, NOW LET'S GET RIGHT INTO IT!**

* * *

Chapter 8: Standard, here we come!

"Urghh", Shiryu groaned, "dimensional travel really gives me a headache every time!" She and the rest of the six-man-squad appeared as a blue portal opened in a dark alleyway somewhere in Maiami City. From the looks of it, all of them except the azure and white haired girl had a quite comfortable journey to Standard so far.

"Are you okay?" Yuga asked her. He noticed that she was staggering a bit, so he decided to support her with an arm around her torso, preventing her from falling over.

"Yes, I think it's getting better now." She replied. Sure enough the headache stopped and when Yuga deemed that she had regained enough of her balance, he slowly removed his arm from her body.

"Glad you're doing well again!" He said in a relieved tone.

"And thank you for the help!" She retorted. Always caring for her, no matter what. It wasn't even that bad, but it still concerned Yuga as if there was no other problem in the world besides it. But it honestly didn't surprise her after those ten years they had spend together. He really cared for her well-being after all.

"Anyway...,", Kumo spoke up, "has anyone an idea where we are precisely?"

Yuga resumed his attention to their surroundings and looked around. "I think I know where we are." He replied. "This should been an alley pretty close to the more fashionable part of Maiami City. Which is fine, because we were going there anyway to find a place to stay. Let's get going, guys!"

"Alright! Then let's head there!" Rin exclaimed, raising one of her feet to make the first step.

"Wait!" Yubi called out.

"What is it?" She asked, tuning around to face the Link-Counterpart of her childhood friend.

"Before we leave this rather dark alleyway and go around anywhere in the public, we should take care of those things first!" He said while pointing at Rin's green bracelet.

"Our bracelets? Why that?" Ruri asked.

"Simple reason." Yubi answered. "I've noticed that they're blinking non-stop whenever me and Yuga are in close proximity, like at this very moment for instance. Since it's not Christmas right now and we don't want to walk in the pedestrian zone with glowing orbs on your wrists, I'd suggest that we disable them."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Shiryu addressed him.

Yubi reached for his belt and pulled a gun-shaped piece of metal out of one of its holsters. "With this!" He replied, holding it up.

"A revolver? How does a revolver help us with that problem?" Rin asked, understandably dumbfounded.

"That's not just any revolver." Kumo retorted in her boyfriend's place. "Yubi's revolver has a few very handy features and I assume stopping our bracelets' blinking is now one of them as well!"

"That's right!" Yubi exclaimed. "May I?" He asked Kumo, reaching out for her wrist.

"Yes, please." She politely replied, holding out her arm to him.

"Splendid." Yubi said. He then whirled it around on his middle- and index finger, bringing it closer to her bracelet before stopping with the revolver's barrel pointing right at it. Then he pulled the trigger, which caused the gun to emit a bright radiance that poured over the bracelet's white gem.

"You see,", Yubi continued, "after I first noticed that weird glow coming from your bracelets, I analyzed it and developed a way to jam them so they wouldn't draw everybody's attention all the time. More specifically an energy signature that wraps itself around them to stop them from emitting their light and so on." As he saw the glow from the bracelet fading away, he removed his finger from the trigger, therefore ending the light coming from the gun's barrel as well. Then he raised the arm holding the gun, revealing a bracelet with a yellowish pattern on the gem.

"What's that strange pattern on Kumo's bracelet?" Rin asked him.

"Oh, that? Nothing really. Just the visual side effects from the aura of energy currently jamming her bracelet." He replied. Then he approached her, holding out his hand in a requesting manner. "Now let's deal with the rest of those things. Your right arm, please!" Yubi asked in a polite voice.

"Su-sure..." Rin uttered, a bit reluctant. Yubi noticed her insecurities and shot her a brief smile, reassuring her.

"Don't worry, Rin! I know you didn't have a whole lot when you lived in the Commons and that bracelet is pretty much the only valuable thing you ever owned besides your deck and that bike you share with Yugo. But I'm not trying to steal it, so you can trust me and give me your arm!"

"If you say so,… then I guess I can trust you." She slowly uttered, giving in and moving her previously angled arm closer to him. She hesitantly placed it into his open palm, his hand grabbing Rin in the middle of her forearm, holding her in place as he moved the revolver to her bracelet, repeating the sealing process. She looked at him while he was busy doing his work, his eyes fixed on the item on her wrist, concentrated on his job. To be honest, it was not the fact that he was getting close to her most valuable property that had prevented her from reaching out her arm. Sure, it played a part, but only a minor one. What concerned her more was the fact that he was a pro duelist where he came from. The three times world champion, the best of the best. The way his fans had been cheering his name had already been enough to spark her admiration for him. While she never liked rich people that much (because of her origins as a orphan in the cruel society of the Synchro-Dimension obviously), she always respected strong duelists. When she was young, her and Yugo were dreaming about winning the Friendship Cup one day and becoming the new Duel King (or Queen) of Neo Domino City, just like their idol Jack Atlas had done it before. That's why they had built their D-Wheel after all! She loved a good duel, one of the few forms of entertainment for a Common like her. She had always seen Jack as the non plus ultra in terms of that, a duelist stronger than that seemed just not possible. Yet the boy right in front of her had done just that. When she was watching his duel yesterday, he had been summoning monsters non-stop, building crazy defenses and offenses, blocking all of his opponent's attacks and countering his strategies – while also holding back for the sake of the show! That took her off guard to say the least, seeing the previously unsurpassed summit of dueling – her childhood hero Jack Atlas – getting bested just like that, without notable effort. Despite his background as a VERY, VERY RICH, adopted child of the Gishiki-Dimension's leader she liked Yuga, especially after he had revealed his past which was pretty similar to her own origins. "That's not very difficult though" is what Shiryu would probably say right now. And she was right, her boyfriend was just very likable for other people – including her as well. But Yubi – he was something else entirely. He was all she could ever dream of: A powerful duelist, respected by and respecting his huge fan-base, smart and collected, always thinking before speaking (unlike a certain yellow-blue haired guy whom she knew), thinking of a plan before doing something, friendly and polite towards other people, overall just a really great person. Also she had the opinion that the finish against Go Onizuka and the crazy background song he played during that were just downright badass, making him even cooler than she already thought he was. The fact that he looked pretty much exactly like her childhood friend Yugo didn't help making physical contact like this any less embarrassing for her as well. When she had given him a handshake in the Cyberse Stadium, she had disciplined herself and put on a facade to cover up her nervousness since there were a lot of spectators back then and she couldn't afford to have them notice it. But now, with only her little group, it was way more difficult to conceal her emotions. Suddenly she felt his grip on her forearm getting tighter, making her wince in surprise.

"Sorry for that, seems like your bracelet is a little bit unruly. To get the jamming seal on it, I need to channel the energy right onto a certain spot, so I'm fixing your arm a bit more to reduce the slight shaking of your forearm. I hope that's okay for you!" Yubi explained.

"Sure..., no problem." Rin uttered, looking away from him as a slight blush formed on her face. _'Damn, why does his simple touch have such a strong effect on me? Am I fangirling or something?'_

Yuga noticed that and gave Shiryu a discrete poke with his elbow to gain her attention.

"What's wrong?" She quietly addressed him.

"Do you see the blush on Rin's face?" He whispered back to her.

Shiryu looked closer at her counterpart's face. After a while she noticed it, a small grin forming on her face as well. "Yes, I do. Do you think it's the situation or the fact that it's Yubi who's grabbing her arm?"

A smirk crawled on Yuga's face before he continued. "The latter I think! Guess Yubi just got his first fangirl from another dimension!"

Meanwhile Yubi seemed to be finished with said person's bracelet, another yellow pattern visible on it. He then continued with Ruri's and Shiryu's. After a while he was done, none of them blinking anymore.

"Very well, now we can get going!" Yuga exclaimed, walking towards the end of the alleyway, the rest of the squad following him. At the same time two spectral persons were hovering in the air next to them, one of them a girl with maroon and dark red hair, the other one a man with silver hair and a few light green bangs. Latter of them chuckled uncontrollably, barely holding back his laughter.

' _I warn you, Zarc, don't brag about it!'_ The girl said, unheard to the surrounding people.

' _Not brag about it?_ _Not brag about it?! Come on, Ray, this is just.., just.., ...JUST WAY TOO FUCKING FUNNY!'_ He shouted, not being able to contain his laughter anymore. _'All that work you put into those bracelets, making sure that I would never reassemble my pieces and revive! And now my Link-Counterpart comes in and deactivates them just like a bunch of electronic Christmas baubles! This is just priceless! HAHAHAHAHA!'_ He rolled over the (imaginary) floor (which was still up in the air since they were levitating), laughing like a little child.

' _Damn it, Zarc, this round goes to you! But don't think this is over just yet!'_ She admitted grudgingly.

' _Oh? This isn't over yet?'_ Zarc asked her, standing up while wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. _'I think this whole story is pretty much settled already. Your little tricks are getting bypassed by my smart, strategic Link-Fragment. And your own father is facilitating my rebirth with his war, bringing dimensions in contact with each other which you never intended to connect! It's sad how little Leo values his own daughter's sacrifice!'_ Zarc exclaimed in a triumphant voice, making Ray grit her teeth even harder.

' _But even if you come back, I will just stop you again!'_ Ray countered in an angry tone.

' _Oh? Is that so?'_ Zarc retorted. _'Last time I checked all the trump cards were in my hands! Face it, Ray, there aren't only four summoning methods anymore! With Gishiki improved and ascended to an ultimate summoning method by the creation of Ch_ _ō Gishiki, as well as Pendulum- and Link-Summoning, I now have more than enough weapons at my disposal to crush you and your stupid little father! Honestly, that man just invents shitty stuff all the time!'_ Zarc spat out in contempt. _'First those stupid little En-Cards and now this evacuation device in the Academia Disks! If it wasn't for those, I could have been complete to a third already! But no, he needed to teleport Yuri away right in front of Yuga! I call hacks on that! And about this whole En-Cards-issue, I STILL DON'T GET IT HOW YOU CAN KILL A FUCKING DRAGON GOD BY THROWING A BUNCH OF FLOWERS, BIRDS, WINDS AND MOON RADIANCE AT IT!'_ Zarc exploded in anger. _'And I bet that right now he's sitting in Academia, stacking bottles of Anti-Dragon-Spray or something like that in his storage halls!'_

While Zarc's angry rant continued, Yuga and his little troupe was making its way down the main street of Maiami City.

"Wow, this city is beautiful!" Ruri spoke out aloud. "It really reminds me of Heartland, albeit it's not as flashy and lively as it by a long shot."

"I have to agree on that!" Yuga retorted. "I've only seen pictures of Heartland before the invasion, but I must say that you are right. Nothing matches your hometown in that aspect. Such a shame those Fusion-Bastards destroyed it!"

"Wow, what is this giant hourglass over there?" Rin asked, pointing at a huge building of said form.

"Oh, that's the building that contains LDS, the Leo Duel School. The elite students of this world learn at this very school. It has courses for all the summoning methods, including Xyz, Synchro and Fusion. Well, not Link of course, that method is special to your world!" Yuga said, looking over to his counterpart at the last sentence. "It also holds Leo Corporation, which prints the majority of the cards in this area of the world. Since Reiji Akaba is that company's CEO, you could say that this building over there is the base of our next possible ally." Yuga continued, pointing at the LDS–Building. "But I prefer to simply call it the D/D-Cave!"

"D/D-Cave?" Shiryu asked.

"Yeah, the name's a reference to the archetype Reiji uses, which is called D/D aka Different Dimension as you might know. Funny actually when you think about this whole multidimensional conflict existing!"

"But how do you know his deck?" Shiryu asked. "I thought you told me he that wasn't showing himself in public, so how did you manage to get knowledge about him?"

"Oh, that's simple!" Yuga replied. "I just stumbled over it when I snuck around in the LDS-Building after breaking into it."

"You broke into the LDS-Building?!" Shiryu yelled. Luckily she was smart enough to remember where they currently were, so she lowered her voice immediately after the first few syllables.

Yuga nodded. "Of course I did! If you want to gather intel about other worlds, you usually start where the authorities store their knowledge. And by the way, do you really think that they will care about me breaking into that building once we save their whole freaking place?" Yuga asked in a joking manner.

"Probably not." Shiryu admitted. "Anyway, what about the second part of your little nickname?" She asked her boyfriend.

"The Cave-Part you mean? Oh, that's because of the fact that Reiji spends like half of the day in an absolutely dark control room that makes me wonder if people here in Standard know what windows are, observing Yuya's Pendulum Summoning and heaven knows what else. And the rest of the time he spends in his office or somewhere else in the building. So he practically lives like an animal within a cave. Honestly, I don't know how he isn't as pale as a vampire with how little time he spends outside in the sun, you know, like normal people."

"Well, that's that. But all his work in that building seems to pay off apparently. I have to admit that their technology is pretty advanced already!" Yubi said, analyzing the lively city around him with his sharp eyes.

"But it is still far from the point where you can just cry out 'INTO THE VRAINS!' and vanish into the virtual reality." Kumo calmly stated.

"That's true." Yubi replied. "But they're on a good way. Anyway Yuga, where is this 'place to stay' you spoke of?"

"Right ahead of us!" Yuga exclaimed. The cloak-wearing gang looked up, the sight of an enormous building unfolding before them.

"What is this place?!" Rin exclaimed in a shocked voice.

"Oh, that one? That's the Black Luster Hotel. It is spacious, centrally located, comfortable and – on top of that all – named after one of my favorite monster cards." Yuga said, pointing at said hotel, which – truthfully to its name – was built from a black, shining stone. Ruri looked closer at the material, trying to guess what it was. Shiryu, who was walking next to her, noticed that and approached her.

"It's a variation of aoneum, the so called black aoneum, also known as "Obsidian Marble" in some parts of my world. It is a bit more common than the classic aoneum, but also less fashionable and a pain in the ass when it heats up during summer, that's why we don't have a lot of houses build from it in Gishiki City."

"Oh, I see." Ruri replied.

"Oi, Yuga, you didn't tell me they had black aoneum in this world as well!" Shiryu called out to her boyfriend.

"Sorry honey, I didn't want to spoil the surprise!" Yuga retorted. "It's a nice reminder of our home as well, that's another reason why I chose it!" Yuga explained to the rest of the squad.

They entered the building, the automatic doors opening without a sound.

"Wow, look at all this luxury!" Rin exclaimed, obviously the most amazed by the fountains, palm trees and sofas made from white leather within the hotel's lobby. She immediately ran to one of the latter, practically throwing her body on it in order to take a rest from the previous walk, earning her a few contemptuous glances by the by-standing people. "Damn, these things are comfortable as heck! I could lie here for hours!" She exclaimed in enjoyment.

"That material looks rather interesting." Yubi stated, looking at the white couch. "Is it artificially colored or something?"

"Nope." Yuga replied. "The leather is made from a very special breed of white cattle. Very rare. My father has a few thousands of them though."

Ruri sweat dropped at that comment. "Wow, that's crazy! Just how rich is your family?" She asked the young Gishiki Prince.

Yuga just shrugged his shoulders. "Let's put it that way: If I could defeat Leo Akaba by buying up Academia and the rest of his resources, we would have won the war already." He retorted, earning him a small giggle from the the Xyz-Girl.

"Oh, and Rin?" Yuga asked the girl from Synchro in a sweet voice.

"Yeah?" She replied in a sleepy tone, leaning back on the couch, her head resting on a white cushion.

"You should get up from there now. The people are already looking at you and we're in a Five-Star-Hotel, so you probably should behave a little bit more well-mannered."

That startled her. _'Right, we're in a top-notch hotel! Why the hell am I relaxing on a couch like this?!'_ She quickly got up, blushing in embarrassment at the disdainful looks she got from all the rich people in the lobby around her. _'Well done Rin, that was such a Yugo-move!'_ A certain half of her personality criticized herself. It was usually very active when she was around Yugo, but today it seemed like she herself was its scolding-victim.

"Hey, it's not that bad!" Yuga reassured her, noticing her guilty facial expression. "I guess you just got too casual when we were at my dad's castle since he has a very laid-back nature and doesn't mind if his guests forget a little bit about manners. And then we came here and you still had that mindset active, so you just lied down here. Honestly, such a little accident hardly matters considering the things Yugo would have done if he was here. He probably would have went up into the sixth floor with his D-Wheel, driving up on the banister with the hotel security chasing after him and us facepalming as he was yelling something along the lines of "You will never catch me, you bootlickers of those Top-Bastards!"" Yuga said to cheer her up again.

Rin chuckled at that remark. ' _Yeah, causing all kinds of trouble while calling everyone a Top-Bastard who just SLIGHTLY seems to be affiliated with money or wealth in some kind. That's totally Yugo!'_

"Anyway,", Yuga continued, "let's get a room already!" He walked towards the reception, the rest of them following him. Its counter was currently occupied by a middle-aged man whom Yuga now addressed.

"Excuse me, we need a room for the six of us. If that isn't a problem for you of course."

The man, previously occupied with reading the latest issue of the Maiami Times, looked up from his newspaper to face the teen from Gishiki. "Aren't you a little bit young to ask for a room in an establishment like the Black Luster Hotel?" The man asked in an indifferent voice, not taking Yuga too seriously due to his young age.

"Oh, I think I'm just old enough." The Ritual-Duelist countered in a confident tone. "But since you don't seem to fully comprehend who I am, here's a little clue!" He said, a cocky smile forming on his face as he put down something on the table that looked like a business card depicting a symbol consisting of a white G within a dark blue rhombus, the latter of them having silver wings attached to its sides. Simultaneously he opened his coat at the chest area, revealing the upper part of his royal uniform which was decorated with various embroidery. The hotel employee gulped at that sight. Such clothes and that emblem could only mean one possible thing: That boy was probably from a VERY, VERY rich family. And he had a good feeling that if he refused to give him a room now, that boy would probably take revenge on him by abusing the influence of his family. Spoiled children from wealthy families always did that, he had learned it the hard way.

"S-sure. We have a room in the fifth floor with six beds." He said nervously, keen on avoiding trouble with the strange boy. "And we don't have a lot of guests right now, so that floor is empty besides you since no one else has currently booked a room there. I hope that's to your satisfaction." He uttered, drops of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Oh, that's nice." Yuga said in a sweet voice, pretending to be a now content spoiled brat. "And while we're at it, I'd like to book the rest of the rooms in the fifth floor as well. For a month."

That caused not only the employee's jaw to drop, but also some of Yuga's companions to let out sounds of disbelief, especially Rin.

"Are you sure that you have enough money for that?!" The employee asked, still stunned at that unbelievable declaration. "It has around 30 rooms after all and the prices are astronomical!"

"Will a million DP do?" Yuga asked, nonchalantly slamming a whopping pile of bank notes onto the table.

"Ye-yes, I think that should work." The man replied in a shocked tone. "Here are your keys!" He handed over several bundles of keys, his face still pale white, displaying to the outside world just how aghast he currently was.

"Thank you!" Yuga replied with a half-serious smile of gratitude on his face.

* * *

"Man, this room is huge!" Rin exclaimed as the group entered their room. "And we have 30 of those? Wow, that means five for each of us! How do I decide in which of my five rooms I want to sleep every night?"

"Not at all." Yuga replied. "You don't need a complex selection procedure. Because we're all going to sleep in the same room, namely this one."

"Ehhhhh?!" Rin shouted in confusion. "Then why the heck did you buy all the rooms on this floor for a whole fucking month?!"

"Well, that's because of safety measures. It would be a shame if an Academia-Spy COINCIDENTALLY booked a room next to ours, then ACCIDENTALLY walked into here when you're alone in the room and RANDOMLY abducted you. I know that seems a bit paranoid, but I don't take any chances in terms of the safety of you girls. And I guess you don't want to go back into the Eastern Tower either, so yeah, you'll have to get used to sleeping in the same room with us five for the next few weeks. But considering how spacious this room is, that shouldn't be a problem." Yuga replied.

"That's true." Kumo spoke up while inspecting the room. It had six beds on the opposite side of the entrance, half of them on this side of the room, the left one. There was a gap of a few meters and then, on the right side of the room, there was the next trio of beds. While the left side of the room mainly consisted of the entrance and a balcony, the right side seemed to contain most of the other features of the room: After walking around the corner of the entrance-part, turning to the right, they noticed a few doors at the end of the room, leading to the bathroom area which was split into two major parts and consisted of not one, but two showers, several sinks and WCs, as well as a pretty big tub, obviously usable by multiple people at the same time if need be. ' _Not that anyone besides Yuga and Shiryu would consider doing that... but even they wouldn't do something like this, I guess...'_ Rin thought awkwardly. The room also had a giant TV and a table with several chairs.

"Looks pretty comfortable!" Shiryu stated.

"Agreed!" Ruri said.

"Reminds me a bit of Uncle Akira's private room at SOL Technologies." Yubi wondered. "Though I don't think he needs two WCs."

"Who takes which bed?" Rin asked.

"I'd suggest that we decide that by the same criteria which Yuga already brought up. To ensure the maximum safety for you girls, it would be the best if we form three-man-groups, considering the beds are divided in two trios anyway. We have one of us two sleep in the middle and two girls sleeping on the beds next to those." He pointed at the first three beds on the left. "I'd say we have, lets see..., Ruri and Shiryu sleep there, with Yuga sleeping on the bed in the middle. Yeah, that sounds good. Having Yuga, the physically strongest of us six, on the left side of the room which is nearer to the door and the balcony is probably a good idea in case someone tries to break into this room. And then Kumo, Rin and me sleep on the right half of the room. Yup, sounds like a good plan to me." Yubi said, his arms folded and a small smile creeping on his face due to him being satisfied with his plan apparently.

"Wow, that much thought just planning the sleeping order?" Rin exclaimed. "You truly think things through, Yubi!"

"Oh course I do." He retorted. "I'm a strategist after all, planning things is practically my second name – well, if it wasn't Revolver that is!"

"Now then, I'll take the bed on the right if you don't mind!" Shiryu addressed Ruri.

"Sure, no problem. Then I'll take the one on the very left." The Xyz-Duelist replied.

"Mind if I take the left one?" Rin asked Kumo, who shook her head.

"Go ahead, Rin. I'll take the one on the very right." The brown haired girl replied.

"Great!" Rin exclaimed. She and the rest of the group placed the few belongings they carried with them on their respective nightstands after all beds were assigned to the six people now living inside the spacious hotel room. "So what are we going to do now?" The girl from Synchro continued, testing the coziness of her new bed by sitting on it.

"Well, first off all, I think we should make a plan now!" Yuga replied, standing up from his bed after inspecting it in a similar fashion as Rin. "I'd suggest we all sit down together and develop a strategy." He said, his finger pointing to the table on the right half of the room.

"Sounds good to me." Yubi agreed. "Having a good plan is always nice."

"Hearing that sentence from you was to be expected!" Kumo teased her boyfriend.

The group stood up and walked to the table. The two boys then headed for the two chairs located at the middle of the long sides of the table, both of them setting the two chairs next to them in place for the girls. Ruri gave Yuga a polite, but thankful nod before sitting down on the chair to his left, Shiryu quickly taking the one on his other side. Meanwhile Kumo calmly sat down on the opposite side of the table, Rin following her by taking the left chair, uttering a quiet "Thank you" followed by Yubi replying with "It's just common courtesy". After all four girls were on their respective chairs, Yubi and Yuga sat down as well.

"So, let's start our little discussion!" Yuga began.

"First off, let's collect the knowledge we have! So what do we know up until now?" Shiryu asked.

"Well, we know that there's this Reiji Akaba and that we need to convince him to join our cause." Kumo stated. "But who is this Reiji precisely, aside from the Professor's son?"

"Well, he's the CEO of Leo Corporation, if I remember correctly what Yuga said during the walk." Rin spoke up.

"And his company makes most of the cards in this area of the world and also seems to control most of the dueling world of Standard in general." Ruri added.

"Aside from that he also followed his father to the Fusion-Dimension a few years ago, was rejected by him, sent back and plans to take him down ever since then." Yubi concluded.

"That's most of it." Yuga stated. "Albeit not all. During my research, I found out that he's very keen on getting those Pendulum-Monsters and that he tries to assemble an own force to oppose Fusion."

"He does?" Yubi asked curiously. "That seems quite logical to be honest. To enter the war he needs soldiers after all. Do you have any background information about that group he's trying to create?"

"Apparently they are called the Lancers." Yuga replied. "He wants to use this year's Maiami Championship to select the best of the best and form his group from them."

"So he's practically doing the same as our people in Gishiki and yours in Link." Shiryu said while looking over to Yubi at the latter part.

"True. Anyway, the plan is to form an alliance once that happens and then have our three special troupes join forces. Does this sound acceptable?" Yuga asked.

They nodded.

"Good. Now that's that. Next up we need to consider a few special people on our mission here in Standard." Yuga continued.

"Special people?" Ruri asked in a confused tone.

"Yeah." Yuga nodded. "Like our two Standard-Counterparts for example. Yuri is surely planning on getting his hands onto Yuzu soon. Also there is your friend Yuto and your brother."

"Oh, right!" Ruri facepalmed. "I almost forgot that they were here in Standard as well! Do you have any idea what they're doing right now?" She asked the dark blue haired male.

"No clue. I've only heard about their departure when I was in Xyz, but never saw them when I was here in Maiami City. Looks like they are undercover as well. However, I found out something pretty interesting today!"

"Something pretty interesting?" Shiryu asked him. "Today? How? You were walking with us all the time, how could you gather more intel during that?"

"You remember the man at the reception?" Yuga asked his girlfriend.

"The one who hesitantly gave you a room? Yes, of course I do, why do you ask?" She replied to him.

A serious expression formed on Yuga's face. "Well, the newspaper he was reading featured an article about the son of the likely future mayor being attacked and sent to hospital by a mysterious stranger."

"A mysterious stranger?! Do you mean it could be my brother or Yuto?!" Ruri asked in a shocked voice.

"Possibly." Yuga calmly replied. "That's why I'm leaving now to pay this Sawatari a little visit at the hospital." He stood up at those words. "Also I'm buying some new clothes for you." He said, addressing the girls. "You can't just walk around with those cloaks all the time. First of all, it's suspicious and draws unwanted attention. Second of all, it's summer right now, you'll die in those if you wear them all the time."

"Good point!" Rin retorted. "It's really too hot in those things!"

"I'll try to get something light which has long sleeves and a hood. I guess that's pretty much the perfect balance between comfort and safety for you by obscuring your identity. You can still roll up the sleeves in case it gets too warm, so it should be fine. And sunglasses, yeah! I'll get some of those, we don't want people to mistake us for our counterparts. And while I'm at it, I'll buy some sweets so I have something to eat while we do our stuff here in Standard. Does anyone of you want something from the candy store as well?" Yuga asked the group.

"Maybe some chocolate." Ruri stated.

"Yeah, chocolate sounds good." Kumo agreed.

Yuga looked at the rest. "Any other wishes?"

"Nah, we take the same!" Rin said. "Any objections?" She looked at Yubi and Shiryu. They shook their heads.

"Fine then! Six times chocolate it is!" Yuga exclaimed. "Imma try to get the information from Sawatari as well as the clothes and the chocolate as quickly as possible. Then I head back to the room and we continue our little meeting. You look after the girls while I'm busy. If a guy from Academia pops up here, don't hesitate to blow up the whole fucking hotel building with your Topologic Bomber Dragon if need be, okay Yubi?" He asked his Link-Counterpart.

"Understood." Yubi calmly replied. "If an agent from Fusion comes here and tries anything funny, I'll make sure to rip that person to shreds with my dragons."

Yuga clapped his hands together in joy. "Great! So looks like we got everything covered. Make yourselves at home and eat lunch at the hotel's restaurant, I'll be gone for a while!" He headed for the exit, turning around to wave at them. "See you soon!" He called out to them.

-"See you soon!"- The four girls and Yubi retorted.

* * *

 _Maiami City – Hospital..._

"THIS SUCKS!" Shingo Sawatari yelled, aware of the fact that he was alone in his room with literally nobody to hear his latest exclamation. The one moment he had been in that storage hall at the docks, chilling with his friends and planning his revenge on Yuya Sakaki. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, a furious Yuzu Hiragi had barged into the hall, accusing him of trying to harm her friend and challenging him to a duel, calling him a hundredth-rate-duelist! And when she finally realized how she'd put herself in a bad situation with her rash behavior and he and his lackeys had her cornered, this weird guy with the mask had appeared, dueling in her place and Xyz Summoning a ferocious black dragon against him. But what had surprised him the most was the fact that the mysterious person was Yuya Sakaki as he pulled off his mask to reveal his face! _'Damn, he must have anticipated my plans and took a preemptive move to send me here!'_ Shingo thought. Well, Sawatari had to admit that he was exaggerating with his injuries a bit. But still, that dragon's power wasn't normal! It had inflicted real damage, incinerating and wrecking the storage hall where they dueled! He pushed the unpleasant thought about the dragon aside and recollected the events of this day. His father had visited him here in hospital, furious about the whole accident that had injured him, demanding for a certain someone to pay for it. Sure enough, Himika Akaba, the chairwoman of Leo Corporation, had appeared in his room, carrying a bouquet dedicated for him as well, and promised his father to deal with this incident herself to prevent his father from attracting too much unnecessary attention from the media – which was a good thing considering the upcoming election for the city's mayor office. He smiled in a gloating manner at the thought of Yuya having to deal with the stern woman leading the company that owned the duel school where he was enrolled to. _'Now how do you like that, Sakaki? Enjoy your time with Chairwoman Akaba, that's what you get for messing with the legendary New Sawatari!'_ He perked up as he heard the sudden sound of the door being opened. A blue haired male of about his age entered, wearing a dark blue T-Shirt and white pants which strangely looked way more expensive than the shirt. _'Unusual.'_ He thought when he noticed the difference in quality. The young man also wore black sunglasses, obscuring his face.

"Who are you?" He asked the stranger.

"Oh, me?" The boy retorted. "It doesn't matter who we are. What matters is our plan. And mine is to have a nice little conversation with a guy named Shingo Sawatari right now." He slightly tilted his head after that. "You hopefully are Shingo Sawatari, right?"

"Errrrr… Yes, I am,… I suppose. What do you want from me?" The blonde haired male asked in an uncertain voice.

The blue haired youth reached into his pocket to pull out a card. He then showed it to the other teenager.

"Do you recognize this card?" He asked him, holding up a green colored card.

"NO WAY!" Sawatari shouted, his eyes widening in realization. "That's a copy of Dark Hole, one of the strongest spell cards in the game! Give it to me, I want that rare card!" He yelled, getting up from his lying-position, trying to grab the card. Unfortunately for him, the other male pulled away his arm, making him touch mere air rather than a card.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" The blue haired teenager asked, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "But if you are a nice boy and answer a few of my questions properly, I'll let you have that Dark Hole!"

"Then ask, damn it!" Shingo replied angrily. "I'll do anything for that spell card!"

"Very well then!" The stranger began. "Then tell me about your accident! Who was the attacker?"

"The attacker? That's simple, the culprit was none other that Yuya Sakaki!" Shingo exclaimed.

"Yuya Sakaki? The son of the famous entertainer?"

Sawatari nodded eagerly.

"I see. Another thing, what kind of deck did he use?"

"What kind of deck?" Sawatari asked in a startled tone.

"Yeah, what methods was he using? What was his dueling style like?"

Shingo scratched his head, trying to remember details about his duel with the masked stranger. "I think he was using a very spell- and trap-heavy deck with effects activating from the graveyard." He slowly uttered as the memory flooded back into his mind.

' _A lot of spells and traps with phantom effects? This sounds very much like him if Ruri was describing his deck accurately.'_

"AND HE WAS ALSO USING XYZ!" Sawatari shouted, the memory of the black dragon resurfacing.

"Xyz?" The blue haired male asked in a curious tone. _'That's it! It was definitely Yuto! Such a shame, with how reckless Shun seems to be from all the stories I heard about him, I expected him to be the culprit. Oh well, you can't always be right!'_

"Yes, he did Xyz Summon a gigantic black and purple dragon!" The blonde youth continued.

"A dragon?" The sunglasses-wearing stranger retorted. "Was its name Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon by any chance?"

"Yes, how did you know that?!" Shingo asked surprised by the stranger's knowledge of the dragon's name.

"Doesn't matter." Was his simple answer, which annoyed Sawatari since he was genuinely curious about it. "What matters though", The stranger continued, "is the question why you were dueling that stranger."

"Well, I was just chilling with my friends in one of the storage halls at the docks, then he suddenly came in and challenged me to a duel, injuring me like that", He pointed at his bandages, "using his Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Oh, and then he asked me about my LDS-badge and wanted to know if I was with some crap called "Academia" or something along those lines."

"And why did he challenge you to a duel?" The other male asked him.

"Well, there was a girl called Yuzu Hiragi who wanted to do the same thing before the stranger. He took her place and dueled me instead."

"And why did that girl challenge you to a duel? I don't see a lot of girls running around at the harbor, issuing random challenges to strangers."

"Well,", Sawatari replied, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the stranger inquired further about the whole story, "I was trying to get some revenge on Yuya Sakaki for beating me in a duel, so I was planning my revenge in that storage hall."

The stranger sighed with an unnaturally loud noise, prompting Shingo to flinch as a result. "I could continue to ask you why you were dueling Yuya, the person before that and so on. But I'd prefer it if you just told me the whole story, so if you really want this card...,", He held up the copy of Dark Hole again, slightly shaking it in the air, "…then you should better tell me everything from the beginning, no details or anything else left out!"

"S-sure." Shingo gulped. He then collected himself, gathering all the information about the whole story. He knew that he was leaking classified information if he mentioned Reiji Akaba and the job that he asked him to do. But he really wanted this rare card, 'So fuck that!', he thought. "You see, a few days ago the CEO of Leo Corporation, Reiji Akaba, tasked me to steal those new Pendulum-Cards from Yuya Sakaki." Sawatari began. "So I baited him into a trap and then snatched the cards. Sakaki was furious because of that and challenged me to a duel, which I lost. But he was using those Pendulum-Cards, so that doesn't count since it's cheating!"

"I thought you had the Pendulum-Cards at that moment?" The blue haired male questioned him.

"Oh yeah, right..." Sawatari uttered, realizing how awkward he had just sounded. "Anyway,", He continued, "then I reformed and became New Sawatari, getting a new deck to beat him for this humiliation and prove who actually is the better duelist! I planned my revenge on Sakaki, Hiragi barged in, followed by that stranger, we dueled, I lost, the end! Can I now have that rare card, please?" Shingo quickly cried out, reaching for the card.

"Not just yet." The stranger said as he took a step back from him, bringing the card out of his reach again. "First I wanna know about a few more things."

The blonde haired teen sighed. "And what would that be?" He asked in an exasperated tone.

The other youth looked at him, the eyes behind the sunglasses glaring intensely right into Sawatari's own eyes. "Any news you should share with me?" The blue haired boy inquired. "Regarding that accident for example?"

Shingo deliberated for a few seconds before responding. "Well, the chairwoman of Leo Corporation said that she would handle the incident for us. Talked about paying You Show Duel School a visit or something. Can I now have that card?" He extended his hand once more.

"Hmmm...", The stranger deliberated, "I think that your answers satisfy me now. But you mustn't mention this incident of me coming to your room to anyone, or else you won't get that card!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Shingo retorted. "I promise to not tell anyone. Can I now have that card, please!"

"Fine!" The blue haired boy replied, handing the card over to him. Shingo immediately broke out into ecstasy as his fingers closed around the spell, his mouth letting out all kinds of cries that illustrated his joy.

"Thank you for your cooperation!" Yuga said, taking off the sunglasses while walking to the door, his back turned to Sawatari. He noticed that the blonde youth didn't even listen to him anymore, too busy with celebrating the acquisition of his newest card. "What a shallow person!" Yuga whispered in condescension. "Oh well, he did his job and gave me the information I needed. Now for my chocolate! I need to eat something. NOW!" He said, leaving the room to head for the nearest candy store.

* * *

Yuya Sakaki was currently on his way to You Show, alongside his childhood friend Yuzu Hiragi and the newest member of their Duel School, Sora Shiun'in, who walked slightly behind them. They were accompanied by the young trio which was also part of You Show – Ayu, Tatsuya and Futoshi.

"Man, school was so boring today! I could barely make it through the first lesson without falling asleep!" Yuya whined.

"Yuya, was there ever a time when you said that school was exciting?" Yuzu inquired in a questioning tone.

"Now that you mention it, probably not." Yuya replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Seriously, you should really pay more attention in class! Education is important for your life after all!" Yuzu admonished him.

"But I pay attention in school – in You Show Duel School that is! Besides, I don't fall asleep in the normal school that often!" The green and red haired boy defended himself with a sheepish expression on his face.

"But only because you know that you would get whacked by my fan if you did!" The pink haired girl protested. Which made the boy scratch the back of his head is embarrassment.

"I guess that's true." He slowly admitted with a goofy smile.

Yuzu kept her gaze on him. _'He's trying to distract you from the events of yesterday!'_ Her inner voice called out to her. _'He saw how absent you were after that, so he's forcing you out of it with a silly argument! He's trying to cheer you up again!'_ A smile formed on her face. Even though it looked like as if he was just complaining about school, he had actually done something meaningful: He had woken her up from her confusions about the identity of the attacker, even though that it might only last for a short while.

"But now we're going to You Show!" Tatsuya spoke up from the backrow. "Which is a place more suitable for you, right, Big Brother Yuya?" The dark blue haired child remarked.

Yuya's face lit up at that comment. "Right!" He yelled. "We're going to my domain now! I might not be the best student at a normal school, but at You Show there's nothing that can stop me in my tracks! Who wants to see a Pendulum Summon once we arrive there?" He asked his companions.

-"Me! Me! Me!"- The little trio shouted in unison.

"Give me the shivers with your Entertainment Dueling!" Futoshi demanded.

"Well,", Sora suddenly spoke up, "I'd love to see your dueling too, but you might have to wait for me a bit."

"Why that?" Yuzu asked the cyan haired boy.

"I have to refill my candy supply, so I'm going to the next candy store. It shouldn't take too long if I hurry up, so please wait for me if you can!" He asked the pink haired girl.

"Sure, we can wait a bit." Yuzu responded. "But you need to hurry up, so don't you dare to casually walk if you need that candy so desperately!" She warned him.

"Don't worry, I will be as quick as a flash!" The 13 years old boy laughed. "See you at You Show!" He shouted, running off and waving his hand at the small group.

-"See you there!"- His troupe exclaimed in unison as they watched their newest friend slowly drifting away into the distance.

* * *

"ALRIGHT!" Sora yelled, swinging open the door of his favorite candy store in Standard. The owner of the shop, currently standing on the cash point, noticed his arrival and smiled at him. Understandable, he was one of his best customers as he bought tons of sweets every week. Sora looked over the assortment, grinning happily as he realized that most of his favorite stuff was still available. His hand swept across the store, practically emptying the shelves wherever he went. Soon his bag was quite heavy and he headed for the checkout.

"Oh, and I'd like some of that cooling foil too, if you don't mind!" He heard the guy currently standing on the register say.

"Of course!" He heard the owner of the store reply as he wrapped said foil around the customer's purchase.

' _Strange,',_ Sora thought, his face scowling a bit in envy, ' _that cooling foil is super expensive because of its sheer production cost. While is obviously helps a lot during summer to prevent the chocolate from melting and so on, I've never seen anyone wealthy enough to afford it yet. That guy much be super rich then!'_ He then saw the customer paying and heading for the exit, carrying his purchase in a bag. _'That guy seems familiar, but I don't know why!'_ He wondered. The stranger then took off his sunglasses and passed by only a few steps away from him. And then it all came crashing down on Sora.

' _WAIT, NO WAY! THAT GUY IS...! THAT GUY IS…!'_ He thought, nothing but utter panic on his mind right now. The person turned his head to him, gazing into his eyes and shooting Sora a knowing smile as the world around them practically froze, mere milliseconds feeling like minutes. _'THAT GUY IS YUGA GISHIKI!'_ Sora cried out internally. _'THE BLUE DEMON IS HERE IN STANDARD!'_ On the inside he was hyperventilating right now, images of Yuga – surrounded by a demonic, dark blue aura –, triumphantly standing on top of piles of slain Academia students flashing over his mind. Although it was a lot better on the outside, the blue and gray haired teen still noticed his excitement and shock, prompting the Gishiki Prince to widen his smile even further, turning into a bloodthirsty smirk. Sora felt his heartbeat getting faster and faster. They might be in public right now, but he still didn't doubt that the infamous duelist from Ritual could kill him right there if he wanted to. At this moment Sora thought that he would die for sure now, bracing for a claw-like hand stabbing right through his chest. But then the brief moment passed and both of them continued walking into their respective directions. Yuga left the shop while Sora approached the owner of the store.

"You look awfully pale. Is everything alright?" The man asked him in a worried tone.

"Yeah… it's nothing." He replied, panting a bit from the immense shock. Despite all of his training to conceal his emotions some of the terror currently possessing his mind still leaked out. He payed for his candy and left the shop after a while, looking around to make sure that the Blue Demon was nowhere nearby. Then he started to sprint into the direction of the You Show School, moving so fast that some bystanders wondered if he was running for his life. Which was partially true though. _'Should I contact Dennis?!'_ Sora wondered. _'No, if HE is monitoring my calls then I will just confirm to him that I'm from Academia_ – _and then he will kill me for sure!'_ He thought, his paranoia taking over. _'I'll better stay silent and lie low until this affair blows over!'_

Meanwhile, in a different district of the city, a lone figure was heading to a certain hotel, holding a back filled with chocolate, clothes and six pairs of sunglasses. A sly smirk formed on the person's face.

"Enemy spotted!" He said to himself. "My bullshit-sensors are tingling, and they're tingling a lot! And my nose smells Academia Scum! I gotta find a way to kill that guy without upsetting Shiryu!" He deliberated. "Oh well, I will find one eventually! And then this bastard is going to pay!" Yuga stated, a bloodthirsty grin crawling across his face once more. "You've been running around in this dimension making messes for too long and now I will choke the life from you! I can't wait to watch you die!" He exclaimed, his dark personality returning once again.

* * *

Yubi got up from his chair as he heard a faint knock on the apartment door.

"Who's there?" He asked.

"It's me! I'm opening the door now!"

Yubi let out a small sigh of relief as he recognized the familiar voice, observing how the door was unlocked after a second.

"You're back, Yuga!" Shiryu exclaimed as her boyfriend entered the room.

The girls from Ritual and Link, currently preoccupied with playing chess on the table, stopped with their ongoing activity, redirecting their gazes to the boy from Gishiki. Ruri and Rin who were dueling before to test out their new cards, sitting casually on Rin's comfortable bed, looked up after they became aware of Yuga's return.

"How did it go?" Ruri asked, the curiosity in her voice clearly audible. She obviously was very concerned about Yuto and her brother.

"Great!" Yuga responded, sitting down next to the table again as the other two girls and Yubi also walked over to it and sat down as well, restoring the seating order of their previous "meeting". "I found out a lot of interesting stuff. First of all, it was Yuto who attacked that rich brat yesterday. He said the attacker looked like Yuya and he used Xyz, so it must be him!"

"Yuto? Not Shun? That doesn't seem like him. Normally my brother is the more reckless out of the two!" Ruri exclaimed in surprise.

"My thoughts exactly!" Yuga replied. "But it was Yuto, that's for sure. It seems like he only dueled that Sawatari to protect your Standard-Counterpart though. He probably mistook her for you and stepped in to save her as a result."

"Oh. I see." She uttered quietly, a faint blush on her face because of that revelation. Even though it wasn't really her that Yuto had been protecting, it still flattered her that he had been so protective because he had believed that it was her who had been in danger.

"Well, he also was interested in that guy's LDS-badge, because as we all know, him and Shun are still mainly here to catch the Professor's son. But it was mostly because he thought it was you, I'm pretty sure about that." Yuga continued.

"Well, then let's meet them already!" Ruri exclaimed enthusiastically.

"I'm afraid that this isn't possible right now!" Yuga abruptly stated.

"Huh?! But why?!" Ruri asked, indignation as well as confusion in her voice.

"Yubi, can you explain it, please?" The leader of the group said, looking over to his Link-Counterpart.

"Sure, partner!" The tactician responded before turning his head to face Ruri. "You see, Ruri, we need to lie down and observe for now. Our top priority aside from protecting you and your counterparts is to ensure that Reiji succeeds in assembling his Lancers, so we can unite our forces once the time has come. If we tell too much people about our presence here in Standard, it will only agitate this dimension and then information about us being here might leak out into the Fusion-Dimension. Which, like I said before when we started our travel to this place, isn't something we want to happen. So, unfortunately for you, you won't be able to have a reunion with your brother and your friend, at least not until Reiji has made enough progress in the Maiami Championship. Once the formation of the Lancers is at hand, you can hug your brother as much as you want, but before that you'll have to avoid personal contact by any means."

"Oh… I see." Ruri stammered, obviously disappointed with a bit of sadness in her voice.

"Anyway, what did you bring along with you aside from that information?" Kumo questioned.

"Well, first off, new clothes." Yuga responded, reaching into his bag. "I thought that our pants are mostly okay, but the clothing on the upper part needs a bit of work. As you know already, we all need a replacement for our hoods, but also something that looks normal. As you might have noticed I'm now wearing a blue T-Shirt, mostly because my usual royal attire draws to much attention. Since we're wearing practically the same stuff that also counts for you, Shiryu!" He addressed his girlfriend while throwing a small bundle of clothes at her, which she caught with relative ease.

"I see. You've kept the partner look though!" She responded in a joking tone as she looked down at he dark blue shirt, the only notable difference to Yuga's being the slightly deeper neckline.

"Oh, and I thought you could also use a light jacket with a hood, you know, to obscure your identity." Yuga continued.

His girlfriend looked down on said thing. "Azure. Fits nicely to my hair color. Thanks, Yuga!"

"No problem, Shiryu!" He replied. "Now for you, Rin! Since jackets like the one you wear aren't very common here in Standard, I bought a long sleeved top for you. In addition to the rarity of your jacket it also is a clear sign to anyone from Academia who knows you and your looks. I don't say that you have to give up your whole identity so that they won't notice you, but exchanging at least one piece of clothing would still be good for you. It also has a hood. Same reasons as before. And I hope you like white, because it has that color!" He said to the the Synchro-Girl as he handed her over the new clothing.

"Yep, white sounds good to me." She retorted as she took the white top from him.

"Moving on, for Kumo I thought that she was already casual enough, same thing for Yubi. But while I'll settle with a pair of sunglasses as Yubi's disguise, I thought Kumo probably needs some extra protection. Which is why I bought this!" He exclaimed, pulling out a light yellow sweater from his back. "Since you are already wearing a jumper right now, I figured it wouldn't be too far-fetched to just give you another with a hood. Don't worry, it's pretty light, so it shouldn't get any warmer for you now than it already is!"

"Thank you." The brown haired girl politely replied before grabbing the sweater. She then took off her dark blue blazer, holding it out to Yubi who held it in her place while she removed her old light yellow sweater and replaced it with her new one of the same color. She adjusted her red tie which was under the sweater as a result of her changing clothes, pulling it out and putting it over the sweater again. Then she reclaimed her dark blue jacket from Yubi and put it on.

"Looks pretty much the same. Still a Den City School Uniform. Besides the hood of course." Yubi commented.

"It does what it's supposed to do. We can wear fancy clothes when we're done with the war." Kumo replied.

"That's true. Anyway, for you Ruri, I bought a bit more than the rest." Yuga continued.

"You did?" The girl from Xyz inquired.

"Yeah, since your current pants are pretty worn out and partially damaged due to the war and the other shit you went through, I figured it would be adequate to buy you a new pair." Yuga stated while handing a pair of black pants over to her.

"Thank you! That's very nice of you!" She replied in gratitude.

"I also thought that yellow must look great on you for sure since you've already been wearing it, so I bought you a similar top as Rin of that color."

"Thank you very much! I like it a lot!" She stated while looking at the second piece of clothing that Yuga gave her.

"Well, here's a pair of sunglasses for everyone and then that's everything regarding clothes." Yuga continued. "Now then, next up we have some sweets!" Yuga said as he gave a few bars of chocolate to each of his five comrades while taking a bite from one of his own. "And you never guess who I met at the the candy store!"

"Yuya or Yuzu?" Shiryu guessed.

"Nope. A good friend of them, a certain cyan haired boy. And also an Academia-Spy!"

"What?! You've met an Academia-Spy?!" Ruri asked with visible shock on her face.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah. He's a boy called Sora Shiun'in, around 13 years old. When I scouted the six dimensions, I first didn't recognize him as such. I didn't know how the students from Academia were dressed and since I started my journey for intel here in Standard, I didn't realize that he was a spy. But when I went to Academia and saw their normal dress code, I immediately knew that he was from there. He might have gotten rid of his jacket that tells everyone with the proper knowledge where he's from, but since I already knew him, that didn't help him the slightest bit. When I walked past him, I removed my sunglasses for a second to give him a nice little welcoming smile."

"What, you revealed your identity to him?! Didn't we just agree on not showing ourselves?!" Rin asked, looking over to Ruri who couldn't meet her friend and brother because of that reason.

"Oh, don't worry Rin!" Yuga reassured her, a sly smirk forming on his face. "That boy won't tell anyone, you can be sure of that! I think I just scared him to death during our little encounter, so there's no way he'll risk to contact Academia or one of his allies here in Standard. He probably thinks that we supervise him already, so he believes he will die if he doesn't remain silent. Can't blame him for that actually, considering the hundred students I killed when I was pissed as hell at Academia and attacked it. With him scared like that, his mission in Standard will be much harder since he's probably too afraid to properly scout the dimension now, therefore slowing down Academia's plans, working in our favor so to speak. You should know, Rin, I understand how to manipulate the fear in my enemies' hearts to my advantage!"

"That's true." Ruri chimed in. "I only know Yuga since a few days, but I can promise you that he can be very… scary at times." She said in a nervous tone, a single drop of sweat forming on her forehead.

"Yeah, Yuga can be very unpleasant when you get on the wrong side of him." Shiryu agreed. "Good thing he's not siding with Fusion, right?"

"Oh, if that was the case then I'm fairly certain that the Synchro-Dimension would look like Xyz now! Alongside all others!" Rin stated.

"So we have at least one Fusion-Spy here in Standard already." Kumo spoke up. "What do you think he's here for?"

"Probably to scout the dimension and prepare the invasion." Yubi answered. "And most likely he's also here to find this dimension's Bracelet-Girl, meaning Yuzu."

"So he's befriending her and Yuya only to help abducting her when the time has come?! What a scumbag!" Rin yelled in indignation.

"So in other words, he's practically doing the same thing as Dennis did to you." Kumo addressed her Xyz-Counterpart.

Ruri looked down at the unpleasant memory. "Then we must ensure by all means that the same thing doesn't happen to Yuzu as well!" She cried out, her voice filled with determination to save the pink haired Standard-Counterpart of hers.

"Okay, so that's another thing we must keep in mind. But what about our endgame? How do we continue after we join forces with Reiji Akaba?" Shiryu asked.

"Well, the plan is to head to Synchro next, convince these hardcore capitalists that they should help us, free the Xyz-Dimension from the Fusion Oppressors and then finally go to the Fusion-Dimension itself. If the information I collected is correct, then Yuya's father Yusho Sakaki should be hiding somewhere there. We will reunite father and son, then advance towards Academia with the forces from the five other dimensions, plus maybe a few students of the You Show School in the Fusion-Dimension. Then we will defeat the Professor and have him repent for his crimes, uncard all people, rebuild Heartland with funds from Gishiki – and maybe the other dimensions as well if they feel generous. Oh, and of course we will have a reunion between you and your respective friends!" Yuga said while looking at Rin and Ruri.

"Sounds good to me." Yubi replied. "Any objections on your side?" He asked the rest of the group.

"No, sounds like a good plan." Rin responded.

"No complains." Ruri added.

"I'll agree with my boyfriend." Kumo spoke up.

"Same here." Shiryu said.

"Very well!" Yuga shouted in a moderate volume. "Then let's plan our moves for the next few days! Starting with today of course!"

"Sounds like you've already planned something. Is there anything in particular you want to do today?" Shiryu asked him.

"There is!" He replied. "You see, like I said previously, I questioned that victim of Yuto's little attack, a spoiled brat called Shingo Sawatari. He luckily was cooperative and spat out everything when I offered him a little payment for his information."

"A little payment?" Shiryu asked. "You gave him a card?"

"Yes, a copy of Dark Hole. After offering that card he forgot all the loyalties to his Dueling School and so on and told me everything. First I was even thinking about offering him a copy of Raigeki, but then I thought that he didn't need an additional boost to his already bloated ego, so I decided otherwise. I'm not giving a Raigeki to everyone!"

"You gave both of us a Raigeki though!" The green haired girl from the Commons stated.

"Well, you and Ruri are both very beautiful and nice persons, matching my girlfriend in more that just looks. And also you're my precious allies in this war, so I can't have you being poorly equipped and kidnapped again." Yuga responded.

"That's right, I suppose." Rin uttered, a faint blush appearing on her face. "Anyway, you stressed that questioning with that rich brat a lot. Does that mean the information you got from that conversation is part of the topics you want to mention now?" She asked him.

"Absolutely!" Yuga cried out. "I see you're slowly starting to comprehend the way I think, Rin! Truth be told, there are two specific topics from that conversation which will determine our next steps!" Yuga continued, raising two of his fingers. "The first one is the attack itself. It tells us that Yuto and Shun weren't sure about the connections between Academia and LDS. While I strongly believe that Yuto knows that there aren't any by now – at least no alliances or something in that matter – , I'm afraid that it's a different chase with Shun. Since he's stubborn as a mule – no offense to you, Ruri – he will most likely try to draw Reiji Akaba's attention the hard way, injuring his subordinates in a duel or maybe even carding them to lure him out. I will take care of that by finding him and telling him to let the students and teachers from LDS alone!"

"Yeah, that sounds like something Shun would do in order to save me." Ruri said before sighing in a sad tone. "He used to be such a friendly and warm person. But the Heartland Invasion and the war really changed him, unfortunately. I wish that we could just go back in time and have him regain his former self!"

"Don't worry Ruri, we will end this war and return your brother to that state again!" Yuga reassured her. "Before that though, I will observe him so he doesn't card any innocents here in Standard. Also we need him to be quiet. If he causes too much trouble and cards random people, it will agitate Sora and other Fusion-Spies here in Standard. If Academia learns about Xyz-Remnants hiding in this place, then Leo might send some troops here to get rid of them. Which we cannot have considering Reiji still needs time to assemble his Lancers."

"Makes sense." Yubi stated. "I couldn't have said it better myself! Now then, what does the rest of us do while you search for Shun?"

"Good point Yubi, that brings me to my second topic!" Yuga replied, raising his fingers again. "Sawatari – who wasn't really injured by the way – said that he was tasked to steal Yuya's Pendulum-Cards by none other that Reiji Akaba himself. Also Reiji's mother Himika Akaba wanted to deal with Sawatari's accident in his place apparently. Said something about paying You Show Duel School a visit. Now, what does this tell us about our new ally?" He asked his Link-Counterpart.

"Oh, that's easy!" Yubi retorted. "He is: a) very interested in acquiring those Pendulum-Cards for his school; b) very interested in Yuya Sakaki as a result and c) he probably wants to use Pendulum as a trump card against his father. Is that what you were hinting at?"

"Precisely!" Yuga retorted. "Since we need to watch over our Standard-Counterparts anyway, I'd suggest that you and the girls head to You Show and observe the whole event from the shadows. Meanwhile I look out for Shun. Sounds like a plan?" He asked.

"Agreed!" Yubi replied. "You're okay with that as well?" He addressed the female part of the group.

"Yeah, let's see how our Standard-Counterparts look like!" Rin exclaimed.

"I'm curious about that as well." Kumo said.

"Maybe we will get to see one of those Action Duels!" Ruri cried out enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sounds good to me as well!" Shiryu finished.

"Great!" Yuga exclaimed, standing up from the table with the rest of the squad. "Then you girls should get changed and then we all head to our respective missions! Take care of the girls, Yubi!" He addressed the white and black haired boy.

"Sure." He replied with his usual stoic face. "Anyone who tries to harm them gets a Topologic Bomber Dragon in his face. Oh, and maybe a gun pointed at his head." He looked down at his revolver at the latter of these sentences. While it couldn't kill anyone, it still had several ways of inflicting severe damage, so underestimating it would be a grave mistake.

"I'm already in my new clothes, so I'm leaving now!" Yuga continued.

"Take care of yourself!" Shiryu addressed him as she approached him for a hug, a bit of concern in her voice.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Yuga reassured her before planting a small kiss on her cheek. They parted and Yuga grabbed his gray, hooded cloak.

"You're still gonna wear that?" Rin asked with a tiny bit of confusion in her voice.

"Of course! On my mission it's important to conceal my identity as much as possible. Also, since I'm going over rooftops rather than the streets of Maiami, there won't be any people to wonder about my suspicious choice of clothing anyway!"

"Fair point." Rin retorted. "Then good luck on your mission!"

"Thank you!" He replied, approaching the window and opening it.

"You're leaving through the window?" Ruri asked.

"Well, yes." Yuga responded. "There's a saying that applies to people like me who spend their whole life doing training and parkour."

"A saying? And what is that saying, may I ask?" Kumo inquired.

"It's pretty simple." Yuga retorted. "Only faggots take the door!" He yelled while jumping out of the window.

"You could have jumped from the balcony at least!" Shiryu shouted at him in a scolding manner, her head sticking outside through the now open window.

"Like I said, that's what a faggot would do!" Yuga responded midair, a few meters below her.

"Actually him going through the window makes sense." Yubi stated. "If he goes through the hotel, he'll draw unnecessary attention with his cloak. So him using another way is a logical way of behaving in his current situation."

"Do you always have to look at things from a strategic viewpoint?" Kumo asked her boyfriend.

"Why, yes." He responded. "Yuga jumps out of windows and I give reasons for him doing that. That's just how the both of us are like, right?" He asked as even his usual stoic expression changed into a small grin. The girls started laughing.

' _Man, this trip is meant to be serious! But with these ridiculous conversations, I just can't help but smile!'_ Ruri thought as they continued laughing.

* * *

 _Somewhere in Maiami City, late afternoon..._

"Where the heck is this guy?!" Yuga cried out in exasperation as looked over the area once more. "He must be somewhere in this city, so why isn't he showing up? I've been practically everywhere already and no trace of Shun Kurosaki!" Then he noticed a person walking on the street below him. "Wait, an LDS-badge? Judging from his age that man must be a teacher at LDS!" He tapped a button on his duel disk to display the list of LDS-Officials he had stolen when he had broken into the LDS-Building. "Let's see, brown hair with yellow highlights at the sides…" He murmured while scrolling down the list of pictures. "Ah, there it is! Professor Marco, Fusion Course! Wait a second!" He cried out in a low voice as the realization hit him, simultaneously spotting a shadow heading for the man down below on the street. "That must be him!" Yuga said with a smirk on his face as he immediately put two and two together. "So he must think he found someone related to Academia because that guy teaches Fusion and now he wants to take him down! Well, time for me to stop him then!" He cried out while he watched how the disguised person viciously threw the man into the nearest storage hall before entering it himself. Yuga jumped down and followed them after a few seconds.

* * *

 _Inside the storage hall..._

"Ouch!" Professor Marco cried out after an uncomfortable landing on the hard floor. "What was that for?!" He shouted in an accusing tone as the stranger followed him into the room.

"Spit it out!" The stranger addressed him in a harsh voice. "Where do you and your friends from Academia hide my little sister Ruri?!"

"I have no clue what you're talking about!" Marco shot back. "I neither know anything about your sister nor about that so called Academia!"

"LIES!" The man with the red scarf over his mouth screamed in anger, prompting Marco to flinch as a result. "I know you're with Academia, the fact that you are working for a man called Akaba and also using Fusion-Summoning proves it! Now prepare to duel me so that I can beat the information out of you the forceful way!" The stranger shouted, readying his duel disk.

Marco wasn't sure how to respond to that. Obviously the man wouldn't let him leave without a duel, so he was practically forced to accept his challenge. However, something about him prevented Marco from just agreeing to that duel. His instincts and the way the stranger behaved told him that there would be much more consequences than just a few scratches in case he lost.

The stranger noticed his hesitation and yelled at him once more as a result. " **COME ON** , ARE YOU RATS FROM ACADEMIA REALLY TOO COWARDLY TO ACCEPT A SINGLE DUEL WHERE BOTH SIDES ARE EVENLY MATCHED?! OR ARE YOU JUST WEAKLINGS WHO CAN'T FIGHT IF THEY DON'T OUTNUMBER THEIR OPPONENTS BY A RATIO OF AT LEAST THREE TO ONE?! **STOP WHINING AND DUEL ME ALREADY!** " The male shouted at Marco at the top of his lungs.

"Okay, then I guess that we will have to duel..." Marco began in an uncertain voice as he faced the fierce looking stranger's gaze, slowly raising up his arm.

"NOT SO FAST!" They suddenly heard a voice calling out. The stranger turned around to see another hooded figure entering the room.

"Who are you?!" The youth with the black sunglasses and the red scarf exclaimed as he saw the newcomer approaching.

"Who are you?" The stranger shot back, silencing the attacker since he couldn't reveal his identity for the reason of remaining undercover. "No answer? That's what I thought!" The smaller figure in the gray cloak continued. Then he turned towards Marco and addressed him. "You leave! Now!"

"If you say so, … then okay, … I guess..." Marco uttered in an uncertain voice as he made a few steps towards the exit, carefully walking around the stranger who had thrown him into this room.

"NO! You stay here!" The man with the red scarf yelled at him.

"Don't listen to him!" The other stranger reassured him, making Marco look at the second figure again. "Just go home and I'll deal with this problem on your behalf!"

"Thank you!" Marco murmured in a subdued tone as he made his way to the exit, hastily leaving the storage hall.

"YOU BASTARD!" The stranger with the red scarf addressed the other figure once they were alone. "How dare you to step in like that when I had this Fusion Scum cornered?!"

"Oh, that man was not affiliated with Academia in any shape or form. You're too hasty and jumping to conclusions only because your enemy Leo Akaba had once lived in this dimension and now you think that this man belongs to Academia only because he works for a certain company with your enemy's name on it. That's so shortsighted of you...", The person wearing the gray cloak began before his expression turned into a smirk, "… Shun Kurosaki!"

"What?! How do you know my name?! And since you just mentioned the dimensions that must mean you are from another world as well, isn't that right?!" The man in the long, blue trenchcoat addressed the other stranger.

"Well, first off, yes, I am from another dimension. And second of all, I learned about your departure from Xyz to capture the Professor's son who lives here in Standard. So someone attacking officials from LDS can only mean that it's either you or your friend Yuto."

"Wow, I'm impressed! You got me figured out!" Shun admitted. "Then I guess I don't need this anymore!" He said while taking off his sunglasses and lowering his scarf, revealing a teenager slightly older than Yuga with teal and black hair as well as piercing golden eyes.

"Anyway, I'm here to stop you from attacking and carding innocents in this dimension!" Yuga continued. "So I'm asking you politely to find another way to draw the attention of Reiji Akaba – one that doesn't hurt people if possible."

"Innocents?! **Innocents?!** " Shun shouted in anger. "First Yuto and now you as well?! These people aren't innocents, they're with the enemy, I know it! And I won't stop assaulting them if that means I can get back my sister!"

' _Oh, how unnecessary your efforts are.'_ Yuga thought. "In that case let us settle this with a duel! If I win, you'll have to stop trying to card or severely injure people from LDS if you attack them."

"And if I win?" Shun retorted.

"If you win you can do to me whatever you want and continue with your current ways. Deal?" He asked the youth from Xyz.

' _I could just try to overwhelm him physically.'_ Shun deliberated. _'But even though he's only slightly taller than Yuto, there's something about this guy that tells me not to do so!'_

Meanwhile Yuga had similar thoughts. _'If it comes down to a classic fight, I can easily beat Shun even with all of his war experience. With my hard childhood on the streets of Gishiki City and a whole life of training and exercise there is no way he can defeat me in a physical confrontation. But then I'll have to explain to Ruri that I beat up her brother. No, I can't do that, even though Shun probably deserves a lesson. I'll have to resort to a duel, for her sake!'_

"Fine then!" Shun spoke up, taking a few steps back until he was standing on about the same area as Professor Marco did before. "I will duel you! Prepare for defeat!" He shouted while he readied himself once more, the blue blade of his purple duel disk flashing to life.

"Me and defeat?! Keep on dreaming!" Yuga scoffed in response as he activated his own disk.

-" **DUEL!** "- Both of them cried out in unison.

* * *

 _A few hours before, somewhere else in Maiami City..._

"So this is You Show Duel School?" Shiryu stated as her and the rest of the five-man-group stood before the building where their counterparts learned dueling, now in their new clothes.

"The building looks a little bit bizarre, to say the least! Who the fuck was its architect?!" Rin exclaimed.

"True, it does look a little bit weird. How about going inside?" Yubi asked.

"Yeah, let's go. But stay quiet!" Kumo said as the group entered the building.

As the came in, they saw a small corridor with multiple people standing there, watching a duel that was currently being fought inside the dueling arena behind the windows. Lucky for them, nobody noticed their arrival.

"Wow, this is an Action Duel?" Ruri exclaimed in a low voice while looking out of one of the windows.

"Looks like it's a lot of fun!" Shiryu chimed in.

"Anyway, back to our mission, how do we watch them without anybody noticing us?" Rin asked.

"We'll use this!" Yubi replied as he reached for his revolver, tapping a few special buttons on it before pulling the trigger. A sphere formed around them, covering Yubi, the girls as well as some of the surrounding area.

"Wow! What is this?!" Rin exclaimed.

"That, my dear, is a force field I invented. Everything happening under this little dome here in invisible to the outside world and cannot be heard either."

"So we're basically muted and stealthed now?" Ruri asked.

"Correct." Yubi answered. "As long as nobody enters this field we can practically do everything now, talking, shouting and moving in here as much as we want without anybody noticing. Let's go to that corner so nobody accidentally bumps into us." He said while pointing at the edge of the corridor.

They walked over to that place, the stealth dome following them. After a few minutes, the duel ended.

"Man, you were pretty good today, Tatsuya!" Yuya praised the blue haired child.

"Thank you, Big Brother Yuya! But you were still able to defeat me despite my strategy working quite well."

Yuya scratched his head at that. "Yeah, I guess so. But I had Pendulum Summoning on my side, so this match was a bit more in my favor I guess."

"That duel gave me shivers!" Futoshi chimed in.

"Yeah, it was awesome!" Ayu added.

"Hey, how did you like my performance, Yuzu?" The green and red haired boy addressed his friend.

"Errr..., excuse me Yuya, what did you just say?" The pink haired girl said, looking up in the process. Apparently she had been lost in her thoughts just a second ago.

"I asked you how you liked my duel!" Yuya repeated.

"Errr..., I'm afraid I didn't pay attention to it, sorry Yuya." She replied in a subdued voice.

Yuya fell over dramatically. "Seriously?! I did so well and you didn't even watch?!" Then his expression turned serious again. "Apart from our walk here to You Show you seemed absent like that the whole day already. Is everything okay?" He asked while putting his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes with concern.

"It must be the fact that she has seen Yuto's face." Kumo commented within their safe bubble of energy.

"Yeah." Ruri agreed. "She must think that it was Yuya who attacked Sawatari and used Dark Rebellion against that guy." Ruri added.

"It's nothing." Yuzu responded in a low voice, looking slightly to the side, avoiding eye contact with her friend.

' _Man, that girl is so cute.'_ Yubi thought while watching the scene unfolding before him, looking at Yuzu in admiration. _'While the other new Bracelet-Girls look nice and are very sympathetic to me, there is something special about this one in particular. I really wish I could help her and ease her mind by telling her Yuya wasn't the culprit. However, I have to reveal myself for that. And I can't abandon my mission. Sorry Yuzu, another time I'm going to help you for sure!'_ He thought with – uncharacteristic for him – a bit of grief.

"If you say so." Yuya spoke up, still unsatisfied with her reply. However, he decided to drop the subject and headed to the class room with the rest of the You Show Crew.

"I think we should follow them." Shiryu advised.

"Agreed." Yubi said. "Let's go after them."

The little group followed the You Show Students under their protective dome of energy. The latter entered a small room after a short walk, sitting down on the chairs as Shuzo started his lecture.

"First off, let's talk about Normal Summoning..." The orange and brown haired adult began.

"Seriously? Normal Summoning?" Kumo exclaimed. "Does something so basic really need an explanation?"

"Apparently." Yubi stated.

The continued watching for a while. As Rin saw Sora behaving all casually now that he had calmed down from his encounter with Yuga, eating ice cream during the lesson, she exploded in rage.

"WHAT A JERK! Pretending to be their friend and then backstab them on the next best occasion!" She spat out in contempt.

Ruri eyed the Fusion-Spy with anger, albeit she didn't show her feelings as clearly as Rin had done before. "True. The people who become part of the society that their comrades will destroy eventually. Those are the worst of them all!" She hissed.

-"Uh!"- The rest of the group agreed in disdain.

"I have to admit though that he recovered pretty well from his heart attack during his encounter with Yuga!" Yubi stated.

"Since it's one of Fusion's best spies we're talking about here, that's no surprise, I guess. I bet Leo Akaba trains them to conceal their emotions." Kumo retorted.

They proceeded to observe how Sora conducted a "Fusion Summon" with vanilla ice cream and custard pudding. Yuya then warned Sora that him eating in class might get him a slap from Yuzu's infamous paper fan. However, he noticed that his friend was lost in her thoughts again, looking straight ahead with an empty expression on her face.

"Wow, that accident with Yuto really left its toll on her!" Yubi exclaimed. "I wish that I could just go outside, eliminate that Fusion Scumbag and explain the whole event to her!"

"But we need to remain undercover." Shiryu objected. "I would like to help her as well, but unfortunately we cannot do that as we have a mission here! "

"That's true. Then let's just keep watching." Yubi retorted.

Shuzo then asked Sora to explain Fusion before the class, however, said boy was too occupied with his sweets, prompting Shuzo to yell that eating wasn't allowed. Suddenly Yuzu stood up from her desk.

"Dad! Xyz!" She exclaimed.

"Huh? Xyz?" Her father retorted. Sora also perked up, which didn't remain unnoticed to the hidden group.

"We've never taught Xyz Summon here, right?" Yuzu added.

"Of course not!" Her dad responded. "I can't teach you about things I don't know myself. Even LDS has only started to teach it recently."

"Seriously, what's so difficult about Xyz?" Kumo wondered. "I learned the whole method in one afternoon, along with Synchro, Fusion and so on."

"Agreed." Shiryu said. "You take two or more monsters with the same level, stack them on top of each other and slap an Xyz-Monster with a rank that equals those monsters' levels on top of that pile. Then you detach some materials for their effects. How is this hard?" She asked with a sigh.

"Anyway,", Shuzo continued, "why are you even bringing up Xyz now?"

"No reason." Yuzu uttered in a subdued tone before slowly looking over to Yuya. An image of Yuto without his mask flashed over her mind as she gazed upon her friend, causing her to let out a small gasp.

"Huh? Is something wrong, Yuzu?" Yuya asked in a bewildered tone.

"It's nothing." Yuzu reassured him before she sat down again. Yuya's gaze remained upon her, wondering what she was thinking right now.

' _There's no way Yuya can use Xyz._ _'_ Yuzu thought. _'However...'_ She deliberated, her head starting to turn leftwards to Yuya again. Suddenly, her thoughts were cut short by cry coming from the outside.

"A surprise attack?! There's no way Yuya would do something so underhanded!"

"Gongenzaka?" Yuya cried out as he recognized the voice and stood up to run outside.

"We need to move now!" Yubi said as he and the little group standing at the open door took a few steps back. They made sure to not stand in the way as Yuya and the others ran past them, only a few feet away from the invisible spectators.

"Looks like the Leo Corporation is making its move now!" Yubi remarked. "Let's see what that Himika Akaba has in store for our Standard friends!"

* * *

"How do we get outside?" Rin wondered as Yuya and his friends made their way outside using the elevator. Considering that said thing wasn't very spacious it was indeed a good question how they could follow them unnoticed.

"We will use teleportation." Yubi stated.

"The traveling feature in our disks? They work for intradimensional travel as well?" Ruri asked in disbelief.

"Of course! If they can teleport us across dimensions, they can also port us the few meters outside." Yubi replied. "I just need to link our disks together so that we teleport at the same moment. Since my revolver's shield also jams signals caused by dimensional traveling within a dimension – in addition to the radar-invisibility our disks already have when traveling to another dimension – our presence won't be detectable, neither by Reiji and his sensors nor by Academia's if they have any of them here by chance. If we all teleport simultaneously, we will remain under the stealth field and no information about us being here will leak out." Yubi stated while typing a few buttons on his disk. "Now then, our disks are connected. Ready for the little jump?" He asked the girls.

-"Uh!"- They cried out in unison. They vanished and reappeared after a second, this time outside the building, still invisible to everyone.

"Wow, that was fast!" Rin cried out.

"It was only a few meters though." Kumo replied.

"Guess that's true." Rin admitted.

They resumed to observe after that. After a moment, they saw the door of the You Show School opening and Yuya and Shuzo storming out after that.

"What's all that fuss about?" Shuzo asked Gongenzaka as he approached him.

"Principal!" A tall, muscular teen with black hair styled into a large pompadour spoke while turning around to face the newcomers. "I, the man Gongenzaka, was just running to strengthen my legs when I noticed three suspicious guys peeking into You Show. When I questioned them, they said Yuya attacked them yesterday!" He stated, looking over to Sawatari's lackeys standing only a few meters away, all of them with sly smirks on their faces.

"Attack them?!" Shuzo cried out in indignation.

"Me?!" Yuya shot back in equal confusion.

"That's right! Don't tell me you forgot that already!" Lackey #1 exclaimed.

"We saw it with our own eyes!" Lackey #2 chimed in.

"There are four,… no, five witnesses!" Lackey #3 concluded.

"Five?!" Gongenzaka asked in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Lackey #3 replied. "Sawatari, us three… and her!" He yelled, pointing past Yuya and Gongenzaka. The two friends turned around to see whom the finger was directed at. Yuya gasped when he saw it was Yuzu, who had walked out of the elevator with the rest of the You Show Group.

-"Isn't that right, Yuzu Hiragi-chan?!"- The three underlings shouted in a jeering unison.

As all that happened, Zarc flew by in his usual ghost form to drop another one of his comments. _'Damn, their faces look like Jonouchi Katsuya's right now! Or Joey Wheeler, depending on where you live and what language you speak.'_ He said while looking at the three lackeys. _'Honestly, when I watched "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" as a kid back in the Original Dimension, I always wondered why that guy grimaced like that at times. And those guys over there could easily match his most famous facial expressions with that weird and idiotic look! I gotta remember to kill them as some of the first humans once I revive, those faces creep me out!'_

Meanwhile Yuzu took a step back due to the sudden yells of the three lackeys, her right arm angled towards her chest in insecurity.

"It that true, Yuzu? You saw it too?" Gongenzaka addressed her.

"Saw what?" Her father chimed in.

"The criminal's face!" Lackey #2 shouted, interrupting them. "The face of Yuya Sakaki assaulting the next mayor's son Shingo Sawatari!" The three underlings then pointed at Yuya.

"Ehhh?!" Yuya cried out, understandably with confusion in his voice.

"Stop lying!" Tatsuya screamed. "There's no way Yuya would do that!" He defended his friend.

"If anything, it was Sawatari who wanted to attack Yuya!" Ayu protested. "And Yuzu dueled him because she wanted to stop him!"

"Wait a second!" Shuzo interrupted. "So Yuya didn't duel him, but Yuzu did?"

"That's right!" Ayu responded.

"And her opponent was who?"

"Sawatari!" Ayu retorted.

"So does that mean …", Shuzo began, "… that Yuzu was the one who attacked them?!" He cried out melodramatically, clutching the sides of his head.

-"Wrong!"- The chibi-trio shot back.

"Like I said, it was Yuya Sakaki." Lackey #1 spoke up in exasperation.

"He's the one who assaulted Sawatari!" Lackey #2 added.

"Poor Sawatari!" Lackey #3 said in a compassionate tone. "He's so badly injured that he's been hospitalized!"

"What a brazenly lie!" Rin yelled under the sphere. "A rich brat faking his injuries, so typical!"

"Hospitalized?!" Yuya cried out in shock.

"Oh no!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"There's a change that he might not live!" Lackey #3 continued.

"What a wimp!" Shiryu stated in annoyance. "From what Yuga told us he's quite fine, enjoying his stay at the hospital! "Exaggerating" would be a nice word to use here!"

-"Agreed!"- Kumo and Ruri chimed in.

"What a bunch of payed actors!" Yubi added in disdain.

"If anything happens to Sawatari, how will you take responsibility?" Lackey #1 questioned Yuya.

"Responsibility? I..." Yuya began, his expression overflowing with both fear and confusion, some sweat drops forming on his face. He then looked leftwards and approached Yuzu at a fast pace. "Hey, please say something, Yuzu! You saw everything, right?!" He addressed the pink haired girl.

She looked at him for a second before averting her eyes again. "I did, but..." She began, but then she became silent once more. Yuya looked at her for a while before his eyes widened in realization.

"No! Impossible! Are you accusing me as well, Yuzu?!" He asked her in a shocked voice.

Yuzu turned her head back to him as she realized that she was hurting her friend by not defending him. "I..." She began anew. Then an image of Yuto flashed over her mind again, prompting her to widen her eyes a bit as well as causing a little gasp to escape from her lips. She averted her eyes a bit and turned her head again. As Yubi saw her conflicted face filled with guilt and insecurity, he wished once more that he could just help her by telling her everything. _'Damn mission!'_ He cursed within his mind.

A voice behind Yuya spoke up again, making him turn around to the speaker, who was Lackey #1. "If anything happens to Sawatari, the police will definitely arrest you!" He shouted at the green haired boy.

"The police?!" Shuzo exclaimed in a shocked tone, his jaw dropping visibly. He could swear that he was already hearing the faint sound of a police siren within his mind.

"Fuck the police!" Rin instinctively cried out upon hearing the accursed word that brought back unpleasant memories of Security chasing right after her and Yugo.

"Start from the beginning and explain what happened!" Shuzo addressed his two oldest students, meaning Yuya and Yuzu.

"I'll explain!" A voice suddenly called out. A limo arrived at the school and a middle aged woman stepped out of it.

"You're LDS's..." Shuzo began.

"Yes. I'm its chairwoman." The woman replied. After that, a smile crept on her face. "And my name is Himika Akaba!" The purple haired lady continued.

"Now shit's about to get real!" Shiryu commented.

* * *

"Well done! That was excellent acting!" Reiji's assistant Nakajima, who had accompanied Himika to You Show Duel School, praised the three goons as he gave them all a small envelope. They opened it and smiled with glee as each of them drew out a card.

"Like I said, paid actors." Yubi stated. "Shall we follow them and go inside again?" He asked.

"Yes, please!" Kumo replied. Sure enough her boyfriend pressed a few buttons on his disk again and teleported them inside where they saw the chairwoman of LDS and the people from You Show starting their conversation.

"Let's keep some distance again." Yubi advised. "With the room crowded like that someone could easily bump into us if we stand too centrally."

-"Uh!"- The girls agreed. They took a few steps back and moved to the edge of the the room as Himika Akaba began her speech.

"Everything they said was the truth!" She addressed Shuzo, sitting on a blue chair within the You Show School's main room, facing the principal who sat on a couch of the same color across from her. "LDS Student Shingo Sawatari was assaulted, and he testified that the culprit was Yuya Sakaki from You Show Dueling School."

"Hmm..." Shuzo closed his eyes, deliberating for a moment before turning his head rightwards to face the green and red haired boy. "Well, Yuya? Did you really do that?" He asked him.

"Of course not!" Yuya retorted, his desperation about the made-up accusations clearly visible on his face. "There's no way I would do that!"

"I, the man Gongenzaka, believe my friend!" The tall youth in the white clothes stated, supporting his friend. "And everyone else as well, right?" He addressed the rest of Yuya's friends.

"Of course!" Futoshi cried out, prompting Gongenzaka to nod is approval.

"And you, Yuzu? What about you?" He asked the pink haired girl.

Yuzu turned her head around before looking down again. Then she suddenly turned to Yuya, asking him a question. "Yuya! That really wasn't you?" She addressed him, seeking his confirmation.

They looked at each other, an awkward silence spreading across the room. Then Yuya closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he faced Yuzu with a serious expression. "I don't know what you saw..", Yuya began, "but I would never assault Sawatari!" He cried out.

Yuzu let out a small gasp of surprise at Yuya's serious and loud voice before a smile formed on her face. "Okay. I also believe you, Yuya." She replied.

' _She's so cute when she smiles like that.'_ The dueling champion from the Link-Dimension thought as he observed Yuzu, a very faint blush appearing on his face.

"Oh my, such solidarity!" Himika spoke up. "So I suppose that means you won't hand over Yuya Sakaki. But I can't back down either!" She said. Then her expression became extremely serious. "LDS is the #1 school in the industry!" She stated. "If the rumor that one of my students lost like that spreads, it would severely damage our school's image!"

"But like we already said, it wasn't Yuya!" Shuzo shot back.

"THAT NO LONGER MATTERS!" Himika shouted, causing a few gasps among the You Show Crew. "The problem is that you tarnished LDS's name!" Himika yelled, a fierce expression forming on her face. "In order to erase this dishonor, my students must battle you in a duel and win!" She cried out while standing up.

Shuzo looked up at her with both shock and fear on his face, his eyes wide open. "Compete in a duel?" He slowly uttered. The rest of You Show also gasped in shock, except Sora, who smiled at the thought of a duel that could bring some fun into this boring mission here in Standard.

"If you win, we will forget about the whole issue." Himika spoke up again as she sat down. "But if we win, we will take over this place and You Show Duel School will become part of LDS!" She announced.

" **What?!** " Yuya cried out in absolute shock.

"Now way!" Yuzu chimed in.

"It's not enough to clear your name?! You also want to take over You Show?!" Gongenzaka asked in outrage.

"Chairwoman Akaba,", Shuzo began once more, "I heard that you are buying many duel schools around the world. So you've also targeted our You Show School now?" He asked her. Her stern expression turned into a small smile at that sentence. "Does that mean that you staged this whole accident to take over our school?!" He questioned her with indignation in his voice.

"Definitely not!" She shot back. "But it's true that I'm using it as an opportunity. Along with Fusion, Synchro and Xyz, LDS could have another pillar – its fourth, Pendulum! Don't you think it's a waste for the whole world that you and your school are monopolizing that summoning method, Principal Hiragi? With our technology, we can easily reproduce those cards and turn Pendulum into a curriculum that anybody in LDS can take. With Leo Corporation's technological prowess we could teach that summoning method to many students. There are a lot of duelists who adore Yuya Sakaki because of that method, and this way even your own students could learn it as well once your school becomes part of LDS!" Himika said while looking at the young trio from the entertainment school. "And that's exactly why our schools have to become one!" Himika concluded.

' _Oh please,'_ , Zarc commented while looking at the wife of his old nemesis, _'the only thing that has to become one is me and my dragons!'_

A sly smirk then formed on Himika Akaba's face. _'And once You Show becomes one with LDS, I can investigate Yuya Sakaki more thoroughly.'_ She thought. _'And if he's mine or Reiji's enemy, meaning an ally of that man, then...'_ She began.

' _One of my fragments siding with Leo?!'_ Zarc cried out it anger, obviously able to read her thoughts. _'What are you, woman?! Stupid?! There's no way in hell even a part of me would help that accursed man! Well, maybe Yuri, but he only helps him because Leo provides savage duels for him, also known as my famous entertainment! Honestly, I think I like my Fusion-Fragment the most despite the fact that he serves Leo! He's just the most like me. Well, excluding Yuga when he gives into the better part of his personality and plays that sweet little Theater D of course. I gotta remember to also play some good background music as I destroy this world!'_

"A duel isn't a tool for fighting!" Yuya suddenly cried out, waking up Himika from her daydreams. He clutched the pendulum around his neck. "But I don't want anyone else to take You Show School or Pendulum Summoning! My father built You Show school to teach Entertainment Dueling! And I can't let someone who thinks that they can use money and power to take over every dueling school they want have our You Show School that teaches how to entertain people and make them smile!" The entertainer yelled with a determined expression, making the LDS chairwoman scowl at his resistance.

' _And just as I mention my two best counterparts, here comes the worst!'_ Zarc sighed in exasperation. _'Honestly, I think that all my naivety went right into that egao-fool when I was split up. If I had a real body and that guy wasn't a part of my revival plan, I'd strangle him to death right now!'_ He commented in his usual nonchalant manner. _''A duel isn't a tool for fighting!' - 'Entertainment Dueling that brings smiles!'_ – _Bah!'_ He spat out after imitating Yuya in an idiotic voice, mocking his fragment. _'A duel is to win, crush your opponent and to destroy everything while providing the greatest entertainment of all – total annihilation! And I will continue to win, until there's no human left in this world! Until the day when only one remains! Until that day when this world is destroyed!'_ He cried out, repeating his oath of wiping out humanity.

"Well said, Yuya!" Gongenzaka praised his friend. "I, the man Gongenzaka, wholeheartedly agree with you! In order to protect You Show School, I'll fight alongside my friend!"

"But you're not even a member of You Show." Sora pointed out in a sweet voice while jumping towards Gongenzaka, who froze melodramatically at his words. "If the schools are going to battle, then it should be Yuya, Yuzu and me." He suggested. "I've always wanted to battle an LDS-Student anyway!"

"What insolence!" Gongenzaka cried out in indignation, having regained his composure. "Excluding me, the man Gongenzaka! How inexcusable!"

"What a mess!" Shiryu stated while sweat dropping a little. "But I have to say that my boyfriend's Standard-Counterpart can be very courageous if need be. I like him." She said, a warm smile forming on her face.

"The same goes for me!" Ruri agreed with the azure and white haired girl. "Despite his goofiness he seems to be a really great person!"

"Oh, believe me, that is far from what you would define as goofiness!" Rin chimed in. "If you've lived with Yugo for as long as I have, then you'll understand the true meaning of that word!" She exclaimed. "I'm surprised that they didn't already insert his name in the definition of the word "goofiness" in the dictionaries!" She joked, prompting the small group to chuckle as a result.

"Sounds like he really got on your nerves at times, isn't that right, Rin?" The brown haired counterpart from the Link-Dimension asked.

"Oh, he did, that's for sure! But despite all that, I still like and care about him a lot!"

"But honestly, this whole event is pretty stupid!" Shiryu suddenly cried out in indignation. "That chairwoman uses an assault as an excuse to take over You Show!"

"As a tactician, that woman has my praise." Yubi chimed in. "She uses a rather negative incident to her advantage to expand her dueling school's influence. An excellent move! However, as a human, I can only say that this woman is a total bitch!" Yubi stated, his stoic face creating a strong antithesis to his harsh words.

"Whoa, such a strong choice of words is uncommon for you, Yubi!" Kumo commented with relative calm in her voice. However, you could still hear some of her surprise, despite her reserved way of talking.

"I'm just saying what's on my mind." Yubi retorted. "Anyway, looks like the fight is starting soon." He said, prompting the girls to return their attention to the surrounding events.

"It seems your students made their decision!" Himika stated.

"I also made my decision!" Shuzo replied with a resolute look on his face. "You Show Duel School..." He began, crossing his arms as his students assembled behind the couch.

-"… **YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!** "- The whole crew cried out in unison.

"They have an admirable team spirit." Yubi spoke up as his analyzing gaze wandered over the group of entertainers. "I have a feeling that they will be great allies."

"Me too." Ruri agreed. "It reminds me a little bit of my comrades from the Resistance to be honest."

"And what about us? Aren't we your comrades as well?" Shiryu asked her in a teasing manner.

"No... I mean, of course you are... err..." She shyly responded, uncertain what to say.

"I was just teasing you!" Shiryu laughed as she put a reassuring hand or the shoulder of her Xyz-Counterpart. "I already know that you value us as well from the way you behave towards us, so there's no need to say that out aloud!"

"Thank you!" She responded. "It's really great to know that you're all standing behind me and helping me to end this interdimensional war!"

"Isn't that our job?" She asked, a warm smile on the face of the Gishiki-Girl again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your little chat, but it looks like the duel is starting soon!" Kumo spoke up.

"Oh, right! Then let's watch it already!" Shiryu exclaimed.

They moved to another spot from where they could observe the duel better, but still far away enough to not come into contact with the spectators once they returned. As they looked out of the window, they saw both teams lined up.

"It will be a best of three!" Himika exclaimed, the three students she had brought along with her standing just next to her. "Whoever claims two victories first, wins!"

"Fine by me!" Shuzo responded.

"Then which one of your students will go first?" She inquired.

"Me! Me!" Sora cried out.

"No! I'm going first!" Yuya shouted.

"Of course!" Himika retorted. "Since the other two seem unreliable, you have no other choice than to start with Yuya. So if you want an early win..."

"Whatever, old lady! You clearly don't know how strong I am!" Sora pouted at the implied insult of his dueling skills by the LDS Chairwoman, puffing up his cheeks.

"Leave it be." Yuzu said in a pacifying tone as she playfully slapped her hand on the cyan hair of the younger student.

"But you shouldn't think that you'll win easily only because you send out your star student first!" Himika stated, her voice slightly condescending. "Because we have a star of our own!" She continued. "Yuya, these three are all in the Junior Youth Class, just like you." Then a smile formed on her face. "But they are also the aces of their respective courses, Fusion, Synchro and Xyz! And the one you will face is..."

"Me, LDS Xyz Course Student Hokuto Shijima!" A purple haired boy with a cocky grin on his face spoke up while taking a step forward.

"Xyz?" Yuzu uttered in a curious voice.

"There it is! LDS, Hokuto Shijima!" Ayu said, her as well as the rest of the chibi trio and Gongenzaka looking onto Tatsuya's duel disk's screen.

"His record this year is 58 matches with 53 wins? Wait, that's a win rate of over 90 percent!" The blue haired boy cried out in disbelief.

"That's right!" Hokuto replied. "Ever since I mastered Xyz Summoning, I won 40 matches in a row!"

"Wow, a win ratio of over 90 percent within one year?! Oh my god, that's so insane!" Kumo exclaimed in a sarcastic tone. "It's not like I have a boyfriend who has a 100 percent winrate over the course of three years – in the professional Dueling League that is!"

"Same here." Shiryu chimed in. "Never lost a duel in his life. And this guy is talking big as if he was the king of the universe. Also, didn't you say you were quite good as well, Kumo?" She addressed her Link-Counterpart.

"Well, she plays in the same Dueling League as me and has a win ratio of about 95 percent." Yubi responded in his girlfriend's place. "After I entered the professional Dueling League, she joined it as well. In the three years of our career she usually made it to the final rounds of tournaments like the World Championship. During my second year we even faced each other in the finale. I won though, despite the fact that she knew my deck and strategies pretty much in and out and cornered me pretty splendidly."

"Speaking of your career, how many matches have you won up until now?" Rin inquired in a curious tone.

"That depends on whether you count duels where I faced multiple opponents as one win or as the respective number of wins, one for every defeated foe." He replied.

"Wait, you dueled multiple opponent at once?! In the professional Dueling League?!" Rin asked in a surprised voice.

"Well, yes. I sometimes have 2 v 1- or even 3 v 1-Matches. And after the opening ceremony of the annual World Championship we usually have an exhibition match where the favorite for winning the championship faces five opponents."

"Five at once?! Isn't that a little difficult?" Rin questioned.

"Nah, after you get used to it, it's pretty easy. Though I have to admit that I was very nervous when my first World Championship came around and I was selected for the exhibition match. However, my fears turned out out be unfounded. I FTKed the first opponent with a combination of my Gumblar Dragon's and my Revolver Dragon's Extra Link-effects, then I held my ground for the four enemy turns, defeated two more opponents on my second turn after summoning more of my signature dragons; I milled one guy to death with my Revolver Dragon and he lost due to being unable to draw a card on his Draw Phase; finally I took control over the tower monster the last duelist summoned to protect himself using my Varrelload Dragon, then I went for the finish with my Whip Tail. Easy peasy, I tell you. With the right strategy, every duel is like going for a walk."

"Oh..., I see." Rin uttered, speechless about how easy his victory sounded when he told her about his first exhibition match. _'Damn, this guy is the real deal! If Yugo was just half as good as this guy, winning the Friendship Cup should be no problem for him at all!'_ She thought.

"Five opponents at once? That reminds me a bit of our World Championship!" Shiryu exclaimed. "There are two people left after the final round of our tournament. They either face each other in another round for the title, or, in case the current situation requires the Gishiki King to assert dominance over the world – because of political reasons for example – they face him as a tag team. Usually my father puts the two challengers in their place quite thoroughly using his Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon. It works great, no country has remained rebellious after one of those duels yet."

"So how many wins do you have then?" Ruri asked, bringing up the original subject again. "If you count wins against multiple opponents as one win, I mean." She quickly added.

"Hmm, let's see..." Yubi deliberated. "4379, if I remember correctly."

Rin's jaw dropped. "That many?!" She exclaimed incredulously.

"Yeah. I plan on reaching 10000 before I turn 18, so I can throw a little extra party once I become an official adult. I can invite you to that party, if you want of course." He replied.

"I'll gladly take that offer!" Ruri responded in her usual polite voice. "What about you, Rin? Are you coming as well?"

"Uhm..., well of course!" She hastily exclaimed after a short moment of hesitation due to the surprising question of her counterpart.

"I'll go visit your dimension as well once that happens!" Shiryu added. "Anyway, looks like the duel is starting soon." He spoke up again.

They looked through the window to see everyone but Yuya and Hokuto leaving the dueling room. They assembled back in the hall where Yubi and the girls were still hiding under their invisible cloak, observing the events. The You Show Students had rather worried expressions – especially Yuzu –, while the LDS Aces and Himika seemed to overflow with confidence. The latter of them then spoke up.

"My students can deal with any situation, so choose whatever you like!" She addressed Shuzo.

"Deal with any situation?" The principal of You Show asked. "Then how about this?! Action Field on! I activate the field spell Cosmic Sanctuary!" He cried out. "USE THE POWER OF THE STARS AND BATTLE, YUYA!" He shouted in his usual hot-blooded mannerism. The dueling room transformed into a realm filled with pillars and buildings looking like they were from Ancient Greek. True to its name, the sky was covered with stars, indicating that the field was supposed to be somewhere in space.

The Xyz Ace looked surprised before he clutched his head with one head and began laughing. "Hahahahaha! He chose a field where I'm an expert!"

"What?!" Shuzo exclaimed in surprise. And shock as well, apparently.

"Since his name is Hokuto aka Big Dipper, you could have easily figured that out." Sora remarked.

"Well, looks like Yuzu's father lacks a bit of knowledge in terms of astrology." Yubi stated, sweat dropping a little. "Also that little comment from Himika Akaba about having a star of their own was a pretty clear hint if you can read between the lines." The boy from the Link-Dimension added.

"I'm surprised that Sora even knows something about that kind of science." Ruri spoke up. "Does that accursed school teach astrology now? What does Academia plan, conquering the stars as well after they're done with the six dimensions?!" She said, the last part in an uncharacteristically scornful voice.

"It would be fitting for a megalomaniac like him!" Shiryu added in disdain.

Meanwhile on the dueling field, Yuya readied his disk, a determined expression forming on his face.

"I promise to definitely win this duel! I'll win and protect You Show School and my father's dueling!" He shouted.

"He's got resolve, I have to give him that!" Kumo stated. "Now let's see if his dueling can live up to his promises!"

"Duelists locked in battle!" Ayu began the Action Duel Chant.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Futoshi continued.

"They storm through this field!" Tatsuya finished.

"Behold! This is the newest an greatest evolution of dueling!" Ayu chimed in again.

-"ACTION..."- The two smaller boys exclaimed.

-"DUEL!"- Yuya and Hokuto cried out in unison.

The duelists began to bombard each other with their respective monsters after that. Hokuto took the first turn and summoned Constellar Algiedi and Kaus. Then he activated its effect to bump up their levels by one, making them both level five.

"Constellar, huh?" Ruri spoke up.

"You know that archetype?" Shiryu inquired.

"Yeah, it was a pretty popular deck back in my dimension before Academia came and carded everyone."

"Stars, huh?" Yubi spoke up. "Guess it was to be expected if that guy is already called Hokuto."

"Two level five monsters. Honestly, I'm curious about Standard's Xyz Summon." Ruri stated.

"It probably won't be able to stand up to your own dimension's though." Kumo remarked.

"Probably." Ruri retorted. "But I still want to see it."

"I overlay my level five Constellar Kaus and Constellar Algiedi!" Hokuto shouted.

"He's going to summon a Pleiades." Ruri remarked.

Both monsters transformed into yellow rays of energy before spiraling down into a galaxy-like vortex.

"Light of the stars, shake the earth and descend! XYZ SHŌKAN! Rank 5, Constellar Pleiades!" Hokuto cried out.

A new Constellar wearing white and golden armor appeared. After a short explanation about Xyz-Monsters, Ranks and Overlay Units by Sora – which understandably annoyed Ruri a bit since it was him talking about a method he actually looked down upon – Hokuto ended his turn. After that, Yuya used his two magicians to prepare the scales for his Pendulum Summon.

"Swing, pendulum of my soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! PENDULUM SHŌKAN! Come out, my monsters!"

From a portal within the air two monsters emerged, namely Performapal Sword Fish and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.

"So that's Pendulum Summon?" Rin said.

"It looks really cool!" Ruri cried out.

"So that's this ominous Pendulum Summoning?" Kumo stated. "And that Odd-Eyes must be Yuya's ace dragon. Apart from its colorful appearance it doesn't look too powerful though."

"Well, from what Yuga told me it has a Pendulum-Effect that has yet to be revealed. And its main effect is that it inflicts doubled damage if it battles a level five or higher monster." Shiryu replied.

"What?! That's all?!" Rin cried out in disbelief. "Yuga's and Yubi's dragons are both machines with like four effects or so, each of them more powerful than doubled damage against level five or higher monsters! That Fusion Bastard's dragon is insanely powerful as well! Even Yugo's Clear Wing is a force to be reckoned with! So why is Yuya's dragon so dull?! Geez!"

"Well, don't forget it can revive from the Extra Deck on each turn since it is a Pendulum-Monster. Not all powers of a card lie in their effects. Sometimes, the type of a card alone can make that card powerful. That's why even weak quick-play spells can be more impactful than strong normal spell cards, right?" Yubi countered.

"Oh... I suppose you are right with that." Rin uttered, surprised by the sudden lesson about cards and their strength. _'I guess he is a dueling champion after all. Of course he needs to have the respective game knowledge for that.'_ She added in her thoughts.

"By the way,", Yubi continued, "the radars in my revolver and my disk have picked up the signal of a newcomer."

"A newcomer?" Shiryu asked.

"Yes. Just around the corner."

They walked a few meters under their stealthing dome to see who is was. After they turned around the corner, they immediately saw him. It was a man wearing a black and red hoodie, light gray hair visible underneath it. He also wore red glasses and had purple eyes.

"Who is this guy? A spectator?" Rin asked out aloud.

"With the way he's hiding here, probably not." Yubi responded. "And my intuition tells me something here. That this guy is not a random nobody, but someone really important. I bet one of the chocolate bars Yuga gave me that this guy is none other than Reiji Akaba himself!"

"Reiji Akaba? Isn't that a little bit far-fetched, Yubi? Whatever, I bet one bar against it!" Kumo retorted.

"With how likely – or in this case rather unlikely – it is that this guy is the LDS Chairman, I side with Kumo." Rin chimed in.

"Very well!" Yubi replied. Then he looked over to the two remaining girls. "Anyone of you want to take a guess as well?" He asked them.

Shiryu shook her head. "I'll stay out of this. What about you, Ruri?"

"Same here." She responded. "I'd rather eat it right away instead of putting it on the line for a gamble." She then took out one of the bars, removed the packing wrapped around it and took a bite after doing that. "Mmmm, this stuff is delicious! Yuga knows for sure what quality is!" She exclaimed after finishing her little flavor test.

"Good to know." Yubi chimed in. "That will make my victory even sweeter once I win our bet!"

"Not so fast! You have to be right with your guess to do that, remember?" Kumo reminded him.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain that it is right. Anyway, the duel is still ongoing." He replied.

They looked back to the duel and saw how Yuya attacked with his Odd-Eyes, only to have it being returned to his hand mid-attack by Pleiades' effect.

"So this monster can bounce a card by detaching an Overlay Unit? Interesting!" Shiryu stated.

"But doing it mid-attack making Yuya fall down a few feet is a pretty underhanded tactic! That Hokuto seems to enjoy seeing Yuya suffer!" Ruri cried out in an indignant tone.

Hokuto repeated his game of returning Yuya's Odd-Eyes during the entertainer's next turn while said person was going for an Action Card. He fell again, sliding down the roof of one of the buildings before he saved himself by reviving his Performapal Sword Fish, stabbing into the roof with it and therefore stopping the forced ride down towards the ground.

"Now his Pleiades has no Xyz Material!" Yuya said, relieved that the bouncing game was finally over. However, Hokuto summoned a new Constellar and used its effect to revive Kaus.

"Two new monsters." Yubi remarked.

"Please go for a Hyades or an Omega at least!" Ruri prayed, eager on seeing some change in Hokuto's rather repetitive strategy.

"I activate Kaus' effect and raise the levels of my two Constellars by one!" The Xyz Ace from LDS yelled.

"Is he really going to do that again?" Shiryu asked in an annoyed tone.

"XYZ SHŌKAN! Rank 5, Constellar Pleiades!" Hokuto cried out for yet another time.

"Oh, come on!" Kumo shouted. "Are we playing Duel Monsters or League of Pleiades?! Gosh, do something different please!"

"I can Xyz Summon this card by using one Constellar Pleiades!" Hokuto continued as he selected his older version of that monster without any Xyz Material.

"So he's upgrading his monster. I see." Yubi stated.

"Dazzling light, rain down now!" Hokuto yelled. "XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear, Rank 6, Constellar Ptolemy M7!"

"Finally another Xyz Monster!" Rin cried out in joy.

"Not really." Ruri addressed her counterpart.

"Ehh?! What do you mean by that?" Rin asked.

"Well, effect-wise Ptolemy M7 is basically just a bigger version of Pleiades." The girl from Xyz responded.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rin screamed in exasperation. "What are we playing here, bouncing simulator?!"

"It would appear so." Yubi remarked in his usual stoic tone.

After that Hokuto started his offense, forcing Yuya to go for an Action Card while the building above him was collapsing. After a few seconds, it did and the rubble came crashing down on the field. However, Yuya stood up from the ruins after the dust cleared, triumphantly holding up the Action Card. He then used it to lower the ATK of the incoming Ptolemy M7, saving himself from defeat while also inflicting 500 burn damage to Hokuto. After that, Hokuto exploded in anger, stating he never lost any LP during his 40 consecutive wins.

"I ACTIVATE THE CONTINUOUS SPELL CONSTELLAR TEMPEST!" He screamed in outrage. "I can activate this card when I have at least two "Constellar" Xyz-Monsters!"

A meteor shower struck down on Yuya, causing him to run in order to avoid getting hit.

"Crumble!" Hokuto yelled. "Its effect halves your lifepoints at the end of a turn!"

"Disgusting!" Yubi stated with an unusual amount of emotion in his voice, disdain in this case. "We already knew that he was an arrogant person just from his talk and declarations about winning the duel right as it started. But now he freaks out and loses control over himself just because he took some damage! Neither good as a person nor as a duelist! Simply pathetic!" He exclaimed.

After that, Hokuto declared that he would do anything to finish Yuya off during his next turn as well as stating that a duel was a battle. In response to that, Yuya began his turn with his usual "Ladies and Gentlemen!" turning the fight into a more entertaining duel. By exploiting the fact that Xyz-Monsters don't have a level, he made a comeback and won against Hokuto, therefore claiming the first victory for You Show Duel School.

"Well, that was one repetitive duel." Rin sighed. "Hokuto with his bouncing strats as well as Yuya's Pendulum Summon. Despite the fact that it looks quite interesting, it just gives you the "Over-and-over-again"-vibe!"

"But in a way it is very similar to my dueling." Yubi remarked.

"What do you mean by that?" Kumo asked him.

"Well, while our dueling personas differ by quite a lot, both of us are entertainers."

"Well, except the fact that you impress the spectators with powerful and unexpected tactical plays and playing crazy background music while Yuya focuses more on doing circus tricks and other silly things, if what Yuga told me about him was correct." Shiryu remarked.

"True. But that doesn't make him any less of an entertainer than I am!" Yubi countered. "And also his Pendulum Summoning, reviving his monsters again and again, could be interpreted as a form of Warfare Dueling, just like my Reloading Style that revolves around keeping a healthy number of backup cards in your hand."

"Well, he said that a duel wasn't a battle, so your mentality of viewing duels as a war differs a bit from his, doesn't it?" Kumo retorted.

The Link-Counterpart rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess that this is true. But at least that mentality of dueling to bring smiles instead of using it for war should please a certain purple haired girl here. Right, Ruri?" He addressed her.

"I have to admit that I agree on that idea with Yuya. You can truly see that he is the son of Yusho Sakaki after you've met both of them in person like I did."

"Now then, that's one win for You Show." Shiryu stated. "Let's see how the next duel goes!"

They watched how the next contestants of the school-battle readied themselves. Yuzu still looked troubled while Masumi Kotsu, the LDS Fusion Ace, had a confident expression.

"It's the incident with Yuto." Ruri spoke up. "She's still not sure whether Yuya was the culprit or not."

' _She's so distracted because of that accident.'_ Yubi thought. _'With her mind clouded like that, there's now way she'll win against an ace from LDS. I wish that I could help her somehow!'_ He gritted his teeth at the least sentence. Kumo, who looked over to him at that exact moment, noticed it.

' _That amount of emotion is unusual for Yubi. Maybe it's because of her.'_ She turned around to eye her Standard-Counterpart. _'I will have to keep an eye on that whole thing if it's really like how I think it is.'_

The duel began and both of them went all-out. However, Yuzu got fooled by the reflection of an Action Card in one of the crystal pillars of the Action Field. Shortly after, the final attack connected on her, sending her flying.

' _I knew it. In that situation, a loss was unavoidable.'_ Yubi debated with himself. _'However...'_ He scowled as he remembered Yuzu's cry as the coup de grace was received by her. Suddenly he felt the strong urge to punch something. Or somebody.

' _Interesting!'_ Zarc remarked as he flew by in his spectral from again. _'Because of his crush on that Standard-Fragment of Ray even my calm and stoic Link-Fragment would get violent. I have to keep that in mind so I can exploit it later!'_ He said as a sly smirk formed on his face.

The field dissolved and Yuya left the spectator's room to check if Yuzu was okay and to comfort her. Which resulted in a quite awkward scene and Yuya getting pushed away by her once she realized that she was resting her head on Yuya's chest. A small grin of satisfaction formed on Yubi's face as he watched his Standard-Counterpart hitting the ground from the sudden push of Yuzu.

"One win on both sides. Let's see how this battle ends!" Ruri spoke up.

After a while, the final matchup was decided. Gongenzaka faced Yaiba Todo, the Synchro Ace. After a series of special summons Yaiba called forth his first Synchro-Monster, X-Saber Souza.

"X-Saber, huh?" Rin spoke up.

"I take it you know that archetype, just like Ruri did with the Constellars?" Yubi asked.

"Uh huh. It's a strong swarming deck which is used by a few people in my dimension. Albeit not as strong as your Vullets, of course!" She quickly added.

The duel became more and more intense. However, Gongenzaka refused to grab any Action Cards, much to the spectators' confusion. He explained that it was part of his Steadfast Dueling to remain unfazed, therefore also not relying on Action Cards.

"What is he doing?!" Kumo questioned with a tone that clearly indicated her lack of understanding. "If he doesn't use one of those Action Cards, he'll lose!"

"I can respect his choice." Yubi abruptly stated, prompting the girls to turn around to him. "In my opinion, a duelist should mainly rely on his own strength. I wouldn't use an Action Card unless it's absolutely necessary. These cards just soften the duelists in this dimension if you ask me."

"I remember Yuga saying something pretty similar about Action Duels, dulling the skills of this dimension's duelists. I guess the two of you really are similar in more than just looks and this whole dimensional-counterparts-thing." Shiryu retorted.

The duel went on and Gongenzaka was continuously getting more and more corned. However, he made a comeback with his Superheavy Samurais and the duel ended in a draw.

"A draw?! For real?! What are the odds?!" Shiryu cried out.

"I'm more intrigued about that deck of Gongenzaka with only monsters. He should maybe add some copies of Sekka's Light for some draw engine." Yubi said in his usual strategic mannerism.

Meanwhile Shuzo concluded that for taking over You Show, LDS needed two wins. Since both teams had only one win plus one draw however, the LDS Crew didn't meet that requirement, therefore resulting in You Show remaining an independent Dueling School. Himika insisted on a final round to settle things since a draw wasn't a satisfying result for her. She suggested that the two winners – meaning Masumi Kotsu and Yuya – should face each other in one last clash to decide the end result. However, the man leaning against the wall in his black-reddish hoodie seemed to have other plans as he left his cover and approached the duelists from You Show and LDS.

"NO! He'll be facing me!" He cried out as he removed his hood.

Yuya's expression turned serious as he prepared for the incoming duel. "And who are you?!" He addressed the newcomer in an intense voice.

"My name...", The stranger began, closing his eyes while pushing up his red glasses before he opened his eyes again and his expression became serious as well, "…is Reiji Akaba, otherwise known as the chairman of Leo Corporation!" He cried out, shocking everyone in the room besides Himika and her students.

"Hah! Told you!" Yubi cried out in triumph.

"How did you know that it was him?" Kumo asked with curiosity in her voice.

"It's simple." Yubi retorted in his usual stoic and analyzing manner. "The way he looked gave it away. That stern, meticulous expression of his. That's something only a person with power like him could have. Especially considering the fact that he's obsessed with his revenge against Leo Akaba and that he's planing something as difficult as defeating an entire army of Academia-Soldiers. Now then, I'd like to have your stakes please! Two bars of chocolate in total, if I remember correctly. But...", He began while looking at his girlfriend, "...you can also pay with a kiss, if you want!" He offered with a faint grin on his face.

"Really?" She asked. "That's more of a reward instead of a loss! Also...", She tilted her head a bit, "I'm quite surprised that you even want to kiss when people are around. Usually you are a bit more cautious when it comes to showing affection in public."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that's right, I suppose. But I think it helps that we are currently standing under an invisible dome of energy that hides us from these guys. And I don't mind the other girls too much since they're basically your doubles. Now then, yes or no?" He addressed his girlfriend.

"Yes of course!" She replied before closing in for the kiss. After a while they parted, leaving a small trail of saliva between their lips. "Next up, how about you, Rin? Are you going to pay in kisses as well?" He addressed the Synchro-Girl in a joking tone.

' _Now's the chance!'_ Her inner voice called out to her. _'Now you can kiss the guy just like Kumo did without anybody making a fuss about it! - But what about Yugo? I want my first kiss to be with him!'_ She retorted to the other half of her personality. _'Fuck Yugo!'_ It shot back at her. _'He can't even cook you something without burning the whole dish!'_ Her internal struggle continued for a while before Yubi spoke up to her again.

"I was just making a joke, Rin. Just hand over one bar and we are done with this whole issue!" He said as he noticed the cause of her insecurities.

"Sure..." She slowly uttered. "Here you go." She handed him over the chocolate bar that she had bet on the mysterious person's identity.

"Now then, looks like another duel is going to start soon." Shiryu stated. They looked up to see both Yuya and Reiji standing in the dueling room with the Action Field already activated.

"And so the final duel of this day begins." The azure and white haired girl continued. "I wonder what Yuga is doing right now..."

* * *

 _Storage hall, Maiami City..._

 **DUEL!**

 **YUGA VS. SHUN**

 **YUGA: 4000**

 **SHUN: 4000**

"I'll take the first turn!" Shun yelled. "I normal summon Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And its effect allows me to special summon another Raidraptor from my hand during the turn it was summoned. Come, Raidraptor – King's Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – King's Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1000/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Then the I activate the continuous spell Raidraptor – Nest! Once per turn, while I control two or more "Raidraptor"-monsters, this card allows me to add a new Raidraptor from my deck to the hand! I select Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius. And if I control a Raidraptor other than Fuzzy Lanius, it can be special summoned from my hand!"

 _Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 500/DEF 1500/Winged Beast/Effect_

"To not run out of cards, I replenish my hand with this! Raidraptor – Sanctuary! If I control 3 or more Raidraptors, I can draw two cards!"

He drew two cards from his deck, bringing his hand back to three cards.

"Now I overlay my Vanishing and my Fuzzy Lanius to construct the Overlay Network!"

The two monsters flew down into the galaxy portal, which then exploded with a bright flash of light.

"Avian Hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SHŌKAN! Take flight! Rank 4! Raidraptor – Force Strix!"

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 100/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

A mechanic owl appeared on Shun's field in defense position.

' _As I thought, he's going for a defensive play since he took the first turn. He'll probably try to provoke me into summoning high ATK monsters to take down his defense, only to retaliate even harder with his Rise Falcon on the next turn. Good that Ruri informed me about his cards!'_ Yuga thought, a knowing smile creeping on his face.

"You will soon stop grinning when I unleash my full power on you!" Shun shouted at him as he noticed the facial expression of his opponent.

"Oh, is that so? Then go ahead, make me drop that smirk of mine!" Yuga challenged him with a grin.

"Very well! I detach one Overlay Unit from my Force Strix! By doing so, I can add one level four or lower Dark Winged Beast-Type monster from the deck to my hand! I select **Raidraptor – Barrier Lanius**! Then I activate the effect of my Fuzzy Lanius which I detached by this effect! If it's sent to my graveyard, I get to add another copy of it from my deck! Next up I activate the effect of my King's Lanius! Once per turn, I can special summon one Raidraptor from my hand! Come, Barrier Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Barrier Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 600/DEF 1800/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And I overlay it and my King's Lanius! Avian Hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SHŌKAN! Take flight! Rank 4! The second Raidraptor – Force Strix!"

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 100/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"And by detaching King's Lanius from it, I add another copy of Vanishing Lanius to my hand! Also my Force Strixes gain 500 ATK and DEF for every Winged Beast-Type monster I control other than themselves!"

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix (X2): ATK 100 → 600; DEF 2000 → 2500_

"Next I set two cards face-down! And as I end my turn, I activate this card!" He showed a quick-play spell to Yuga. " **Raidraptor – Flock**! I get to draw one card for every two Raidraptors I summoned during this turn, plus another one! As a restriction, this card can only be activated if I didn't declare an attack during this turn! But since it is the first turn, that doesn't matter! Since I summoned six Raidraptors, that's three cards! Plus another one, just as I said!" He drew four cards after that, bringing his hand to six.

"A nice board for the first turn. Plus you've got six cards in your hand as well! I'll have to admit that you're pretty good!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Spare me with your praise, I don't need any of it!" Shun shot back. "Now make your move or end your turn so I can finish you!"

"Such an impatient fellow!" Yuga sighed, still wearing all of his disguise. "Very well then, I draw! From my hand, I activate the field spell card Magical Gishki Pentagram! With its effect, not only all Gishki Magicians gain 300 ATK and DEF, but I can also add one "Gishki Magician"-Monster from my deck or graveyard to my hand during each turn! I select Gishiki Magician – Sorcerer, which is a monster that can be special summoned if he's added to my hand by a card effect!"

 _Gishki Magician – Sorcerer_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200 → 1500/DEF 1400 → 1700/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Next up I normal summon Gishki Magician – Caller!"

 _Gishki Magician - Caller_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 1300 → 1600/Spellcaster/Effect_

"When this monster is summoned, I get to choose from two options! The first one is adding one Gishki Magician from the deck or grave to my hand! The second one is to special summon one Gishki Magician from my hand! I choose the second one! Come, **Gishki Magician – Promoter**!"

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600 → 1900/DEF 1000 → 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Three monsters right off the bat? You're not messing around either!" Shun said.

"That's right!" Yuga responded. "But the real show has yet to begin! Once per turn, by discarding one Gishki Magician from my hand, my Promoter allows me to bump up the levels of all monsters I control by up to that monster's level! I discard the level four Gishki Magician – Defender, so now I can raise the levels of all my monsters by up to four!" He smirked. "Of course I select the full level for each of them!"

 _Gishki Magician – Caller: Lvl 4 → 8_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 4 → 8_

 _Gishki Magician – Sorcerer: Lvl 3 → 7_

"And next up I activate the effect of my field spell! Once per turn, my Pentagram allows me to increase the levels of all monsters I control up to the number of "Gishki"-Monsters on my side of the field!"

"What?! The same effect as your Promoter?!" Shun cried out in shock.

"Yes! Which means that I now can increase the levels of my monsters by up to three! And as with my Promoter, I get to choose it for each of them separately!"

' _This is bad!'_ Shun thought. _'If he bumps up his Promoter and Caller by two levels respectively, while also choosing the full three levels for his Sorcerer, he can go for a Rank 10 Xyz-Monster with three materials!'_

"I select the full level for all of them!" Yuga stated.

 _Gishki Magician – Caller: Lvl 8 → 11_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 8 → 11_

 _Gishki Magician – Sorcerer: Lvl 7 → 10_

"What?! But that ruins an Xyz-Play!" Shun exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it does. But who said that I was going for a three-way Rank 10-Summon anyway?" He asked the Resistance Member. This left Shun speechless, so he simply continued. "Now I offer my Caller and my Promoter! By doing so, I can meet the requirements for my Ritual-Monster!"

"But you need to activate a ritual spell card first!" Shun cried out.

"Not in this case!" Yuga retorted. "You see, the Ritual Summon I prefer to do works a little bit different. I send the materials from my side of the field to the grave with a total level equal or higher than the desired Ritual-Monster. Then I Gishiki Summon the monster from my Extra Deck!"

"WHAT?! A Gishiki Summon from the Extra Deck?!" Shun cried out in disbelief.

"Yeah! This is what I call a Chō Gishiki!"

"Chō… Gishiki." Shun quietly uttered, still not fully recovered from Yuga's revelation.

"Magicians serving the cult of Gishki, awaken your hidden powers and call forth another sorcerer who has acquired infinite knowledge about the fabric of this world itself! The master of magic, wielding limitless wisdom! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 10, **Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage**!" Yuga chanted.

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage_

 _Dark/Level 10/ATK 3200/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect_

Shun stared in awe as Yuga's yet most impressive Gishki Magician made its entrance. "So that's Chō Gishiki?" He stammered. "But what I don't understand, if your Magician is level ten, why did you tribute multiple monster instead of just one?" He asked in confusion.

"Because my Magician requires at least two monsters in order to be summoned." Yuga retorted. "But don't worry, I will get some benefits for using two monsters now! Or rather you won't get them, since my Mighty Sage inflicts 100 burn damage for each level its materials had in total!"

"So you're saying that I will take 2200 damage now?!" Shun exclaimed.

"Correct. Now if you will, Sage? Blazing Decree!"

The magician raised its right hand to send waves of fire down at Shun. It didn't leave any noteworthy real damage though since Yuga had turned down the Real Solid Vision-Level of his disk by quite a bit.

 **SHUN LP: 4000 → 1800**

"Damn you!" Shun gritted his teeth. "Are you finished now?!"

"Not by a long shot!" Yuga retorted. "Next I offer my Sorcerer for another Chō Gishiki! Magician serving the cult of Gishki, awaken you hidden powers and call forth the master of the elements! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 7, Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2600/DEF 2400/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect_

"And his effect increases the ATK of all "Gishki"-Monsters by 500 for every Ritual-Monster I control! With two of them, that's one stack right onto them! Plus 300 ATK and DEF through my Pentagram's effect!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: ATK 2600 → 3900; DEF 2400 → 2700_

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: ATK 3200 → 4500; DEF 2800 → 3100_

"That's quite a lot of attack points!" Shun stated. "Will you use them to overrun my Strixes now?" He challenged him.

"Not quite yet." Yuga responded. "First I'll lower the level of my Sage by one! By doing so, I can draw a card! This effect is a once per turn though, so you don't have to worry about me drawing too much cards by it!" He declared with a small grin on his face.

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage:Lvl 10 → 9_

"Draw!" He yelled. "You know what, actually, I lied! From my hand, I activate the spell Pot of Greed!"

"Pot of Greed?! What is that card?! I've never seen it before!" He cried out.

"Of course you haven't!" Yuga retorted. "That card is so rare that you only need one hand to count the number of existing copies for each dimension!"

Shun's eyes widened at that declaration. "Such a rare card..." He uttered. "Then what does it do?!" He exclaimed.

"It has quite the simple effect actually! You only need three words for describing this card! Which are "Draw two cards"!" He shouted before doing just that, bringing his hand back to four.

"A draw-two-card without any requirements? That's quite a powerful card!" Shun stated.

"I know right!" Yuga asked. "Now then, battle! My Mighty Sage attacks your first Force Strix!" He cried out.

The attack connected and Shun's monster exploded. However, a serious expression formed on the Raidraptor-Duelist's face as he flipped up a face-down.

"Quick-play spell activate! Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force! If a "Raidraptor" Xyz-Monster is destroyed, this card brings it back and special summons one "Raidraptor" Xyz-Monster from my Extra Deck which is one rank higher! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Come forth in defense position, Raidraptor – Stranger Falcon!"

 _Raidraptor – Stranger Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 5/ATK 2000/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Well, then I'll take out your other Strix next to stop your search engine! Go, Great Alchemist!"

"An Xyz-Monster with Raidraptor – Barrier Lanius as its material cannot be destroyed by battle!" Shun pointed out. Sure enough, the attack failed and his mechanical owl survived.

"As its name suggests, it's a defensive monster. That's why you specifically detached King's Lanius instead of it, right?" Yuga asked his opponent.

"Correct!" Shun replied. "Now end your turn!"

"Not yet! First I activate my Gishiki Magician – Great Alchemist's effect! I gain 500 lifepoints for every Ritual-Monster I control. So that's 1000 for me! Magician's Blessing!"

 **YUGA LP: 4000 → 5000**

"I set two cards face-down. Turn end!" Yuga declared.

* * *

 _At You Show School..._

Meanwhile Reiji and Yuya had begun their duel. Reiji started with three Dark Contract-Cards that granted him benefits in return for taking 1000 damage per contract during his Standby Phase. He then used one of the contracts as a substitution for a normal Polymerization-Card.

- **"** **Hellhound that bares its fangs! Vamp of the dark night!** **In a whirlpool of light from the realm of the dead, become one and give birth to a new king!** **YŪGŌ SHŌKAN** **! Be born! Level 6! D/D/D Flame King Temujin!"** -

The spectators gasped in awe as Reiji summoned his Fusion-Monster.

"A Fusion, huh?" Ruri spoke up. "Could he be with his father after all?"

"It's too early to jump to conclusions." Yubi countered. "Only because he used Fusion first doesn't mean that he's with the enemy. If we continue to watch, he might turn out as an ally. Give him a little bit more time." He said.

"Very well then. But I hope this guy doesn't do any more Fusions. While I'm slowly getting used to them, I'm still not much of a fan yet." Ruri retorted.

"Fair enough." Yubi replied.

"Anyway, we already know that D/D means different dimension. But what does the third "D" mean? Any ideas? You, Yubi?" Kumo asked.

"Taking into account that his monster is a Fiend-Type, "Demon" would be a good guess. Considering both terms are often used as synonyms that should make sense, I think."

Reiji then went for an attack which Yuya blocked. As Yuya began his own assault, Reiji activated yet another contract, bringing their number up to four.

"What is he doing?!" Rin exclaimed in confusion. "He's killing himself!"

Reiji blocked the attack and Yuya ended his turn after setting a card.

"That's very unlikely." Yubi replied to Rin's previous statement.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" She asked him.

"He would never lose because of his own card effects. As Sora also realized, his Dark Contract with the Witch was somehow disabled during the battle, making Temujin lose his newly gained ATK again. Also Reiji activated an Action Card despite the fact that his Spell and Trap Zone was already full. So that leads me to the conclusion that he must have activated his face-down card to make room for it, which apparently disables all Dark Contracts and very likely also gives him a compensation as well."

Sure enough Reiji revealed that he had destroyed all of his contracts with his trap card Contract Laundering, allowing him to draw one card for every destroyed contract, meaning four. Then he went for a series of summonings and used these monsters as materials for even greater monsters.

 **-"Howls that tear through the night! Gain the swiftness of a gale and become the cries of a newborn king! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"-**

 **-** " **In order to subjugate all that resides in this world, now descend onto the peak of the world! XYZ SHŌKAN! Be born! Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"-**

"Synchro as well as Xyz?" Shiryu remarked. "I knew that this guy was a strong duelist right after I saw him activating his duel disk."

"His D/D/Ds seem to be based on ancient warlords." Kumo added. "And quite successful ones at that! Temujin – otherwise known as Genghis Khan, leader of the Mongolian empire – , the great Macedonian king Alexander and the Roman commander and ruler Julius Caesar. Quite an intersting trio." She remarked.

"I wonder if you can kill that Xyz by stabbing it with some knives like they did with the real one!" Ruri joked.

"Anyone here with the name of Brutus or Cassius?" Rin chimed in, prompting the small group to laugh.

Meanwhile the other spectators were shocked because of Reiji using three summoning methods at once, Himika grinning at her son's Xyz Summon.

"He's mastered three summoning methods." Shuzo stated in awe. "This is Reiji Akaba!"

Said person then adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"D/D/D stands for Different Dimension Demon!" He said. "Taste the powers of the demons kings that have conquered different dimensions."

"Wow, you were right again, Yubi! I'm glad I didn't bet a second bar of chocolate!" Rin said.

"I don't like his choice of words. Conquering different dimensions. That sounds too much like his father." Ruri spoke up.

Yubi shrugged his shoulders. "I bet it's just a metaphor or a means to intimidate Yuya. But you are right, that sounds suspicious indeed."

Reiji then went on the offensive, however, Yuya blocked some of his attacks before retaliating. But before Reiji's next turn came around, he exchanged his kings for new hand cards while also avoiding effect damage from his own Caesar. And what came next took all of them by surprise.

"With Scale 1 D/D Savant Galilei and Scale 10 D/D Savant Kepler..." Reiji began.

"WHAT?!" Yuya cried out, realizing where this was going.

"I SET THE PENDULUM SCALE!" Reiji finished. "Now I can summon monsters between level two and nine simultaneously!" He continued while his two monsters rose up in their respective pillars.

"They're Pendulum-Monsters?!" Gongenzaka exclaimed.

"Impossible!" Yuzu cried out.

"No way!" Sora chimed in.

-"Now that's an interesting development!"- Yubi and Shiryu stated in unison.

"Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and become a new light that rends the darkness! PENDULUM SHŌKAN! Come before me, my monsters!" Reiji chanted.

Yuya and his friends gasped and looked up in disbelief as three monsters slowly descended from a portal within the sky.

"The three transcendental deities who rule over all kings! D/D/D Doom King Hell Armageddon!" Reiji cried out as three identical monsters arrived on the field.

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the storage hall..._

"It's my turn! Draw!" Shun shouted. "I activate the effect of my Raidraptor – Stranger Falcon! By detatching one material from it, I can destroy a monster you control and inflict its ATK as damage! I select your Mighty Sage! Take this! 4500 points of damage!" He cried out.

"Not so fast!" Yuga exclaimed. "While my Mighty Sage is on the field, "Gishki"-Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects, except by monsters with a level higher than my Sage! Since your Xyz-Monsters don't have levels anyway, they are inferior to that power! Gishki Protection!"

"What?!" Shun shouted as Mighty Sage easily blocked the effect and deflected the missile, taking his falcon's efforts not the least bit serious. "But they can still be destroyed by battle!" He yelled after a while, having found out the magician's weakness. "From my hand, I normal summon another Vanishing Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And then, by its own effect, I special summon Fuzzy Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 500/DEF 1500/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Finally I special summon Raidraptor – Sharp Lanius using the effect of my Vanishing Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Sharp Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Five monsters? Looks like you're serious right now!" Yuga exclaimed.

"And it's still far from over!" Shun yelled. "I activate the effect of my continuous spell Raidraptor – Nest and add Raidraptor – Singing Lanius to my hand! Then I overlay my Fuzzy, Sharp and Vanishing Lanius to construct the Overlay Network!"

The monster swarmed together in the galactic vortex.

"Obscured falcon, raise your talons sharpened by adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Now witness the falcon's ascension! From the shadows, it soars up to the summit of power! XYZ SHŌKAN! Come forth! Rank 4! Raidraptor – Rise Falcon!"

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 100/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

' _Only 100 ATK.'_ Yuga thought. ' _However, it has a powerful effect to compensate for that!'_

"And then I activate this spell card!" He showed Yuga a green colored card with the Raidraptor-Symbol on its artwork, surrounded by a fiery aura. " **Rank-Up-Magic** **Lanius Force**! With its effect, I can target a number of "Raidraptor"-Monsters and then rank them up into stronger Raidraptors with a higher rank! And the number of Raidraptors I currently control determines the maximum rank increase! Meaning with three of them, I can rank-up each of them by up to three now! First off, I'll reconstruct the Overlay Network with my Force Strix!"

The mechanical owl flew up and was enveloped by a dark aura as it transformed into a new Raidraptor.

"Resolute falcon, soar into the air and rain down hell on them with your weaponry! Turn the battlefield into a blazing nightmare for my foes as you bombard them from the skies! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Take off! Rank 7! Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon!"

 _Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

Another mechanical falcon appeared next to Rise Falcon. However, this one was way heavier armed than its college.

"Next up I take my Stranger Falcon and reconstruct the Overlay Network with it as well! This time, I choose to only rank it up by one rank rather than three!"

The second Raidraptor repeated the previous one's move as it flew up into the air as well.

"Prideful falcon, spread your wings dyed in the blood of heroes, and with a blazing trail, charge through the path of revolution! Lock your gaze upon our ill-fated foes as you vanquish them all in the flames of revolution! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Rank 6! Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon!"

 _Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2000/DEF 3000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Impressive! But aren't you gonna rank-up Rise Falcon as well?" Yuga inquired.

"I like it as it is! Now then, prepare for utter humiliation! My Revolution Falcon might not be able to destroy anything with its effect, but an attack will be a whole other story! I reveal my face-down! The trap card **Raidraptor – Final Confrontation**! This card allows me to target a number of Raidraptors. They cannot destroy or be destroyed in battle this turn. I target my Arsenal and my Rise Falcon! Then they gain 1000 ATK for every "Raidraptor"-Monster I now discard." He discarded his entire hand at those words, meaning five cards, raising his monsters ATK by 5000.

 _Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon: ATK 2500 → 7500_

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon: ATK 100 → 5100_

"Moreover the attacks of all my "Raidraptor"-Monsters cannot be negated this turn! And then my Rise Falcon also activates its special ability! Once per turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, it gains the ATK of all your special summoned monsters until the End Phase! Falcon's Rise!"

His monster absorbed the power of Yuga's monster at that, surrounding itself with a flaming aura as it practically overflowed with energy.

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon: ATK 5100 → 13500_

"And did I mention that it can attack all of your special summoned monsters? Because it can!" Shun continued. "In addition to that, I detach one Xyz Material from my Revolution Falcon in order to allow it attacking all of your monsters during this turn! And when it battles a special summoned monster, its ATK and DEF become zero! Moreover my Arsenal Falcon can not only attack up to the number of Xyz Material it has – meaning two – but also cannot be destroyed by battle since it has the Barrier Lanius it inherited from my Force Strix as Xyz Material!"

"That's a lot of damage!" Yuga cried out in admiration. "You send in your Arsenal and Rise Falcon first since they cannot destroy my two magicians by battle, then you go for the finish with Revolution Falcon! But isn't this much ATK in combination with multiple attacks on me a little bit of an overkill?" He asked Shun.

"I don't want to simply defeat you!" Shun shot back. "I will make you suffer for your intervention! Now taste my Falcons' wrath as they annihilate you!"

"Annihilate?" Yuga laughed. "Good joke! You seem to overlook a flaw in your strategy!" He retorted.

"A flaw?! Then tell me, what is that flaw? After all, my monsters' attacks cannot be negated! YOU'RE FINISHED!"

"Not exactly!" Yuga replied. "Reverse card open! Do you know the trap card Threatening Roar?" He asked the Xyz-Duelist as he flipped up a card that depicted Manticore of Darkness yelling at Behemoth the King of All Animals, making it stop in its tracks of attacking the weaker monster.

"Threatening Roar?!" Shun asked in surprise.

"Exactly. It's a trap that prevents you from declaring an attack during this turn! So it doesn't matter that your monsters' attacks cannot be negated if they're never even declared!"

Shun gritted his teeth as he observed how a protective aura formed around Yuga. "Very well then, I end my turn! The effects of Rise Falcon and Final Confrontation expire!" He admitted grudgingly.

 _Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon: ATK 7500 → 2500_

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon: ATK 13500 → 100_

"I have to admit that you're one of the strongest duelists I've ever faced! You have my praise for that!" Yuga stated. "However...", He began as his hand advanced towards a certain section of his duel disk, "…THIS WILL END NOW!" He cried out, his eyes widening immensely.

( 2, Theater D, min 0:00 - min 0:55)

"My turn! DRAW!" He yelled as his signature theme began in the background.

"What is this music?!" Shun cried out in surprise.

"Oh, that? That is Theater D! It will be a nice little background song while I tear you apart! First, I lower my Sage's level to draw another card from my deck!"

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 9 → 8_

"Splendid!" Yuga exclaimed as he looked upon his drawn card. "I normal summon Gishki Magician – Summoner!"

 _Gishki Magician – Summoner_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1400 → 2700/DEF 1000 → 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Next up I add Gishki Magician – Invoker to my hand using the search effect of my Pentagram!" His disk searched out the card from his deck for him. "And then I activate the effect of my Summoner, reviving Promoter with it!"

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600 → 2900/DEF 1000 → 1300/Spellcaster/Effect_

"And I activate its effect to discard my Invoker and then increase the levels of all my monsters by four!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: Lvl 7 → 11_

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 8 → 12_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 4 → 8_

 _Gishki Magician – Summoner: Lvl 4 → 8_

"Then, by lowering the level of my Sage by two, I can activate his last effect! Once per turn, he can special summon a Gishki Magician from my hand or graveyard!"

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 12 → 10_

"Come, Invoker!"

 _Gishki Magician - Invoker_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600 → 2900/DEF 900 → 1200/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Five monsters!" Shun gasped.

"And it's far from over! With the effect of my Pentagram, I can bump up all their levels by up to five! And as you might know, the players are able to surpass the limit of level twelve by using card effects!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: Lvl 11 → 16_

 _Gishki Magician – Invoker: Lvl 4 → 9_

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 10 → 15_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 8 → 13_

 _Gishki Magician – Summoner: Lvl 8 → 13_

"What are these levels?!" Shun cried out. "I have never seen anything like this before!"

"Of course you haven't! Because I'm different from every other duelist you've faced before! It's because I'm the strongest of them all!" Yuga shouted in an intense voice, making even Shun flinch a bit at that declaration. "Anyway, moving on! Now I activate the effect of my Invoker, which lets me double the level of all my magicians!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: Lvl 16 → 32_

 _Gishki Magician – Invoker: Lvl 9 → 18_

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 15 → 30_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 13 → 26_

 _Gishki Magician – Summoner: Lvl 13 → 26_

Shun took a few steps back in disbelief.

"And now I offer my Invoker for my strongest trump card!" Yuga declared as his monster conducted the standard transformation process into the light blue stars, aligning over a blue sphere of light, some of the levels vanishing in the process. "Now the time has come for my last Super Ritual Summon! Behold, my most powerful Chō Gishiki!"

The pillar of light struck down on the orb, a dark blue inferno emerging in its place.

"When many measly beings combine their powers, a new creature is born from their sacrifice, a glutton craving for all sorts of prey! Now become the beast that devours them all! One dragon of endless power, standing above all other creation and consuming all foes in its wake! Tremble before the power of the strongest!" Yuga began.

* * *

 _At the control room in the LDS-Building..._

"What is this energy level?! Our systems will blow at this rate!" One of the workers shouted, the lamps all around the room blinking in bright colors, alarm sounds audible as well.

"Contact the chairman, he needs to be informed about this summoning energy immediately!" Another man cried out.

* * *

 _Back at You Show..._

In the meantime, Reiji had begun his attack on Yuya using his three Doom King Hell Armageddons. The entertainment duelist blocked it and averted his defeat, then he started his own offensive with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. However, he failed miserably after he destroyed one of Reiji's Armageddons, triggering its effect and bumping up its doubles' ATK to 6000, making Yuya unable to continue attacking. He grudgingly ended his turn after that, Reiji now beginning his own. Then something unexpected happened: Reiji's Pendulum Scale narrowed, his two Savants malfunctioning from the looks of it, causing Reiji's Armageddons to be destroyed.

"Wait, what happened?!" Rin cried out in confusion.

"His two Pendulum-Cards were most likely only prototypes." Shiryu responded. "They still seem to have some flaws right now, so they malfunctioned and destroyed Reiji's monsters."

"However, I'm still positive that Reiji can win this duel if he has the right hand cards." Yubi calmly added.

"I see it now!" Reiji spoke up, raising his arms slightly. "That Pendulum Summoning can evolve even further!"

"What does he mean?" Ruri asked.

"Probably using Pendulum-Monsters as materials for other summoning methods or monsters that are a combination of them. Like a Link-Pendulum-Monster for example." Yubi guessed.

"Wow, that would be cool as heck!" Rin chimed in. "Maybe Reiji is even going to summon one of them now!"

Suddenly Himika Akaba's phone rang, prompting her to pick up the call.

"It's for you, Reiji!" She said while handing the phone over to her son.

"What is it?!" Reiji asked in annoyed tone. "I'm kind of busy right now!"

"It's an emergency!" The man on the other end of the line replied in a hectic voice. "First off, we received a report from Professor Marco, who stated that he was attacked on his way home! Apparently a stranger wanted to duel him and threw him into a storage hall in the city. But then another stranger came and took his place, allowing our teacher to escape. Looks like these two strangers dueled, since we detected strong waves of multiple powerful Xyz Summons! We furthermore detected several Ritual Summonings of unusual strength!"

"Xyz, huh?" Reiji deliberated. _'That could be the attacker from yesterday. But what troubles me more are those Ritual Summons!'_ "What about the Gishiki Summons? Do you have any additional details about them you could tell me?" He asked his employee.

"Well, they were unlike every other Ritual Summon we've detected up until now. Their energy signature is different and we cannot reproduce that signature either!"

"I see." Reiji Akaba said.

"But right now, at this very moment, another of those weird Gishiki Summons is conducted, one much stronger than all of the previous ones put together! And its power is practically melting our sensors!"

"Oh?" Reiji perked up. "That sounds quite urgent indeed! I'm returning to LDS right away!"

He deactivated his disk at that statement, walking away.

"Hey, we are not done here!" Yuya shouted in anger as he saw the opponent taking his leave.

"We will continue our match eventually and then finish this battle!" Reiji retorted. "But for now I have to go since there's an emergency at hand! Let's go, mother!"

"Sure!" Himika chimed in as she followed him, the other LDS Students going after them as well.

"I wonder what that emergency is..." Yuzu wondered.

"I bet that's Yuga's doing!" Shiryu remarked. "Looks like he has found Shun and Leo Corporation's sensors have picked up on his Chō Gishiki energy!"

"Most likely." Kumo agreed. "I hope that your brother is prepared for him, Ruri. Otherwise he might get a very unpleasant surprise."

* * *

 _Storage hall..._

( 2, Theater D, min 0:47)

"When many measly beings combine their powers, a new creature is born from their sacrifice, a glutton craving for all sorts of prey! Now become the beast that devours them all! One dragon of endless power, standing above all other creation and consuming all foes in its wake! Tremble before the power of the strongest! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, ravenous dragon with a stomach full of agony! **WELCOME TO THE PARTY!** Level 8, BILE THROAT GISHKI DRAGON!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800 → 4300/DEF 2300/Dragon/Ritual/Effect_

After Yuga's declaration, his dragon made its entrance, roaring menacingly at Shun while also gaining the ATK boost from Great Alchemist, now even higher due to the new Ritual-Monster on the field.

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: ATK 3900 → 4400_

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: ATK 4500 → 5000_

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: ATK 2900 → 3400_

 _Gishki Magician – Summoner: 2700 → 3200_

"That dragon!" Shun uttered in terror, realizing its naming similarities with Yuto's Dark Rebellion. "Could it have an effect of similar power as Yuto's dragon?!"

"Similar as Yuto's dragon?! **Similar as Yuto's dragon?!** " Yuga repeated. "There's no dragon even remotely close to my Bile Throat! His power is profound, nothing can even try to compare to him! All monsters, including your three birdies over there, are inferior to him! **DON'T EVEN TRY TO LUMP HIM INTO THE SAME CATEGORY AS YOUR FRIEND'S DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON!** " He screamed in outrage.

As if to agree, Bile Throat let out a deafening roar at Shun, making even the normally unfazed Resistance Warrior tremble in fear.

"Bile Throat's effect!" Yuga shouted, raising his hand. "Once per turn, he can destroy any card on the field! Begone, Rise Falcon! Corrosion Crusher!"

It fired the caustic bile at Shun's monster at that statement, destroying it in the process.

"And Bile Throat can equip himself with any monster he destroys, gaining their attack points! Endless Gluttony!"

The dragon leapt at Rise falcon and devoured it in its usual fashion.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 4300 → 4400_

"Moreover, he can use their effects! Digest Adaption!"

"But your monster needs Xyz Material for that!" Shun yelled, pointing out Yuga's error.

"I know." The Gishiki-Duelist simply retorted with a grin on his face. "How about looking into your graveyard?"

"Huh?!" Shun exclaimed in confusion. Then he checked his graveyard before crying out in surprise. "Where the heck are my Vanishing and Fuzzy Lanius?!"

"Look over here!" Yuga exclaimed, tilting his arm and pointing to his Spell and Trap Zone. Shun looked at it, seeing Rise Falcon is one of the slots. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he noticed two brown colored cards in the same slot. Fuzzy and Vanishing Lanius.

"WHAT?! Why are my monsters in your Spell and Trap Zone?!" He addressed his opponent.

"That's because my dragon is quite the glutton." Yuga replied. "If he eats, he eats everything! Including Overlay Units!" He said, his eyes widening at the last part.

"NO WAY!" Shun cried out.

"Yes way!" Yuga shot back. "All materials attached to an Xyz-Monster my dragon devours are stacked underneath that Xyz-Monster once it is placed in my Spell and Trap Zone! And all those monsters count as Bile Throat's Overlay Units, even though he isn't an Xyz-Monster himself! Now do it, Bile Throat! Falcon's Rise!"

An Overlay Unit flew up from the dragon's stomach. It did a small circular motion before returning to the cavity it came out of. Then Bile Throat crushed it with a violent bite, mimicking Rise Falcon's monster's effect afterwards, absorbing the energy from Shun's remaining two falcons. A flaming aura enveloped Bile Throat, its shape more like a dragon rather than a falcon due to the difference in the effect's user.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 4400 → 8900_

"We're not done yet! I activate the spell **Gishki – Repetition Ceremony** from my hand! By lowering the levels of monsters I control by a total of ten, I get to choose one monster I control! And that monster can then activate a once-per-turn-effect once again! I remove ten levels from my Mighty Sage! Then Bile Throat gets to launch another load of his digestive fluids at one of your falcons!"

 _Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage: Lvl 30 → 20_

"On today's menu we have chicken! A lot of chicken! Go, devour his Revolution Falcon! Corrosion Crusher! Endless Gluttony!" Yuga screamed, Bile Throat obeying.

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 8900 → 10900_

"And then I activate the spell **Gishki – Restoring Ceremony**! As its name suggests, I get to add a card from my graveyard back to the hand – at the cost of another ten levels! It's time, Alchemist! Pay the price so that Bile Throat can keep on feasting!"

 _Gishki Magician – Great Alchemist: Lvl 32 → 22_

"Of course I select Repetition Ceremony as my spell card's target!" He showed him the card before activating it for yet another time. "My Promoter loses ten levels so that my Bile Throat can take another trip to the KFC-Driveby!"

 _Gishki Magician – Promoter: Lvl 26_ → 16

"Corrosion Crusher!" He screamed.

"When my Arsenal Falcon is destroyed, it can special summon one Raidraptor from my Extra Deck and turn itself into an Xyz Material for that monster!" Shun yelled. "I special summon Raidraptor – Ultimate..."

"YOU SUMMON NOTHING!" Yuga shouted back, his pupils turning into slits, getting carried away and his dark side partially awakening now as a result. "Any monster destroyed with Corrosion Crusher is absorbed before it can activate effects that trigger upon destruction! So that effect is negated!"

 _Bile Throat Gishki Dragon: ATK 10900 → 13400_

"WHAT?!" Shun cried out as his last monster was devoured as well, strengthening Yuga's dragon even more.

"Mmmmm!" Yuga let out a pleased moan as he observed his dragon. "That's such a fine feast! I'm getting hungry as well after all those monsters my dragon ate! I think I'll be having chicken for dinner as well! It was very reckless of you to blow your entire hand last turn for the overkill!" He commented. "Now you are defenseless! BATTLE! Bile Throat Gishki Dragon, direct attack!" He commanded his blue behemoth.

"Not so fast!" Shun shot back. "From my graveyard, I banish **Raidraptor – Draining Lanius** to activate its effect!"

"That's one of the monsters you discarded for the cost of your trap card!" Yuga stated.

"That's right!" Shun retorted. "And by doing so, I can target one card on the field and destroy it! And if it was a monster, I gain LP equal to its ATK!"

"Useless!" Yuga countered in a mocking voice. "You cannot destroy my dragon nor any of my magicians thanks to the protection effect of my Mighty Sage! And no matter which one of the falcons equipping my dragons you choose, you won't be able to heal enough to withstand my attack!"

"Then how about this? I select the Barrier Lanius that is currently an Xyz Material of the Arsenal Falcon you stole!"

 **SHUN LP: 1800 → 2400**

"This doesn't help you at all!" Yuga shouted.

"Oh, I think it does!" Shun calmly replied. "Because by banishing Barrier Lanius from my graveyard, I can negate your attack!"

A protective barrier formed in front of the Resistance Fighter, holding off Yuga's attacking dragon.

"Looks like I blocked your attack!" Shun exclaimed with a victorious expression, grinning at Yuga.

"Oh, do you really think you got rid of my dragon with that?" The Ritual-Duelist asked him in a seemingly sweet tone.

"Huh?! What do you mean by that?!" Shun questioned him.

Yuga simply tilted his disk again, pointing at a certain card while saying a simple, but fateful name in a whispered tone.

"Raidraptor – Arsenal Falcon!"

Shun's expression changed for the worse, taking a fearful step backwards. "Wait, you don't mean..."

"That my Bile Throat can attack one time for every Xyz Material he has? Yes, I do! And since he has absorbed three of your falcons and their Overlay Units count as his own, that's one attack from Rise Falcon and another one from Arsenal Falcon! In other words, one more attack is coming your way! YOU'RE DOOMED! **THIS IS THE POWER OF DESPAIR!** " He cried out as the song in the background reached its climax.

Bile Throat leapt at Shun after its master had told those words. The male from the Xyz-Dimension used the blade of his duel disk to hold off the assaulting dragon since its behavior was clearly indicating that it wanted another snack – namely him. He struggled against the vicious bites of the dragon, holding the blade in between them to prevent it from pouncing on him, his face distorted in strain as he was desperately trying to maintain the distance between them, the dragon's malicious countenance merely a few inches away from his own. Every once in a while he skidded back as the dragon kept pushing, eventually overwhelming him and sending him flying against the wall. Then the dragon dissolved, the duel ending in favor of his opponent and the music stopping as well.

 **SHUN LP: 2400 → 0**

 **YUGA WIN!**

"So...", The hooded victor began, "I think you have to keep your promise now, right?"

Shun slowly stood up, a few bruises on his body despite the lowered Real Solid Vision-Level of Yuga's disk.

"That was the deal after all." Yuga reminded him.

"Fine!" Shun retorted in annoyance. "I won't card anyone! I hope you are satisfied now!" He exclaimed, storming past him and leaving the hall without another word.

"Wow, such a stubborn fellow!" Yuga commented. "Anyway, time to get out of here before Reiji's subordinates arrive to search for the source of the unusually high energy readings!" He left the room as well after that, looking around only to discover that Shun was nowhere to be seen anymore. "He's fast, I gotta give him that!" He praised his most recent opponent. Then he climbed up a wall with only a few moves, standing on top of the roof of the next house. He kept going over the rooftops until he believed that he was a safe distance away from his previous location. Then his duel disk rang and he accepted the call.

"Hello, Yubi here!" The boy on the other side of the line began. "We need to meet up now since there are a few news which we should tell you!"

"Sounds interesting!" Yuga replied. "I take it your mission was successful as well?"

"You bet!" His girlfriend spoke up, approaching Yubi to speak to him as well. "And does your implication mean you found Shun as well then?" She inquired.

"Yes, I did. Hurry up and come to my location, I'm sending you the coordinates now! Then we can talk about everything at great length!"

"Understood!" She retorted before Yubi hung up.

"Great! I guess I can do some training while the others are on their way here!" Yuga exclaimed before shifting his body into a one-arm-handstand. Then he started to push up his body before lowering it again.

"So the show has officially begun, huh?" He started off his monologue. "All actors are in place now since we're here in Standard. I wonder how this whole events turns out in the end!"

He kept practicing as the sunset slowly came closing in.

* * *

 **Whoa, that was quite a chapter, right? Almost 34k words, holy crap! Guess we just crossed the 100k word line with that! As you might have noticed already, I'm quite a fan of long ones regarding those. But I think you should like it since it has a good portion of every character group, the Standard Cast, the Gishiki-Troupe, as well as Sora and Shun** **–** **the undercover-people from Fusion and Xyz. For those who aren't quite the fans of plot-heavy chapters like this, do not worry. The first part of the Standard-Arc might be like this, but the second one will be WAY duel-heavier due to the Maiami-Championship. That trend of mixing both throughout the story will continue over the course of my fanfiction, so it doesn't matter whether you are a Duel- or Plot-fan, I got all of you covered! And for those who weren't sure what Yuga's deck was about, now you know it. It revolves around increasing his monsters' levels and then remove some of those levels for the cost of his "Gishki"-Spells or as easy tribute fodder for Gishiki Summons from the Extra Deck. Also there is some clarification about the second and third effect of Bile Throat. You really thought that it was useless against Xyz-Monsters, didn't you? Wrong! Yuga found out about the true potential of Digest Adaption by trying and testing it on Shun's falcons. And it worked in his favor, so now the infamous Gishki Dragon is even more dangerous.**

 **Now I'd like to address a specific topic, namely shippings (never thought I would write about something like this one day, but I guess the second genre of this story is romance after all). You know, there are a lot of minor ships besides the classical ones between each counterparts (Fruitshipping aka Yuya x Yuzu; Fallenangelshipping aka Yuto x Ruri; Appleshipping aka Yugo x Rin; (you not Predatorshipping, you are too far from the canon despite I like the idea in general); plus the two new ones, Saikyōshipping aka Yuga x Shiryu (I'll say it now, she is the strongest Bracelet-Girl, so that's why it has that name since her boyfriend is also the strongest Yu-Boy) and finally Stoicshipping aka Yubi x Kumo (do I really have to explain the name? The are both calm and reserved, pretty self-explanatory)). However, as I just said, there are some interdimensional Bracelet-Girl x Yu-Boy-shippings as well. First off, Saviorshipping (Yuga x Ruri x Rin; named so because he rescued them both from the towers in Academia). It just adds some comical elements, but isn't anything major. Well, partially it is something major though, if you look at Kingfishershipping (Yuga x Ruri; named so because it unites both Ruri's bird theme with Yuga's main hair color since that species is mainly blue in color. Also it mentions the royal element of Yuga, who's the future king of the Gishiki-Dimension). That thing is about on the same level as Fangirlshipping (Yubi x Rin; do I really need to explain this one?) since both of the girls are struggling to remain faithful to their main crushes at times (Yuto and Yugo respectively). However, none of them ditched their original crush, like I already said, no Yu-Boys were harmed for the production of this fanfiction (well maybe Yuri when he got Ravenous Raged and Yugo when he got suplexed by Yuga, but forget about that here xd), so nobody will pinch another boy's girlfriend just like that. But there is one pairing of an even greater scale, and that is Yubi x Yuzu. As you already noticed, the Link-Counterpart has a crush on the pink haired girl, and not only a small one and that. While this might make you wonder and you might also say that they are pretty much polar opposites in terms of personality, yes, they are. But like the saying goes, opposites attract, right? Yubi already has someone who is just like him – quiet and reserved – which is his girlfriend Kumo of course. But some people also find a liking in a person who provides what they don't have themselves, like two halves adding up to a whole. Also I figure you could say that this is a classic case of love at first sight. Don't worry, this attraction doesn't influence the classic Link Pairing in any negative shape or form and he's sure as hell not neglecting Kumo as a result. He's just interested in another girl now, after all, humans are polyamorous beings by nature like most other animals, and well, Yubi is no exception from that. Of course we don't have an idea if Yuzu reciprocates those feelings, I mean, technically they haven't even met yet since Yubi and the other four girls were hiding under the Vanisher (that stealth dome) and nobody even noticed them. But be assured that this pairing will play a major role in the plot. Also I'm pretty pissed that the name "Triggershipping" is already taken by the Yugo x Yuzu-Pairing since both of their tempers tend to explode quite easily. It would be such a great name since Yubi has a gun-themed deck and also the nickname of Revolver. So I had to improvise here and came up with the term "Gumbaishipping". Now hear me out on this one: The Gumbai Uchiwa is a war fan used in Ancient Japan to command troops during battles. So it is a strategic instrument for maintaining control over a battle rather than an actual weapon. The name unites the strategic element of Yubi with elements from Yuzu, namely her infamous paper fan for slapping all kinds of people. Like I said before, keep an eye on that pairing, it is actually relevant in this story!**

 **Another topic: About Zarc and Ray always flying by in their spectral forms to comment about something, especially Zarc. This is mainly for entertaining purposes to add some fun into the mix. However, it is also a grim reminder of the serious background fight between good and evil. It constantly shows the war that is being fought behind the scenes, in addition to the main confrontation of Yuga and his friends vs. Leo and Academia.**

 **If there are questions you may review everything that is on your mind about this chapter and story in general. Dropping a favorite or follow would be nice too!**

 **Now you probably expect me to start with my normal "In the next chapter..."-announcement. Well, those won't be here anymore. They were only in the first seven chapters because it was my exposition. Instead, I will simply drop the title of the next chapter from now on! So here we go!**

 **Next time on YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: "First Contact"**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**So apparently I'm completely on fire regarding writing right now, so here is the newest chapter! I deliberated for a while and came to the conclusion that having an upload schedule is pretty stupid if you have only one story, so I'll just post a new chapter whenever I can. The next one might take a little bit longer though since I need to make some cards again. Anyway, back to the story, we start off exactly where we stopped last chapter. So that means the rooftop in Maiami City, Yuga is still training and waiting for his comrades. Let's jump right into it, shall we?**

 **Before I forget it, apparently the Youtube-thing doesn't work since I asked my friend and he could only find the video I made, but couldn't proceed to the channel for some reason. So I guess that I will just have to give you the link here by adding it on my profile here on this website, then you shouldn't have any problems regarding that. I already said that in Chapter 2 since I edited it for the sake of future readers, so some of you who are a little bit more late to the party might know that already.**

 **Now let's begin. After that one of course!**

 **Opening: ( 10)**

* * *

Chapter 9: First Contact

As Yuga kept waiting on the rooftop, the day slowly drew closer to its end, the sun quietly beginning its exit. After a while, his ears perked up after hearing voices drawing near. He rose up from his one-arm-handstand position and looked down over the edge of the roof. Once he realized the approaching people were his friends, he jumped down to greet them.

"Hello there!" Yuga exclaimed as he landed on the ground, crouching down to cushion the jump, rising up again afterwards.

"General Kenobi!" Shiryu retorted while turning around to him, taking advantage of the opening Yuga had given her.

Yuga grinned. "Seems like someone's in the mood for a joke today! It wasn't a bad one though, I gotta give you that!"

"Thank you. The opportunity was just too perfect." She responded. "But now jokes aside, how did it go?" She then asked, approaching him for a kiss.

"Glad you're fine, Shiryu." He retorted before kissing her back. "Well, to answer your question, it all went according to plan." Yuga retorted after they separated. "But how about going to the hotel and talking on the way to there? You know, I'm pretty hungry now."

"Sure thing." She replied. "Let's go, guys!" She addressed the rest of the group.

-"Uh!"- The four of them exclaimed.

They got going and began their conversation shortly afterwards.

"So, how was you trip to You Show?" Yuga asked them. "Did you find out anything interesting?"

"I guess you could say so!" Rin responded. "These guys from LDS sent three false witnesses first who testified the culprit of the assault was Yuya Sakaki."

"And then that Himika Akaba showed up and tried to absorb You Show by making it part of her own school!" Ruri added.

"Oh?" Yuga inquired in a curious tone. "And what did she do in particular?"

"She sent out three of her elite students – one for each of the three summoning courses – and made a little tournament. Best of three, the winner gets his will. It ended in a draw, however." Kumo spoke up.

"So what happened then?" Yuga asked.

"The man himself, Reiji Akaba, came in and dueled Yuya for the final round." Yubi stated. "And he used all summoning methods of LDS, along with Pendulum-Monsters."

"So he really managed to create his own Pendulum-Cards. That's a rather interesting development."

"My thoughts exactly." Yubi agreed.

"So how did the duel end?" Yuga continued.

"Actually, Reiji canceled it at the climax when he got a call from one of his subordinates. Talked about an emergency. I take it that it was you who caused that, right Yuga?" Shiryu asked him.

"That's correct. Must have been the enormous energy readings from my Bile Throat Gishki Dragon. And probably the thing with Professor Marco as well."

"Professor Marco?" Ruri inquired.

"A teacher at LDS. He's an expert at Fusion Summoning." Yuga replied.

"Don't tell me my brother attacked him because he thought he was with Academia?" Ruri questioned with a slight sigh of annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah, he did." Yuga admitted. "So I went after him before he could do anything to that poor man and managed to get him out of the storage hall where Shun had thrown him into. Then I dueled him in Marco's place."

"So you really found him, huh?" Shiryu spoke up. "How good was he?"

"Fairly good." Yuga retorted. "His swarming and offensive power is nothing to mess with. However, his patience and emotions seem to get in his way at times and cloud his judgment. He wasted all his hand cards for an overkill on me in order to pay me back for intercepting his plans with Marco. So when I blocked his attack and retaliated, he had no defense left. Thanks for the info about his deck by the way, Ruri!" He said, looking at the dark purple haired girl.

"No problem." She responded. "And I guess you are right, my brother really needs to work on his temper."

"Like a certain yellow haired person I know." Rin chimed in while thinking about her own hotheaded friend. _'I wonder what Yugo is doing right now.'_ She added in her thoughts. _'I hope not getting into trouble somewhere.'_

"And what happened after you won the duel?" Kumo inquired.

"He simply ran off after grudgingly agreeing to our previous deal. Which prevents him from carding or seriously injuring LDS Students or Teachers. However, I doubt that he will just stop with his current ways like that." Yuga said.

"We will most likely have to keep an eye on him." Yubi stated in a deliberating tone. "If he keeps up his rampage, many innocents will have to suffer. And considering that Ruri is already free, it would all be completely for nothing as well."

"Agreed, Yubi. Shun is still a factor that we have to keep in mind. Anyway, how about dinner now? I'm craving for chicken after my Bile Throat devoured three of Shun's mechanical birdies!" Yuga yelled.

They kept walking towards their destination. After a while, Rin spoke up again.

"Yubi, may I ask one question please?"

"Go ahead, Rin!" He replied.

"There is something about your dueling I wonder about. More specifically the summoning chant of your Varrelload Dragon. In it, you talk about a gale that pierces through "the closed world". While I understand the gale-part with the piercing, which is likely a reference to your gun- and bullet-themed deck, what about that "closed world"? I really tried to find an explanation, but I still couldn't make sense of it."

"Well, when my father fought in the Great Cyberse War, he also used a Link-Monster of the kind I have. The first Topologic Dragon ever created." Yubi began his explanation.

"Your father has a Topologic?" Shiryu inquired.

"Yes, he has." Kumo answered in her boyfriend's place, prompting the azure haired girl to turn around to her. "It was created by the same ability Yubi has – Storm Access – which allows its user to reach out into the Cyberse World and create a new monster from its energies. During the first part of the war, his father and the Knights of Hanoi mainly fought to defend our world, since they couldn't find the source of the problem – the Cyberse World – and therefore couldn't attack their enemies directly. But after more than one and a half years and with the help of many scientists, we were finally able to locate and enter the Cyberse World. The reason for that was the Topologic Dragon of Yubi's dad Ryoken, which functioned as a key to the Cyberse World since it originated from there."

"And when that happened, my father and his knights swept through the A.I.'s lines." Yubi spoke up again. "They fought them both physically and in a duel, classic war mixed with Duel Monsters so to speak. Like in the months before, my father used his Topologic against them. Its summoning chant also mentioned this "closed world", which was none other than the Cyberse World itself. He wiped out all of the malicious A.I.s, including their leaders – which were quite small, at least in comparison to the human-sized soldiers of them. They represented the elements and were called Lightning, Flame, Ai, Earth, Windy and Aqua. But these six were more or less just distraction since their true leader who pulled the strings behind the scenes was an exceptionally powerful Ignis called Kami, the Divine Ignis. My father clashed with said Ignis in one final duel, which he won with his Topologic Dragon. After killing these six Ignis and their leader, the enemy was finally defeated and the war ended."

"So that's why your father used this term. But what about you, the Cyberse World isn't an issue anymore, right? So why do you use the closed world-term then?" Rin asked.

"I interpret the term differently. Instead of an isolated world where the enemy has its base, I see it as a metaphor for our world which is still far from reaching its final stage. In my opinion, humankind can evolve even further, so the "closed world" refers to the imperfect state of this world, surrounded by walls that prevent its inhabitants from reaching true happiness. And with the power of my dueling I seek to change that, slice and tear these limiting boundaries apart so that we can finally escape from the current status quo. I also mention this in my Whip Tail's chant: "The whiplash that jolts humanity to awaken it from its confined perception of reality". I want to take this world and raise it to an ever greater one, crossing all previous borders and limits. The German philosopher Nietzsche called this the process of becoming a superhuman, a person that is not bound by rules and cowers in fear of punishment, preferring a miserable life without any risks rather than risking something and living a good life. Sometimes people must – as Yuya's dad expresses it – take a courageous step forward to change the world for the better. And if humanity is too lazy to climb up to this state by itself, then I will be that superhuman who forces that change for the better by giving them a little push or make it happen on my own. That's why my Circuit Summoning chant also goes like: "Appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future!" Together with the rest of my people – or rather our people since I know about the existence of other worlds now – I want to seize a brighter future! So to sum it up, I'm basically just a do-gooder with a gun and a strategy." The Link-Counterpart concluded.

"Wow, I never expected you to be that kind of person!" Rin admitted, sweat dropping a little bit. "There's really a lot more to you than it seems at first glance!"

"Thank you. I'll take this compliment very gladly." He retorted in a polite tone.

"Since we're already at random questions, mind if you ask you something, Yuga?" Ruri spoke up.

"No problem, Ruri. Shoot." He responded in a calm voice.

"About that cape you normally wear... how is it attached to your royal uniform? I haven't seen anything that fixes it on your neck."

"That's because of the white gems on both sides of the uniform's neck. They are special amethysts which are found in a certain mine near Gishiki City. There are two kinds of these amethysts, both of them magnetic: One that is positively charged and one that is negatively charged. The ones at the neck are both negatively charged. Additionally, there are two positively charged amethysts sewn into the upper part of our royal capes. By holding those parts close to the amethysts at the neck, they attach themselves to the uniform and therefore fix the cape. Does this answer your question?" The Gishiki Price asked her.

"I guess it does. Thank you for the courteous explanation." She replied.

"I also have a question. If the river in Gishiki City flows in from the south and then encircles the citadel, how is the water flowing out of there again? Technically it must be overflowing since there is just more and more water coming in and no water flowing out." Kumo asked.

"Oh, that's easy!" Yuga retorted. "There is a little outflow in the northern part of the moat, leading to the sea through an underground channel which is multiple miles long. It can be opened from partially to fully, depending on the water coming in. In spring, when the ice in the nearby mountains melts, it is fully open pretty much all the time. And during other seasons with less rain and so on – therefore with less water inflow – we just open it partially so that the water level stays at a healthy value. The opening and closing process is controlled by a network of sensors and machines by the way, so nobody needs to actively do something in order to control it. Well, besides maintenance of course."

"One last question, Yuga!" Rin addressed him. "When you explained me your backstory back in Gishiki, you mentioned that your dragon evolved. From a normal Ritual-Monster into a Super Ritual. So if it got stronger, what were its previous effects?"

"Basically Corrosion Crusher in addition with a slightly modified Ravenous Rage." He answered. "It just could destroy one monster on the field during each turn, not spells and traps as well like today. However, the targeted card could still not activate its effects in response. And then, if the monster was destroyed by this effect, my Bile Throat could inflict its ATK to my opponent as burn damage. Regarding how I summoned my dragon, I had a Ritual-Spell called "Gishki Calling – Magical Invocation". It worked on all of my "Gishki"-Monsters, the dragon as well as the magicians. That card vanished when I unlocked Chō Gishiki though since it wasn't needed anymore. I don't know why it went bye-bye just like that, but maybe that's also connected to this weird dimension-stuff."

' _How right you are!'_ Zarc remarked, flying by. _'After getting access to Chō Gishiki, clinging to normal Ritual would have been just utter stupidity, so I got rid of that spell for you. Who the hell does even play normal Rituals nowadays? The only case when it's played is when someone owns one of the few good archetypes with Ritual-Monsters, like the older "Gishki"-Cards or Nekroz for instance.'_

"So what next?" Shiryu asked after a while of silence.

"Next up we'll keep on watching Yuya, Yuzu, Reiji, Shun and the rest of this world. If anything unusual happens or is about to happen, we fix it immediately. Stay undercover until we decide to reveal ourselves." Yuga commanded.

"Understood." Yubi retorted. "And by the way, that commanding tone really suits you! I guess you're really the best candidate for the post of Gishiki King after all!" He said with an unusual amount of enthusiasm in his voice.

Yuga simply shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm a natural leader. Anyway, I still wouldn't dare to just order you or the girls around like that. I'm respecting all of you, especially Shiryu because – well, she is my girlfriend and I know her since my early years – and you too, Yubi, since you helped me convincing the people of your world."

"Right back at you!" He responded with a grin on his face, turning his head around to his counterpart. "I also value you and the rest of our group very highly. And while this whole interdimensional conflict is quite the annoying problem, I met a new friend at least! Honestly, I feel a little bit like Specter now, being the second commander of a group that seeks to defend the world!"

"Guess I have to say the same!" Yuga retorted, a grin on his face and turning to the other boy as well. "I've never met a person who is in sync with me like you are. With the exception of Shiryu of course, but that is another story."

"Same here with Kumo." Yubi replied. "Wanna fistbump? I think I'm in the mood for it right now."

"Why not?" Yuga said, stretching out his left arm. Yubi repeated after him with his right arm and they fistbumped whilst walking, the sunset in the background.

"Man, that's quite the view!" Shiryu exclaimed as she and Kumo observed the scene unfolding before them.

"True. Normally Yubi doesn't find new friends that quickly." Kumo said. "And with friends I don't mean people who are only interesting in him as a duelist, not as a person." She quickly added.

"Well, looks like this war did something good for a change. Being war allies is a good basis for establishing new bonds." Shiryu remarked.

"With two guys of their power and intellect working together, how does Academia even stand a chance?" Kumo joked.

"They don't. If we work together as a team, there is nothing we cannot accomplish." The Gishiki-Counterpart responded.

"You know, after my boyfriend just fistbumped with yours, how about us doing it too? Of course you can join in as well, if you want!" The brown haired girl offered, looking over to the two other counterparts at the latter of her sentences.

They did just that, Shiryu and Kumo stretching out both of their arms while Ruri and Rin only stretched out one, their right and left arm respectively.

' _Man, what a magnificent view!'_ Zarc exclaimed while observing the scene. _'My fragments and Ray's fragments working together! And the best thing about it is that it's Leo whom they're teaming up against! This has to be one of the best things I've seen so far!'_ He grinned.

And with the sunset in the background, the small alliance slowly made its way to the Black Luster Hotel.

* * *

 _The next day..._

Yuya and Yuzu were sitting on a bench in the schoolyard of Maiami Second Junior High School, eating the lunches which they brought along. Yuya however, well..., he overdid it a bit as he began munching his food like..., well..., an animal, gobbling like crazy as he declared that he wanted to become a pro-duelist – while eating that is.

"Yuya, you really should decide whether you want to eat or talk! Doing both at the same time is kinda disgusting, you know!" Yuzu said, uncomfortable because of Yuya's bad manners.

"Handkerchief?" A voice spoke up in an offering tone.

Yuzu looked up to see Shingo Sawatari standing in front of her, extending said thing to her.

"Get lost, Sawatari!" She shot back, looking away in a defiant manner as the very same teen who tricked her friend and endangered her and the kids from You Show now pretended to be such a polite gentleman.

Shingo's expression briefly changed before her turned his head to address Yuya, who was sitting next to the pink haired girl.

"You know, Sakaki, the table manners which you just displayed in front of this young lady right here are about as elegant as your dueling, meaning not at all!" He said in a derisive tone.

"Shut up!" Yuya retorted in an angry voice. "So, do you want anything from us or did you just come here to get on our nerves?!"

"Well...", Sawatari said, turning away from him, a smug expression forming on his face as he closed his eyes and began to tell the Standard-Counterparts about the latest events, "there has been an incident again. A teacher from LDS was attacked and they say that you were the culprit!"

Both of them gasped in response. Then Yuzu spoke up again. "I bet that's just a rumor! But say, who was the one who got attacked?" She asked with concern.

"Professor Marco." Sawatari simply replied. "A teacher for the LDS Fusion Course. There aren't many details about it which are told to us students, but from the looks of it, it has been a pretty severe issue. Apparently, a stranger attacked him on his way home and threw him into a storage hall somewhere in the city, challenging him to a duel. However, another stranger came in and took Marco's place, getting him out of there. Apart from that, I don't know anything."

The You Show Students' faces showed signs of both shock and surprise as the blonde haired male revealed that incident to them. "So that's why Reiji had to leave so suddenly!" Yuya realized, looking over to Yuzu, who quickly nodded in agreement.

"You truly seem surprised about this whole event, so I guess it wasn't your doing after all!" Sawatari said, turning back to them. "I had a feeling you weren't the real culprit. I mean, an idiot like you could never defeat Professor Marco just like that! Not even with your cheap Pendulum-Cards!"

"Hey, who are you calling cheap here?!" Yuya cried out in indignation. "And what is even cheap about my Pendulum-Cards?!"

"Well, first of all, you're the only one with those, so that's not exactly what I would call fair. But anyway, I heard the Leo Corporation is about to develop their own Pendulum-Monsters, so that won't matter anymore!"

That caused Yuya to let out a little gasp, remembering the event from yesterday, unpleasant memories resurfacing.

* * *

 _ **-"**_ _ **YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Be born! Level 6! D/D/D Flame King Temujin!"-**_

 _ **-"SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"-**_

 _ **-"XYZ SHŌKAN! Be born! Rank 4! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!"-**_

 _ **-"With Scale 1 D/D Savant Galilei and Scale 10 D/D Savant Kepler, I set the Pendulum Scale! Now I can summon monsters between level two and nine simultaneously! Grand power that shakes my very soul, arise within me and become a new light that rends the darkness! PENDULUM SHŌKAN! Come before me, my monsters! The three transcendental deities who rule over all kings! D/D/D Doom King Hell Armageddon!"-**_

* * *

' _Right, Reiji had already used Pendulum-Monsters yesterday, in addition to the three other methods. So that means they will have their own cards eventually, ones that don't malfunction like his Savants previously. Shuzo has already prepared me for this, but it will still be a massive change for me if these monsters become common in the dueling world.'_ Yuya thought.

"And guess what,", Sawatari continued, "I will be the one who will obtain them first once they are created! Then I will use them and settle things with you at the Maiami Championship! Or rather, I would do so, but unfortunately you haven't qualified! Bye!" He said in a nonchalant manner as he turned around, raising his left arm to bid him farewell before simply walking away.

"Not qualified?" Yuya wondered. "OH FUCK, HE IS RIGHT!" He shouted as the realization hit his brain. "HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO BECOME A PRO-DUELIST NOW?!"

* * *

 _You Show Dueling School..._

"Man, that's aids!" Yuya cried out in exasperation as he entered the building. "I have 46 matches, 26 of them being wins. I need 50 matches with a winrate of at least 60 percent. Meaning four additional matches and I need to win every single one of them! But nobody wants to duel me because I won against the champion Strong Ishijima! Meanwhile Yuzu already has the required amount of matches and the exact winrate as well, leaving me alone in the dark, unable to duel her for my four wins! And the only person in my family who could help me a bit in that regard besides my dad is in some elite school! Life totally sucks sometimes!"

"Hey, watch your tongue!" Ayu admonished him for his cursing. "If Yuzu didn't ran off for some reason while we were heading here, she would be slapping you with her fan right now!"

Yuya sighed. "I guess you are right. Well, where there's a will, there's a way,… I hope."

The elevator door leading into the building opened and the little group consisting of Yuya and the three smaller You Show Students stepped out of it. Immediately they were greeted by a voice.

"There you are! I have been waiting for you, Mr. Sakaki!" A man with black hair wearing a yellow-black-striped outfit and an admittedly pretty weird pair of glasses exclaimed. He also had a short mustache and grinned at the recently arrived Yuya.

"Well, if it isn't Adolf himself. Looks like he was reincarnated and became a duelist manager!" Yubi joked, hidden under the sphere field of his stealthing-generator he had already used the day before. Accompanying him were the girls again, since Yuga had dispatched them to keep observing their counterparts while he himself scouted Maiami City for any irregularities caused by Shun or the Fusion-Dimension.

"I wonder what he's here for!" Kumo said, moving her right hand to her chin in a deliberating manner.

"It has been such a long time! It's so great to see you again!" The strange man cried out, shaking Yuya's hand in an eager way.

"S-same." Yuya slowly uttered sweat dropping, clueless how to react to that sudden encounter with the man.

-"Nico Smiley?!"- The chibi-trio cried out in surprise after recognizing the stranger.

"Why are you here?" Yuya addressed the man with the rather funny style of fashion.

"He's here to bring us fantastic news!" Shuzo chimed in, standing up from a nearby couch. "You were invited to participate in this year's Maiami Championship in the Junior Youth-Tournament! This is amazing!" He shouted in his usual hot-blooded fashion.

"After your duel with the champion I spoke with the organizers of the Junior Youth Championship, as well as making some calls here and there." Nico explained. "And after all of that, they agreed on offering you a ticket to the Maiami Championship! In other words, you don't need to meet the usual requirements and can enter the tournament right away! How would you like that, Mr. Sakaki?!" The duelist manager addressed the tomato haired boy.

"He gets a invitation for the Maiami Championship? Man, that brings back memories from when I received the ticket to my first World Championship! Boy, was I excited back then!" Yubi exclaimed, getting uncharacteristically sentimental at the pleasant memories, breaking his usual stoic manner.

"You sound so melancholic. This isn't like you, Yubi." Ruri stated.

"It almost sounds as if you will never get that feeling again, from what I can tell." Rin added.

"That's right. I will never get that feeling in this form ever again. After you win your first World Championship and get invited once again the next year, this feeling of ecstasy slowly diminishes more and more. After the second time in a row, you start to get used to it and it becomes less fulfilling with every repeat. I guess that's the downside of being an established pro-duelist." Yubi pondered.

"So do you mean that having success stopped feeling good for you at some point of time?" Rin asked.

"No, not entirely. Just a bit less than before, but not completely. However, the human body and mind is programmed to get used to things, and success is one of them. Like with drugs, you need a bigger dose every time so that the effect stays the same. And just like all these fools who take them eventually die from an overdose, you can't amass fame infinitely. Someday, the time will come when everybody is cheering for you at the top of their lungs and it still has no effect on you. That will be the end for a star-duelist like me. But fortunately, I have other aims than being a celebrity. Like I said yesterday, leading humanity out of this closed world is my top priority – my life goal. Anything apart from that is secondary." He then chuckled. "Except Kumo, of course." He stated with a smile on his face, turning around to press his lips on hers, kissing his girlfriend, what she eagerly reciprocated.

"Man, with you around I learn hundred times more profound and pensive stuff than with Yugo! Thinking so far ahead, wow! I bet that he has never thought about what happens once he wins the Friendship Cup and becomes the Duel King of Neo Domino City!" Rin exclaimed.

"We should probably resume paying attention to Yuya and the other guys!" Shiryu admonished.

"Right!" Yubi said, parting from Kumo.

"You know...", Yuya began in an unsure tone, not sure how to react to Nico's offer at first, "…your offer is really nice and I appreciate it a lot. However, I'd still like to get into the tournament the regular way!" He replied.

-"Huuuuh?!"- The chibi-trio exclaimed in disbelief.

"But why, my boy?!" Nice Smiley asked him.

"Well...,", Yuya began, rubbing the back of his head with the left hand, "it feels like cheating to me."

"He's not taking the shortcut. That's the right way if you want to become a true champion. He just rose a lot in my esteem with his decision." Yubi remarked, respecting Yuya's choice.

After that, Yuya and Nico Smiley agreed on another deal. Since Nico had previously managed Strong Ishijima, who now was gone thanks to Yuya's victory against him, Yuya became his substitute for the former champion, allowing Nico to manage him instead and continue his career as a manager. In return, Nico was tasked to find four opponents for Yuya's qualification-duels.

"I guess our work here is done." Kumo stated.

"I'll call Yuga!" Shiryu announced, pressing a button on her disk to contact the Ritual-Teen. After a few seconds, he picked up.

"Hello, sweetheart! What's the matter?" He addressed his girlfriend.

"We have news from our counterparts." She responded. Then she gave him a brief summary of the latest events.

"I see." Yuga said after she was finished with her report. "So that means that they are both going to participate in this year's championship. Good work on your observations on Yuya, Yuzu and the rest by the way! You can now leave You Show and relax until I call you for your next task. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on Yuzu since she ran off and is alone right now. See you later, darling!" He said goodbye.

"See you later, honey!" Shiryu retorted before she hung up.

* * *

 _LDS Building, outside..._

' _So this is the place where the Professor started off.'_ Sora thought, staring at the giant hourglass. _'The security measures seem to have increased since the last time I was here.'_ He deliberated while looking at the entrance control. _'I guess it is because of the mysterious assault on that rich brat. Maybe I'll find out a few details with a little investigation...'_ Suddenly, a voice woke him up from his thoughts.

"There you are! I had a feeling you were here! Say, our school isn't interesting anymore or why are you here instead of going to You Show like always?!"

He turned around to face Yuzu, her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at him.

"No no, it's not like that!" The cyan haired boy replied, waving his hands in front of him in embarrassment at the pinkette's accusation.

"Really?! You're not trying to get closer to Reiji Akaba?!" She inquired, causing him to sweat drop. "Seriously, you're just clinging to anybody who seems promising to improve your dueling skills, right?!"

"But that guy is really cool! He can do Fusion; and Synchro, Xyz and Pendulum as well! He could teach me a lot!" He exclaimed in admiration, throwing up his arms at the latter of his sentences.

"But you know, he's the president of Leo Corporation, so it's kinda hard to get to him. Also, didn't you say you wanted to learn at our school, not at LDS?" Yuzu responded with a little bit of disappointment in her voice.

"I just thought that you all hated me because you excluded me from the best of three against LDS yesterday." Sora pouted, looking down with a sad expression on his face.

"Oh come on, nobody hates you. Gongenzaka just stepped in before you could. But anyway...,", She continued after remembering her loss against Masumi, "I have to ask you for something! Come along!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him after her.

"Hey, where are we going?!" Sora asked in a startled tone.

"You will see soon!" She replied.

"Man, c'mon! Tell me!" Sora demanded as they began moving away from the LDS-Building faster and faster.

"No chance! You have to wait until we arrive at our destination!" Yuzu laughed.

While Yuzu pulled Sora away from the square near LDS, a mysterious, black and lavender haired male with a mask over the bottom half of his face observed them from an alleyway on the other side of the square. After a while, he climbed up the nearby rooftops and followed them. Once he was far enough away, another figure rose up from his crouching position on another rooftop.

"It looks like Yuto is interested in Yuzu as well!" The figure spoke up, turning out to be Yuga. "And it also looks like I'm at the top of the Big Brother-Foodchain! He observes Yuzu and Sora and I observe them all! Guess I need to follow them now! But first..." He reached out for his duel disk and made a call. "Shiryu? Yubi? Kumo? Rin? Ruri? Do you hear me?"

-"Loud an clear!"- Five voices replied from the other end of the line.

"Great! News from my side of the city! Yuzu found Sora at the LDS-Building. Looks like our friend spied on the infrastructure in order to break in or something. Classic Fusion-Scouting, I suppose. Afterwards, Yuzu came and took him by her hand, leaving together with him to ask him for something. By the way, your little earpiece for amplifying sounds is really handy for espionage, Yubi! Makes it possible to hear every word of their conversations clearly from hundreds of feet away! Your inventions rock!" He praised his Link-Counterpart.

"No problem. Glad that they could help you." Yubi simply retorted. "Anyway, something else you want to tell us?" He inquired.

"Actually, yes. Yuto observed them as well and followed them after they left. They're heading to the docks now! Teleport there under Yubi's stealth dome – I think he called it the Vanisher or something like that – since it can hide intradimensional traveling from the sensors here in Standard. Make sure to observe them. I'll head there as well, just in case something escalates!"

-"Understood!"- Yubi and the rest replied.

* * *

 _Maiami City, storage hall..._

"I've heard that Professor Marco was attacked right here!" Masumi said, standing in front of the very same hall from the day before. Accompanying her were her friends, the other aces from LDS, Hokuto and Yaiba.

"This place looks quite suspicious indeed!" Yaiba remarked, looking at the crime scene tape in front of the storage hall's entrance.

"But why are you even so keen on investigating, Masumi?" Hokuto asked his friend. "I mean, Professor Marco wasn't even hurt that badly!"

"That doesn't matter!" Masumi snapped at him, prompting the Xyz-User to flinch. "If someone attacked my course-teacher with ill intentions, he might try it again! So that means I have to find the culprit before that happens!"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Hokuto gave in.

Meanwhile inside the building a few investigators from LDS were analyzing the crime scene, looking at the scratches inside the walls caused by Shun's Raidraptors' claws, as well as a medium-sized hole caused by the blast of Stranger Falcon which had been deflected into the wall by Gishki Magician – Mighty Sage's effect. To top it all off, there were signs of corrosion on the floor caused by the caustic fluids which had dripped out of Bile Throat's maw during the duel.

"I'm going to take a look for myself!" Said an impatient Masumi, pushing past the crime scene tape featuring the lettering "Keep out!".

"Hey, Masumi...!" Yaiba warned her. Suddenly the storage hall was opened by an LDS-Employee from the inside, the man immediately addressing the female intruder.

"Hey, what are you doing here?!" He questioned the Fusion-User.

"It's an uniformed official!" Hokuto exclaimed in surprise.

"Sorry for bothering you, but I really need to know what happened here!" Masumi responded. "I'm Masumi Kotsu from the LDS Fusion Course and I heard that somebody attacked my teacher Professor Marco, so I wanted to know more about it!"

At the mention of her school affiliation, the leader of the investigator-group perked up and left the building to approach the girl.

"I see. You're from our school then!" The man said. He had brown hair and green eyes, wearing the same uniform as the previous man with the exception of his collar shirt, which was black instead of the usual white, indicating the difference in terms of hierarchy. "And what about you two?" He asked, pointing at Hokuto and Yaiba.

"From the LDS Synchro Course, name's Yaiba Todo!" The Synchro-Ace replied.

"And I'm also from LDS, but from the Xyz Course instead. My name is Hokuto Shijima!" The other male hastily continued.

"So you're all from our school then? Guess that makes things a bit easier for me! My name is Tio by the way, nice to meet you!" The chief investigator replied.

-"Nice to meet you as well!"- The trio retorted in polite unison.

"But anyway,", Masumi continued on her own, "is it true that Professor Marco was attacked here?" She addressed him.

"Unfortunately, yes." Tio responded. "But because we are still investigating, I can't tell you any details yet, sorry about that. However, you don't have to worry!" He continued, putting a reassuring hand on Masumi's shoulder. "The LDS higher-ups will uncover the truth soon, you can be sure of that! I think it's best for you to just keep on polishing your dueling skills until Professor Marco comes back to school. I bet that's what would make your teacher happy, right? Okay? Leave this place to us and go back to school."

-"Okay!"- Her two friends replied.

"Okay." She retorted with way less enthusiasm than her comrades, still not satisfied.

After that, Tio entered the building again, the other LDS-Official closing the door for him. While Hokuto and Yaiba were having a conversation about how cool the uniformed officials looked like in their outfits, a determined expression formed on Masumi's face.

' _They just try to get rid of us because they're clearly hiding something from the rest of the school! Professor Marco is suspended for now and won't come back to his lessons for a week if not longer; also they make sure nobody peeks into the crime scene. Clearly this is something very serious! So I won't be buying this "Just continue with your training"-crap and investigate by myself instead!'_ She thought, running off into the distance.

"Hey, where are you going on your own again?" Yaiba asked her.

"You guys can go back! I'll search somewhere else!" She yelled, raising her right arm to wave them goodbye as she left.

"Search?" Hokuto wondered.

"Sheesh, that girl will be obsessed with this whole issue until she solves it, I can tell that already!" Yaiba remarked in exasperation.

* * *

 _Storage hall at the docks..._

"So why did you bring me here?" Sora asked as he entered the building. Yuzu, who entered it after him, closed the heavy door before turning to him, a stern expression on her face.

"Why is she bringing him to a place like this? And why is her expression so serious?" Ruri wondered, hidden under the Vanisher, Yubi's stealth field which also blocked all sounds inside it from reaching the outside world.

"Maybe she somehow found out about his identity and wants to eliminate him quietly!" Rin stated in a hopeful tone.

"That's actually a pretty good idea considering where we currently are!" Shiryu chimed in.

"Bringing him to a secluded place and then getting rid of him there. Sounds like a good, logical plan!" Kumo finished.

Yuzu took a deep breath before speaking.

"Please teach me how to Fusion Summon!" She begged him, clapping her hands together and bowing her head.

-" **WHAT THE HELL?!** "- The four girls shouted, falling over dramatically.

"She wants to learn from the devil instead of eliminating him?! Am I dreaming or something?!" The usually calm and reserved Kumo exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

"Ehhh?!" Sora retorted, surprised at her sudden request. "Is it because of your loss against that girl from LDS?" He asked, remembering her match from the day before.

Yuzu looked down, gritting her teeth in anger and shame about her insufficient performance at the school-battle. "Reiji Akaba said that he would return and finish the match another time..." She began. "That's why I want to improve! To protect You Show once that happens! I want to defeat Masumi Kotsu! And because I need more strength for that, I want to learn Fusion Summoning from you!"

"So you want to learn from a good Fusion-User like me to get better as a duelist, is that correct?"

"Yes, please teach me how to Fusion Summon!" She pleaded him, bowing her head even further.

"Man, she's lowering herself that much just to learn from that accursed fiend!" Rin said angrily.

"But she's only doing it because she wants to protect what she holds dear. Sometimes, that's even worth to suffer humiliation for! Besides, she doesn't even know that Sora is from Academia." Yubi defended her.

"Hmm, what should I do?" Sora pondered.

Yuzu looked up with fearful eyes. "You can't?"

"It's not that I can't." Sora retorted. "The problem is if I'm allowed to." He said in an uncertain tone. "Because if I teach you, you'll definitely become stronger!"

"But that's good, isn't it?" Yuzu said. "Make me strong so I won't lose to anyone!"

"But... am I allowed?" Sora deliberated, not sure if his loyalties to Academia prevented him from teaching an outsider.

Meanwhile, a figure wearing a black mask observed the events from the shadows of the hall with interest. Yubi, who spotted him at this moment, spoke up.

"Well, look who it is! Your friend Yuto!"

"Where?!" Ruri demanded, wanting to see her crush again.

"Over there, in that corner! Looks like he really went after them like Yuga said."

' _Wow, he looks just as good as the last time when I saw him! Too bad that I'm not allowed to talk to him right now!'_ The Xyz-Girl thought in admiration as she looked at him.

"What a stalker!" Rin remarked in her scolding tone. "Following her like that after he already caused that accident! Ever heard of private space?!"

"But isn't literally everyone of us a stalker as well?" Yubi retorted. "I mean, look at us! We're standing under a barrier that is a one-way-street for sounds and images, preventing us from being seen or heard. While we supervise them. I'm pretty sure that this is considered stalking as well!"

"Right... Touche, I guess..." Rin admitted sweat dropping, realizing the truth in his words.

After a while, Sora agreed on teaching her Fusion Summon and handed a card over to her.

"Here, this is the spell card Polymerization! You use it to fuse together specific monsters. It's the bread and butter for Fusion Summoning!" Sora said. "Understood?"

"Yeah, I understand!" Yuzu retorted, taking the card from him.

"And there she goes, making a pact with the devil!" Rin commented.

"If it wasn't for Kumo's convincing little statement about the summoning method being not evil itself, but the users of them, I would burn every copy of that accursed card! That thing has killed millions of my people!" Ruri remarked with contempt in her voice.

' _I can't believe I'm actually teaching her! My kindness is probably my greatest flaw!'_ Sora thought.

"The Fusion Materials can be in the hand and on the field?" Yuzu asked him, startling the other teen.

"Huh? Oh yeah, they can! That's how Fusion Summoning works most of the time. Though there are exceptions of course!"

"When I activate Polymerization, I send my Fusion Material-Monsters to the graveyard and bring out my Fusion-Monster from my Extra Deck." Yuzu stated, reading the card text of the Polymerization in her hand.

"That's right." Sora said before noticing something, turning his head around. He looked in a corner of the room, spotting Yuto. Then a wild chase began, both of them displaying their acrobatic skills before clashing with the blades of their now activated duel disks, fiercely looking at each other. After landing, they both jumped back, creating some distance between them. Then Sora addressed the disguised male from the Xyz-Dimension.

"Who are you?"

Yuto remained silent.

"You are not from here, are you?" Sora continued in an amused tone.

"Neither are you!" He retorted fiercely.

"Wait, you're that guy from before!" Yuzu cried out after recognizing Yuto.

"You know him, Yuzu?" Sora asked, turning around to her.

"When I was with Sawatari..." Yuzu began, memories of the incident with Dark Rebellion resurfacing within her mind. "Are you behind the latest incident as well?!" She questioned the stranger.

"Incident?" Sora inquired.

"Someone attacked a teacher from LDS yesterday evening!" Yuzu explained to him.

"So that's why security was tight!" Sora realized. "So are you the culprit?" He addressed Yuto.

He didn't respond to Sora's question. But barely audible, he whispered something. "Shun, you've really done it again! Now I'm screwed because you messed up and attacked that guy from LDS!" He cursed, sighing.

"Who are you?!" Yuzu asked. "Did you duel Sawatari to save me? Or because you hate LDS?" She demanded to know.

"That's..." Yuto hesitantly began before he was cut off by he sound of the storage hall being opened, as well as by another voice speaking up.

"So you're the culprit?!"

Yuzu looked around to see Masumi at the entrance. "Masumi Kotsu?!" She said in disbelief.

Masumi simply ignored her and took a few steps towards Yuto.

"Why did you attack Professor Marco?! ANSWER ME!" She addressed the male.

"Hey! Why are you here as well?!" Yuzu asked the newcomer.

"I thought I'd find something by going to the first crime scene." Masumi explained. "Since you're here, you just saved me the trouble of finding you!" She addressed Yuto with a fierce look on her face, attaching her duel disk to her wrist at those words.

"Wait a second! I'm still talking with him!" Yuzu intervened.

"My talk is way more important!" Masumi shot back, glaring at her.

"What are you talking about?!" Yuzu retorted. "Besides, we don't even know if he's the culprit or not!"

"We'll know by finding out whether he uses Xyz or not!" Masumi countered.

"Xyz?" Sora perked up, turning his head back to Yuto. "Oh really." He said in a curious tone. _'Jackpot! An Xyz-Remnant!'_ He thought. _'This should be fun!'_

Yuto simply glared back at them.

"I'll check! DUEL ME!" Masumi addressed Yuto, activating the blade of he disk.

"Stop it! That's enough!" Yuzu protested, blocking her way.

" **GET OUT OF THE WAY!** " Masumi snapped, violently pushing her aside (causing Yubi to get VERY mad and pissed at her again, even if his facial expression didn't show a lot of it) and rushing at Yuto with a battle cry, ready to strike him with the blade of her disk. However, in a flash, a blue colored blade intercepted her attack, therefore protecting Yuto, who lowered his guard again since the attack was ended – even though it was in the way he hadn't been expecting.

"WHAT?!" Masumi yelled in surprise. Then she looked at the owner of the blade. Yuto took a few steps back from the newcomer, moving leftwards to the side to see the person from the front side. It was a girl wearing an azure jacket with a dark blue T-Shirt underneath. She was also wearing very fashionable and expensive looking white pants, along with black shoes. While he could only see part of her face due to the hood of her jacket that she had put on, he had to admit that she was REALLY, REALLY beautiful. Her azure and white hair was still leaking out a bit and despite her sunglasses, he was betting that her eyes looked about as majestic as the rest of her appearance. Her demeanor was confident and she was standing upright, her left arm akimbo while her other wielded a dark blue-glowing energy blade with a shining, silver handle. After looking closer, he could swear that she looked a bit like Ruri, just like he had experienced with Yuzu as well. And despite that his friend from the Xyz-Dimension was the only girl his heart truly longed for, he had to admit that this girl was absolutely wonderful as well.

"What the hell is Shiryu doing out there?!" Rin asked. "She just left the Vanisher and blocked the attack. How did she even do that?"

"Didn't you see it? With that blade of hers, naturally." Kumo retorted.

"By why does she even have a blade? Anyone who can tell me that, please?" Rin continued, clueless.

"Well, I can help you with that as well." Kumo stated, making Rin turn around to face her. "You know, when we arrived here in Standard and waited in our hotel room for Yuga to come back with clothes, information and so on, I played a match of chess against Shiryu and she told me a few things. One of them being the fact that Yuga also practiced with weapons as a form of training for his future position as the king. While knowledge about fighting with weapons is rather traditional, he still liked it and taught her about it. And from what she told me, she was really good at it as well, so her father made her a lightsaber-like katana that consists of the same energy as our duel disks' blades. And as you just saw, she wields it pretty well!"

"Man, one truly never finishes learning new stuff about you all! First I discover a deeper meaning behind Yubi's summoning chant and learn that he wants to better the whole world and now Shiryu is a master at sword-fighting! With you guys, everything is full of surprises!" Rin exclaimed.

"So it looks like she just saved your friend, Ruri! I guess you'll have to thank her for that afterwards!" Yubi remarked.

"Yuto could have easily blocked that attack as well." She retorted.

"I know. But it is the thought that counts! Now then, lean back and observe the show!" Yubi told.

"What are you doing?!" Masumi snapped at the disguised Shiryu. "Why did you block my attack?!"

"Well, in my opinion your attack was pretty immoral. You really need to work on your composure. Attacking people like, man, that are some bad manners!" She replied, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

"Did you just insult me?!" Masumi asked in an angry voice.

"Not the slightest bit. I'm just saying that if you want to fight, you should settle things the old fashioned way with a duel. But..." She pushed a button on her sword's handle, retracting the blade and putting it back into a pocket of her jacket before continuing. "...if you want to fight someone so badly, how about me?" At those words she activated her own duel disk, a blade of dark blue color flashing to life.

' _This color...'_ Sora pondered, slight traces of fear becoming visible on his face. _'...could she be one of THEM?!'_

Masumi readied herself as well before Yuzu stepped in again.

"Wait! Who are you?!" She addressed her Ritual-Counterpart.

"Who I am matters not the slightest bit!" Shiryu retorted. "We should only focus on the task at hand now, which is the duel between me...", She pointed at herself with her right hand, "… and her!" She finished, pointing at Masumi. "Are you ready?" She addressed the LDS Fusion Ace.

"You bet! But after I defeat you, you will have to stay out of the way so I can duel the culprit!" Masumi demanded.

"Fine by me!" The azure haired girl retorted. "Then let's settle this now!"

-" **DUEL!"-** The cried out in unison.

* * *

 **MASUMI VS. SHIRYU**

 **MASUMI: 4000**

 **SHIRYU: 4000**

"I'll take the first turn!" Masumi declared. "Brilliant, literally!" She said as she looked upon her hand cards. "I start by activating the continuous spell card Brilliant Fusion! Using its effect, by sending Fusion Materials from my deck to the graveyard, I can Fusion Summon one "Gem-Knight" Fusion-Monster from my Extra Deck!" She announced.

"What?! A Fusion Summon with monsters from the deck?!" Yuzu exclaimed incredulously.

"Looks like you just got an example for one of the exceptions of Fusion Summon!" Sora spoke to her. _'This could be problematic. That girl really knows a lot about the secret techniques of our mechanic.'_ He debated with himself.

"Now I send **Gem-Knight Tiger Eye** , Gem-Knight Lapis and Gem-Knight Lazuli to the graveyard! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 10, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!" She yelled, clapping her hands together.

 _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond_

 _Earth/Level 10/ATK 3400/DEF 2000/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"She still had a hidden ace up her sleeve?!" Yuzu shouted in disbelief as Masumi's new Gem-Knight appeared.

"And she's not even doing her usual summoning chants. Looks like she intends to end this quickly by not wasting any time." Sora remarked.

Yuto quietly observed the duel, looking at the new monster in disdain, scowling at the summoning mechanic Masumi used.

"In addition to that, the effect of Gem-Knight Lazuli! When she is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I get to add one Normal-Monster from my grave back to my hand! And since Gem-Knight Tiger Eye is a Gemini-Monster, he is treated as a Normal-Monster as long as he is in my graveyard! Meaning I can target him for this effect!" Masumi declared as she added the card back to her hand. "However, the ATK of my Lady Brilliant Diamond is reduced to zero due to the downside of my Brilliant Fusion!"

 _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond: ATK 3400 → 0_

"Huh?! She summoned her monster without its attack points? What is she doing?" Yuzu questioned her play.

"You should keep in mind that it still has its effects!" Shiryu reminded her.

"That's right! And that effect is a pretty powerful one as well!" Masumi chimed in. "But anyway, before I activate it, I'll do this!" She showed them another spell card. "I activate Gem-Knight Fusion! Using this card, I fuse Gem-Knight Obsidian and **Gem-Knight Opal** from my hand! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 7, **Gem-Knight Jade**!"

 _Gem-Knight Jade_

 _Earth/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"And now the effects of my two materials kick in! First, when my Gem-Knight Obsidian is sent from the hand to my graveyard, I get to special summon a level four or lower Normal-Monster from my graveyard! Revive, Gem-Knight Lapis!"

 _Gem-Knight Lapis_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 100/Rock/Normal_

"And then the effect of my Opal, which also triggers when it hits the grave, allows me to special summon another Gem-Knight from my deck, other than an additional copy of it! I summon Gem-Knight Alexandrite!"

 _Gem-Knight Alexandrite_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Rock/Effect_

"And then I tribute it to activate its effect! I special summon a "Gem-Knight" Normal-Monster from my deck! Appear, Gem-Knight Crystal!"

 _Gem-Knight Crystal_

 _Earth/Level 7/ATK 2450/DEF 1950/Rock/Normal_

"Why would she summon a monster just to exchange it for another? She could have just summoned Crystal right away!" Yuzu wondered.

"She probably has a reason for that!" Sora retorted. "Just wait and see!"

"Now I activate the effect of my second Fusion-Monster, Gem-Knight Jade! With it, I can special summon one Gem-Knight from my hand or grave, once per turn of course. I select Alexandrite!"

 _Gem-Knight Alexandrite_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Rock/Effect_

"Then I tribute him for another copy of Crystal!"

 _Gem-Knight Crystal_

 _Earth/Level 7/ATK 2450/DEF 1950/Rock/Normal_

"I see. She summoned that specific monster since she can just revive it and therefore summon any Normal-Monster from her deck with its effect, not just monsters from her hand or graveyard! A pretty good move!" Sora complimented her.

"And then the spell card **Gem Selection**! While this card may have the downside of preventing me from attacking this turn, I get to draw one card for each Gem-Knight I control in return! But since it's the first turn, I now get to draw four cards for free!" She triumphantly yelled while doing so.

"That means she has a full hand of five cards again!" Yuzu yelled in shock.

"Now then, I activate the effect of my Lady Brilliant Diamond! By tributing one Gem-Knight, I can Fusion Summon one of its Fusion-Monster comrades from my Extra Deck while I negate its summoning restrictions! I tribute one of my Crystals to summon Gem-Knight Seraphinite!"

 _Gem-Knight Seraphinite_

 _Earth/Level 5/ATK 2300/DEF 1400/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"Ehhh?! Not Master Diamond?!" Yuzu wondered.

"She probably has a reason for that as well!" Sora told her.

"And now I activate this treasure right here! The spell card **Gem-Knight Radiance Overdrive Fusion**!" She yelled, raising the card high up into the air as it started emitting a blinding light.

Yuzu shielded her eyes against the radiance. "That light! Just what is that card?!"

"I'll tell you!" Masumi responded with a smirk on her face. "This card has the power to fuse any Gem-Knights from my field or graveyard by banishing them! In addition, any monster summoned by this effect gains 500 ATK for every material I used for its summon!"

"WHAT?!" The pink haired girl exclaimed in disbelief.

"So this card is even stronger than Fragment Fusion, I see!" Sora said.

"Now then,", Masumi continued, "for the summon of this monster I have to fuse at least three Gem-Knights with one of them being a Fusion-Monster! I fuse together my Gem-Knight Lapis, Crystal and Jade from my side of the field, as well as Gem-Knight Lazuli, Alexandrite, Obsidian, Opal and the second Crystal from my graveyard! If you really thought that Master Diamond or Lady Brilliant Diamond were my final trump cards, you were wrong, Yuzu! Now I will show my true ace to all of you!" She announced as her eight monsters joined together in a dazzling vortex.

"Gems of shining brilliance, merge together and become the ultimate radiant deity whom everything pales against! The dazzling god who baths this plain in his luminescence! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Spark to life and descend! Level 12! **GEM-KNIGHT GOD ADAMANTUS, THE BRILLIANT CRUSADER!** " She shouted, clapping her hands together.

"No way..." A speechless Yuzu slowly uttered as Masumi's final trump card appeared. Much like Master Diamond it had the silver armor of a medieval knight. But in contrast to it, Adamantus' whole chest plate, gloves and helmet were plastered with gems, emitting a blinding light. She couldn't even look into the helmet's eye visor because of the sheer radiance. The monster also wielded a diamond broadsword with a handle made up by seemingly every kind of gem in the world.

 _Gem-Knight God Adamantus, the Brilliant Crusader_

 _Earth/Level 12/ATK 4000/DEF 3500/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"Now the effect of my Radiance Overdrive Fusion!" Masumi cried out. "Since my Adamantus used eight materials in total, he now gains 4000 ATK!"

 _Gem-Knight God Adamantus, The Brilliant Crusader: ATK 4000 → 8000_

"8000 attack..." Yuzu murmured in shock, taking a few steps back. Shiryu however kept up her composure and remained unfazed.

"If you're not afraid yet, you will be soon, I can promise you that!" Masumi grinned at her after noticing the missing change in her opponent's behavior. "The effect of Adamantus! First off, he cannot be destroyed by card effects! And second of all, once per turn, he can send a Gem-Knight from my deck or Extra Deck to the graveyard! And third, he can also banish one during each of my turns! He also has two more effects, but you will probably only get to see one of them in action since I will annihilate you before you can see both!" She declared, smirking at her opponent with confidence. "I activate his third effect and select a copy of Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli in my Extra Deck with it, banishing her! And now I normal summon Gem-Knight Tiger Eye from my hand!"

 _Gem-Knight Tiger Eye_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Rock/Gemini/Effect_

"You remember him?" Masumi asked. "I added him back from my grave after using him as a material for Brilliant Diamond! And since my Gem-Knight Seraphinite allows me to perform another Normal Summon by her effect, I'll gladly use that opportunity to normal summon Tigereye again, therefore granting him his effect!"

"So that's why she summoned her instead." Sora remarked.

"Now I activate Tiger Eye's effect! By sending one "Gem-Knight"-Card from my hand or side of the field to the graveyard, I get to special summon one of my banished Gem-Knights, ignoring its summoning conditions! Bye bye Sapphire and hello Lady Lapis Lazuli!"

 _Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli_

 _Earth/Level 5/ATK 2400/DEF 1000/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"So that was her plan!" Yuzu realized. "Retrieving her Lapis Lazuli with the double Normal Summon of her Gemini-Monster so she would have two Fusion-Monsters instead of just one! That brings her field up to five monsters, with four of them being Fusions!"

' _That girl is pretty good, I have to give her that. Looks like she was holding back one or two things when she dueled Yuzu!'_ Sora deliberated.

"In addition to that, I activate the effect of my Gem-Knight God Adamantus! Once per turn, he can copy the effect of any Gem-Knight on my field, graveyard or in my Banish Zone! I choose my Lady Brilliant Diamond!"

The light emitting from Adamantus' eye visor intensified as multiple gems all around its body began glowing. As Yuzu looked closer, she realized that all of those gems were diamonds, the blade of his sword glowing as well since it was also made from that material. _'So because Adamantus' armor consists out of all gems in the universe, he has the power to copy the effects of all other Gem-Knights? What a powerful card!'_ She thought.

"Wait, now she can summon another monster from her Extra Deck ignoring summoning conditions, right? So does that mean Shiryu is in trouble?!" Ruri said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry, as Yuga's girlfriend I bet that she has plenty of ways to turn this duel around!" Yubi reassured her.

"I tribute my Tiger Eye and Fusion Summon Master Diamond from my Extra Deck!" Masumi declared.

 _Gem-Knight Master Diamond_

 _Earth/Level 9/ATK 2900/DEF 2500/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"Impossible! Five Fusion-Monsters during the first turn! Is this the full power of LDS Fusion Summoning?!" Yuzu stammered in awe while she stared at Masumi's impressive formation of Gem-Knights.

Masumi smirked at the respect Yuzu paid her and her dueling. "That's right! This is what Professor Marco taught me! AND ANYONE WHO TRIES TO HARM HIM WILL PAY DEARLY!" She shouted in anger, a fierce expression on her face. "The second effect of my Adamantus! He mills one Gem-Knight from my deck or Extra Deck! I select a second copy of my Lady Lapis Lazuli!"

"This is bad!" Yuzu commented. "Now she can copy its effect with Master Diamond!"

"How right you are Yuzu! And I will show you just what that effect is by activating the effect of the Lady Lapis Lazuli which I currently have on my side of the field! Once per turn, by sending one Gem-Knight from my deck or Extra Deck to the graveyard, I can inflict 500 damage to my opponent for every special summoned monster on the field! I send Gem-Knight Topaz from my Extra Deck to the graveyard! Then I hit you with 2500 damage!" Masumi yelled as the monster did its work.

 **SHIRYU LP: 4000 → 1500**

"Is that all?" The hooded girl simply replied while dusting herself off.

Masumi gritted her teeth. "Not by a long shot! I activate the effect of my Master Diamond and banish my second Lapis Lazuli from my graveyard! By doing so, I copy her effect! I send Gem-Knight Ruby from my Extra Deck to the graveyard and inflict another 2500 points of damage to you! **IT'S OVER!** " She shouted as Master Diamond prepared yet another blast of energy.

" **OH MY GOD, SHE WILL FTK SHIRYU!** " Rin cried out in panic.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE GOING TO DO?!" Ruri chimed in.

"YOU TWO, RELAX!" Kumo interrupted them with a loud voice. They looked over to the Link-Counterpart and she continued right afterwards. "Do you really think she would lose just like that?! Look at her face and then tell me what about her expression doesn't fit to the one a person normally has at the sight of imminent defeat!" She told them.

They looked at her Gishiki-Counterpart. She was facing her opponent with a serious look. But contradictory to her current situation, she didn't show the slightest hint of fear in her expression.

"Why is she so calm?" Ruri wondered.

"Yeah, she doesn't seem the least bit worried!" Rin added.

"That because she obviously has a way to counter her opponent's move." Yubi spoke up. "And you girls really should have a little bit more faith in your comrade!" He admonished the Synchro- and the Xyz-Girl.

Both of them awkwardly rubbed the back of their heads at his scolding. _'I guess they will learn that we are a little bit better than the average duelist now, so they can trust us to win our duels.'_ He debated with himself. _'I have to admit that Rin looks really cute with that embarrassed expression though.'_ Yubi added in his thoughts.

Shiryu merely yawned at the incoming move that would finish her off before raising a card. "I discard **Shien's Veiler** from my hand and to activate his effect!" She stated. "The damage is negated and I don't take any further damage this turn!"

A ninja-like monster wearing a white robe appeared on the field. It jumped towards the shining projectile launched by Master Diamond and opened said robe, sucking in the attack before closing its robe again and vanishing.

"WHAT?!" Masumi cried out in disbelief as Shiryu's monster foiled her plans of FTK-ing her opponent.

"That was a nice try!" Shiryu praised her opponent. "Useless, but nice! Now would you end your turn please? I'm getting bored over here!"

Masumi gritted her teeth in anger. "FINE!" She snapped. "But before that I activate the fifth and final effect of my Adamantus! Once per turn, I can return all banished Gem-Knights to my graveyard! And since I just retrieved two Crystals, as well as Jade, Lapis, Lazuli, Lady Lapis Lazuli, Obsidian, Opal and Alexandrite, my Master Diamond will power up! Previously, he had 400 extra ATK since he gains 100 for every Gem-Knight in my graveyard! But with nine of them being returned to my graveyard, that bonus will rise up to 1300 ATK!

 _Gem-Knight Master Diamond: ATK 3300 → 4200_

"I set one card face-down! Turn end!" Masumi declared with a confident smirk.

"Very well! Then it's my turn! I draw!" Shiryu declared.

"Before you do anything, let me activate my trap card really fast!" Masumi exclaimed. "Gem-Enhancement! By tributing one Gem-Knight, I get to special summon one from my graveyard! I sacrifice Lady Brilliant Diamond! Then I target her with the effect of my trap and revive her! Normally, my Brilliant Diamond needs to be Fusion Summoned, but if I special summon her after I did Fusion Summon her before, I can summon her no problem, even if it isn't by Fusion! Return to my side, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!"

 _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond_

 _Earth/Level 10/ATK 3400/DEF 2000/Rock/Fusion/Effect_

"Huh?! What was that for?" Yuzu wondered. "She simply re-summoned the monster she sacrificed with her trap card's effect."

"But now that her monster left the field, its link with the effect of Brilliant Fusion disappeared." Sora remarked. "Since the card's target left the field and reentered it afterwards, her Brilliant Diamond will now keep her attack points instead of having them reduced to zero like before."

"Oh, I see." Yuzu stated, realizing what he meant.

"Now then, how are you going to get through my formation?!" Masumi challenged her opponent. "I have five Fusion-Monsters, three of them having over 3000 ATK, with my Gem-Knight God Adamantus having 8000 and also being immune to effect destruction! During my next turn, I can copy the effects of my Topaz or my Ruby in my grave using Adamatus' and Master Diamond's special abilities! They can attack twice with Topaz' effect, as well as inflicting the ATK of the monsters they destroy as burn damage! And with the effect of Ruby, they can also inflict piercing damage! Good luck surviving my 8000 ATK Adamantus then! IT'S OVER!"

"Over you say?" Shiryu replied calmly. "That's a pretty bold declaration, especially when considering the current situation of me haven't played a single card yet aside from my handtrap monster, as well as the circumstance that it's my turn right now!"

"What can you do?!" Masumi shot back. "Before my dueling, your efforts are meaningless!"

"I have to praise your skills indeed! Your dueling is quite professional already. I might even call you a prodigy. However...", Shiryu began, her eyes narrowing underneath the sunglasses, "being a prodigy means absolutely nothing in account of what awaits you now! Prepare, this is MY dueling! Taste the overwhelming power of our profound empire! NOTHING SHALL EVER BESMIRCH THE GREAT NAME OF GISHIKI! **HAIL GISHIKI!** " She loudly yelled in a resolute tone, making even the previously overconfident Fusion-User Masumi Kotsu flinch.

' _Hail Gishiki?! That's it, she's definitely from the Ritual-Dimension!'_ Sora thought.

( 11, Ikari - Naruto Shippuden OST; Note: This is only background music for you guys! If the music is audible to the actual characters in the story, it is stated specifically somewhere, like it was with "Starve Venom", "Theater D", "The Power of Revolver" or "Yubi Kogami")

"Your dueling isn't bad!" Shiryu continued. "But despite your Gem-Knights' radiant blades, your dueling lacks the sharpness of true power!" She stated.

Yuto perked up at that comment, realizing that her words sounded pretty similar to the ones he had said to Sawatari two days before.

"Now we will witness a clash many historians have theorized about! The warriors of medieval Europe versus the warriors of the Far East! Knights against Samurais! Now then, I begin by normal summoning **The Mystical Six Samurai – Izanagi**!" Shiryu declared.

A male warrior wearing the light armor of the Far East came forth. Its armor was brown in color and the samurai also wielded a katana, slashing through the air with it as he appeared.

 _The Mystical Six Samurai - Izanagi_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1300/Warrior/Effect_

"Mystical Six Samurai?! But that's impossible!" Masumi uttered. "I know that Yaiba was interested in this archetype as well before he decided on the X-Sabers! And there are only the normal, the Legendary and the Secret Six Samurais! There is no Mystical Six Samurai-Series, I'm sure of that!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, is that so?" Shiryu responded. "And why is one of them standing in front of you then? Anyway, back to the duel! When Izanagi is summoned, he searches out his partner Izanami from my deck or graveyard! And after I add her to my hand, I normal summon Izanami since my Izanagi also has an effect pretty similar to your Seraphinite's, allowing me to normal summon an additional "Six Samurai"-Monster during each turn! Come, **The Mystical Six Samurai – Izanami**!"

Another warrior appeared, this time a female one clad in greenish armor and wielding a kama.

 _The Mystical Six Samurai - Izanami_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"Next up, I can special summon **The Mystical Six Samurai – Shinigami** by his own effect! That's possible because I control at least two Six Samurais! Come forth, Shinigami!"

 _The Mystical Six Samurai - Shinigami_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 900/Warrior/Effect_

An almost ghostly warrior in black armor appeared, equipped with a war scythe and wearing a demonic mask.

"Wow, her swarming is amazing!" Rin praised her counterpart's dueling.

"But that's far from all!"

Rin turned around to the speaker, who was none other than Yubi.

"You see,", Yubi continued, "she now has a total level of eleven on her field. And like the rest of you Bracelet-Girls, she probably has an ace with a level of around seven or eight. Those who play summoning methods with levels, of course." He quickly added, looking over to his girlfriend and Ruri.

"So do you mean that she's going to summon her ace now?" Ruri inquired.

"Very likely. Looks like we are going to see Shiryu's Ritual Summon now. And as we know from Yuga and herself, it will be a Chō Gishiki as well!"

Shiryu took a breath before raising one of her arms. "Now I take my Izanagi and Izanami and sacrifice them in order to..."

A sudden light interrupted her, forcing her to shield her eyes.

( 11 Ikari - Naruto Shippuden OST ends abruptly at min 1:34)

"What the...?" Rin began, searching for the source of the radiance.

"It's Yuzu bracelet! It's glowing like crazy!" Kumo realized as she looked over to her Standard-Counterpart. Simultaneously they heard a voice coming nearer.

"Yuzu! Yuzu!" It shouted.

"That's Yuya!" Ruri exclaimed, recognizing the voice.

"Yuzu!" It repeated once more.

"This is getting way too messy! I'm getting her out!" Yubi shouted before his hand left the protective aura of the Vanisher, pulling Shiryu inside it.

-"OPPONENT LEFT THE AREA! DUEL TERMINATED!"- A robotic voice spoke up from Masumi's and Shiryu's duel disk respectively.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Masumi yelled in indignation. "Where did she go?!"

The light intensified and Yuto vanished.

' _Interesting. So while the other bracelets only glow, hers can actually teleport my counterparts away once more than one is in close proximity to Yuzu. I guess my Vanisher also shields me against the bracelet's effects like it does with everything else since we've been here for a while now and nothing happened. Good to know.'_ Yubi deliberated.

"He's gone." Yuzu said after the light had subsided and she had looked up again. "It's just like the last time. And that girl is gone as well."

"Oi, Yuzu are you there?! Answer me if you are there!" Yuya exclaimed before finally coming to a halt in front of the storage hall's entrance. "Man, there you are Yuzu! Next time you run off, please give us a vague statement about where you go at least! Answering my calls would be a good start too!"

"Yuya?" Yuzu said after turning around to face her friend. "Why are you here?"

"The principal told me to find you since he was worried about you. So guess what, I ran all the way here from You Show! Next time please send a little text message or something! And why did you even go to this place again?" Yuya replied, sweat drops on his forehead because of the exhaustion.

"Yuya Sakaki!" Masumi spoke up again. "I knew you were a comrade of that guy!"

"Wait, you are..." Yuya began, recognizing her. "And Sora is here too?" He said as he realized the cyan haired boy was in the hall as well.

"SPIT IT OUT!" Masumi continued, snapping at Yuya. She approached him at fast paste and grabbed him by the collar. "Tell me, where is the masked guy whom you just aided at his escape?!"

"Masked guy? I have no idea what you're talking abou..."

" **SHUT YOUR TRAP AND STOP PLAYING DUMB!** " Masumi snapped at him. "That girl doesn't matter too much, but the masked duelist is important! Tell me where he is or it will get very unpleasant for you!"

"Girl? Masked duelist?" Yuya asked confused.

"Wait a second!" Yuzu intervened, parting the two with her hands. "You really don't know?" Yuzu asked her friend.

"You're also starting with this now? What are you even talking about?" He asked the pink haired girl.

"He also vanished the last time when you arrived." Yuzu said, looking down to her bracelet.

"Huh? He?" Yuya asked her.

"C'mon, tell me where he is already!" Masumi shouted at Yuya again.

"I see him!" Sora yelled, standing outside and pointing somewhere. "The mysterious guy as well as that girl! If you're fast, you can still catch them! But you need to hurry up, otherwise they'll get away!"

"DAMN, OUT OF THE WAY!" Masumi yelled, pushing Yuya aside before running into that direction.

"Was someone really there?" Yuya asked the smaller teen once Masumi was gone.

"Of course not. I was lying to rid us from that noisy girl!" Sora responded. "I was trying to get her away since she disturbed my training with Yuzu!"

"Your training with Yuzu?" Yuya inquired.

"Yes. She told me that she wanted to learn Fusion Summon because she wanted to become stronger."

"Fusion Summon? For the Junior Youth Championship?" Yuya replied in a questioning manner, causing Yuzu to briefly look up from her bracelet – something she had been doing since Yuto vanished yet again. Shortly after that, her gaze wandered down once more, looking at the jewelry with the mysterious powers, ignoring Yuya and his conversation with Sora for the most part. "By the way, Yuzu, I found four opponents for my qualification matches! Or rather Nico Smiley is trying to find them for me."

"I see. That's good for you." Yuzu replied, looking up again and shooting him a brief smile before resuming to her previous activity.

"I just have to win!" Yuya exclaimed. "I swear that I will win and enter the Junior Youth Championship!"

' _Yeah, keep on winning! Win, win, win, until everything is destroyed! Just as I did!'_ Zarc encouraged him with a dark smile on his face.

"Hey, what's this championship you're talking about?" Sora suddenly addressed him. "Can I enter it too?"

"Hmmm, I don't know." Yuya said, putting a finger onto his chin in a deliberating manner. "Since you haven't had 50 matches after arriving here and need at least 30 wins, that could be hard for you."

"HUUH?! So I can't enter this tournament?! But I want to enter with you, Yuya!" He whined.

"Even if you haven't had 50 matches yet, there is a special rule that allows you to enter if you win six consecutive matches."

The mention of the word "six" rang a bell inside Yuzu's brain. _'Six... Six Samurai... Who was that girl? She seemed strangely familiar. It was almost like looking into the mirror.'_ She debated with herself.

"Only six in a row? That's no problem! Just ask that Nico guy to find six opponents for me as well!" Sora happily retorted at Yuya's last statement.

"Sure!" Yuya replied with a smile on his face. He then turned around and glanced at Yuzu. _'I see. Yuzu learned from her match and wants to become stronger now.'_ He thought. An image from the day before resurfaced within his mind, namely Reiji's declaration of seeing what's beyond Pendulum. _'I don't know what Reiji meant with evolving Pendulum even further, but I'll find it too! And then I_ _'m gonna surpass HER as well!_ _'_ He thought, the image of a certain someone he knew really well flashing over his mind.

' _This is the second time that person vanished so suddenly. What the hell is going on here? Can someone tell me please what's happening with him all the time?'_ Yuzu thought. _'Also that Masumi is really strong once she uses her full power! I have to become a lot better if I want to beat her at the Junior Youth Championship!'_ She thought resolutely, eager on improving to triumph against the other girl.

After a while, the three of them left. Under the Vanisher, a very upset Shiryu yelled at Yubi.

" **WHAT THE HELL, DUDE?!** I had that duel in the bag! Why did you pull me back into your stealth field?! I would have taken her out with no problem at all!" She snapped at him.

"You do realize she had five Fusion-Monsters..." Ruri pointed out in an insecure voice.

"As if that matters! After summoning my first trump card, a level seven Ritual-Monster, I would have special summoned Tsukuyomi, another Mystical Six Samurai that can be special summoned when he's added to my hand by a card effect – something that my Izanami does once she is sent to the graveyard – , and then tributed it along with Shinigami and my first ace to call forth my second, which is level twelve!"

"You have two aces?" Rin asked her in disbelief.

Kumo answered in her place. "Yes, she has. Like me she has one weaker ace, which is equivalent to your Winter Bell and Assembly Nightingale and my Link Three ace. And then she has a stronger one, which is equivalent to my Link Six ace. We talked about that during yesterday's dinner."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Rin cried out in admiration. "And what does that monster do?" She asked her Gishiki-Counterpart.

"Well, it has a couple of strong abilities. But the one I needed here is the power to destroy any monster by its effect that survives a battle against it. Since it has only 3500 ATK – not enough to beat her two strongest monsters – I would have protected my monster with another card, then let it run into her Master Diamond. And since it then destroys it by said effect and because it can also inflict the ATK of any monster it destroys as burn damage to my opponent, that would have been game!" The azure and white haired girl explained.

"I'm sorry that I prevented you from winning,", Yubi apologized, "but I didn't pull you back solely to force the duel to come to an end."

"Wait, you didn't?" Shiryu inquired.

"Of course not. You're Yuga's girlfriend damn it, I was certain that you would be plenty of strong. The true reason was because of Yuzu's bracelet and Yuya's imminent arrival."

"Right, her bracelet was glowing like crazy. Any idea why?" She asked him.

"I guess it's like with ours." Kumo spoke up. "They trigger upon having two of Yubi's counterparts in close proximity to it."

"Correct." He agreed with his girlfriend. "But while yours only glow, hers can actually separate us Yu-Boys the forceful way by teleporting all except one somewhere else. I suspect only the newcomer gets to stay, that's why Yuto vanished and not Yuya."

' _Rip you, Ray! They've figured out your last trump card of preventing my resurrection! Now it is only a matter of time until I am revived!'_ Zarc teased the girl in a victorious tone.

' _Shut up, Zarc!'_ She angrily retorted, realizing he had won yet another round of their silent war thanks to Yubi and his little group.

"Makes sense." Shiryu said in a deliberating tone. Shortly after, she heard another voice as someone entered the now – besides the five of them of course – empty storage hall.

"Hello? Shiryu? Are you and the rest here? If yes, please lower your force field so I can see you!" Yuga called out, walking in.

"Over here!" Yubi said, deactivating his Vanisher.

"There you are!" Yuga said, approaching them. "And, what happened here?" He inquired.

They gave him a brief version of the latest events.

"I see. So Yuzu's bracelet has that kind of power, I understand. I remember being warped by that thing one time as well when I got too close to them while I was spying here in Standard. So that's another thing we have to keep in mind. At least your Vanisher protects us two against that effect if we stay inside it. Yubi, can you develop something to jam her bracelet from afar? You probably won't get close enough to jam it the same way as you did with the other four – at least not unnoticed I mean."

"Sure. I can modify it so I can shoot the seal with my revolver. And since I have practice with guns, aiming and actually hitting it shouldn't be a problem. My nickname is Revolver after all." Yubi retorted.

' _HAH! GET FUCKED, RAY! YOUR LITTLE BRACELETS ARE USELESS NOW!'_ Zarc exclaimed triumphantly, appearing once again in his spectral form and pointing at Ray's in a ridiculing manner.

She could only grit her teeth in response since she had nothing to counter his comment with.

"That's good. Now let's call it a day and go back to the hotel! Scouting around and espionage are kind of tiresome, don't you agree?" Yuga said.

"That's true!" Ruri chimed in. "Having dinner now would be great. Yubi, can you teleport us all somewhere near to the hotel underneath your Vanisher? I don't feel like walking through half of the city now." She asked him, clearly exhausted from the whole day lasting undercover mission.

"Sure, no problem." They stepped under the Vanisher, which Yubi now reactivated. Then Yubi quickly linked Yuga's disk to his own as well, since that was the only one he hadn't linked the day before. Then they vanished completely, reappearing near the Black Luster Hotel.

* * *

 _Rooftop near the LDS-Building..._

"So this is the enemy's base." Shun murmured, scanning the infrastructure of the building with a device. "No matter what the deal with that guy was, I won't stop carding or hurting them if it means that I can save my sister!" He said, a grim look forming on his face. "Tomorrow, I'll start hunting them down again!"

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And that's another chapter done! And Shiryu's deck is finally revealed! For all those who made the guess that she was the one with the Six Samurai Deck, congratulations, you were right! She will use most of the existing cards as well as some new, which are the Mystical Six Samurais. Well, for the Link-Monsters I could simply use Isolde, but I will probably make a Six Samurai Link-Monster instead of using a generic card like that. And both of her Ritual-Aces will make their debut eventually, but not anytime soon. The reason for that will be named somewhere at the beginning of the next chapter.**

 **Also we get to know a little bit more about Yubi's personality and the history of the Great Cyberse War. I created another Ignis since there is one for every attribute right now, except Divine. Since having six leaders of equal power doesn't make a lot of sense to me because if they get into disagreement with each other, they can't properly organize their war, I made up Kami as a seventh and supreme Ignis. Its name should also fit pretty well since it's Japanese for "God". And there's also another Topologic Dragon which the elder Revolver aka Ryoken used back then to take said Ignis down, increasing the total dragon number again, in addition to the Synchro-Monster Konami has recently released, Varrelload Savage Dragon, which will sure as hell also appear in this story (more cards for Yubi xD). You'll see it (the new Topologic) eventually, but much later than Shiryu's aces, that's for sure (at least in a fully fleshed out duel I mean). Talking about Shiryu, we learn something new about her as well! Like Yuga, her personality has a lot of variety: She can be very obedient (especially towards Yuga since he is pretty much confidence incarnate and therefore the dominant one in their relationship), but can also be very confident and self-sufficient by herself. She can be very polite (with her education as a royal princess having manners isn't that much of a surprise, I suppose), but she can also talk very colloquial like other teens of her age. And finally, she can be reserved and temperate at times, but also take the initiative (as you saw in this chapter when she left the Vanisher to defend Yuto). And in her duels, her personality changes, and well, she is quite brave and fearless, as her deck suggests with its Warrior-Type monsters. That also makes her the exception of the six Bracelet-Girls since her deck is the only one that isn't related to her bracelet (since she uses Six Samurais instead of some River-themed monsters). I felt like making this kind of character rather than what we had in the original show. I mean, come on, at some point all of the Bracelet-Girls were just plot devices! Both Ruri and Rin were one to begin with, never getting any notable screen time (that isn't some kind of flashback, being controlled by parasites or being stuck in Leo's green glass tubes!) or Support to their archetypes so that they are at least playable IRL. And the ones who got Support – meaning Yuzu and Serena – just got killed off after the second season, aka the Synchro-Arc, with Yuzu – the fucking female lead!** **–** **getting no duel after she lost to Sergey! Like what the hell?! So to get rid of the "Princess in distress"-motive, I made a Bracelet-Girl who is really strong and confident rather than useless and needs to be saved all the time because she can't handle things on her own (you not, Serena, you are quite fine in that regard). Well, admittedly Shiryu got saved by Yuga when Yuri tried to kidnap her, but if she hadn't been shocked stiff and had her lightsaber-katana with her at that time, she would have sliced that guy in half with it. You see, Shiryu is nobody to mess with if you get on her wrong side. Guess that's why even Yuto did admire her when she blocked the hit for him, well, guess her looking gorgeous as hell did play its part too (best girl by the way). The rest of the Bracelet-Girls will also receive that treatment by the way, so none of them will be a burden that needs to be saved all the time like in the original series. (#I'm a strong, independent Bracelet-Girl who don't need no Yu-Boy!)**

 **Minor thing, we get the first interdimensional shipping involving none of the two new Yu-Boys. Which is Shiryu x Yuto aka Bladeshipping (Thank god that name was free! Both use Warrior-Type decks, no surprise here). I guess having one of those is fair considering Yuga and Yubi have been quite active in terms of impressing Bracelet-Girls other than their own girlfriends already. Again, this is only a minor shipping, but oh well, it should make things a little bit more funny once the time comes around.**

 **And finally Masumi gets a little bit of Support. In my opinion Gem-Knights are a little underwhelming, so I took care of that. So even if she doesn't do a lot in the plot, she now has a good generic Fusion-Monster that doesn't need specific Gem-Knights as materials and has a revive effect, some new Effect-Monsters and a new draw- and fusion-spell card for her deck. And yeah, the master of copying effects, Gem-Knight God Adamantus, the Brilliant Crusader, aka her new boss monster. Also a little question, would you guys be interested to see more from the LDS Aces in this story? I always found them super interesting, starting Arc-V with some pretty cool characters right off the bat at the beginning of the story who all – in my opinion at least – had quite intriguing archetypes, especially Yaiba since I love X-Sabers. So if you share my opinion and want a little bit more of those three, tell me in the reviews please!**

 **Also a little announcement: Like Shiryu – as I mentioned already – , all Bracelet-Girls will receive Support for their archetypes. You will see a lot of new Lyrical Luscinias, Windwitches, Lunalights, Melodious (, I already mentioned Six Samurais, so no need to mention them again) and some new cards for Kumo as well! If you payed close attention during the last few chapters, you already know what kind of deck she's using. It's a pretty old one, but one of my favorites nevertheless, that's for sure. And next chapter you will see some of the Bracelet-Girl-Support in action, namely Rin's and Ruri's. They will both get a lot of Support Cards over the course of this story. And with a lot of support I mean like Ruri getting 10 new Main-Deck-Monsters, 10 new Spells- and Traps, about 15 new Extra-Deck Monsters and a lot of good effects on them! (By the way, I prefer giving them fewer cards, but good ones rather than spamming a bunch of situational crap. I guess that is because of my mindset from playing Yu-Gi-Oh! IRL, even though I love the anime like crazy. But I don't want to give them like 40 situational cards that would suck IRL. I guess that's because I love the anime so much and I hate people shitting on and ridiculing certain archetypes and cards because they suck ass IRL while they simultaneously insult a lot of well designed characters from the anime who happen to have used those cards. So instead, I give them a few really good cards that could make any of the Bracelet-Girl-archetypes meta or at least relevant if they were released into the TCG. Quality rather than quantity so to speak. If these cards don't suffice, I can still make more if needed.) This will be the standard treatment for most of the Bracelet-Girls and most other characters in general by the way, so expect about the same amount of cards with Rin and the rest as well!**

 **Next chapter you are in for a lot of surprises, I can tell you that! Originally it was just a concept I had, but now I am sure that I will definitely use it in this story. Hence I changed the summary, you will soon see what it's supposed to mean and I bet that none of you expected anything like that. Anyway, read, review, follow and favorite, I greatly appreciate any kind of feedback!**

 **Next time on YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: "Unexpected Twists"**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**And therefore we have reached the double digits with this chapter! So that means with around 110k words after Chapter 8, we will most likely surpass the one-million-mark since this fanfiction is completely scheduled already and will have something between 110 and 130 chapters in total, depending on which things I will still include or exclude from the plot. In other words, there is still a lot ahead of you guys! So why don't we just continue and push the plot forward? But first I'd like to apologize for the long wait! This chapter took a while to write after all. But as you might see, this chapter is extremely long. Probably longer than any non-oneshot-story chapter ever written. It sits at over 110k words. But don't worry, that won't be the standard length of the following chapters, otherwise this story would probably have over 13 million words, which is a LITTLE BIT too much for me, understandably xD. But as you can guess, this chapter, combined with the nine previous ones, forms the entirety of the exposition and concludes with showing you the full extent of this story's main plot, hence why it is so long. Now then, let's begin! Like I said in the previous chapter's notes, Rin and Ruri-Support lies ahead, along with the revelation of what I meant with the last words of the Chapter 9 notes and what the new and final story cover and name is supposed to mean! Or at least Rin-Support lies ahead since this chapter got so long through the new stuff I added that I had to divide it into two parts. The two other duels will be in the next chapter, so sorry to all Ruri-fans, but it would have taken even longer until I released it, and this chapter would have been an even bigger behemoth. Also this chapter has – like the warning in the description of this story says – intimacy in it. And I mean more than just lovey-dovey kissing, so you should probably watch out a bit if you are bothered by that. Oh yeah, the background music in this chapter is like really important, especially at certain parts, so if you can, better listen to it parenthetically as you read (quick note, new lyrics always appear before the text section they refer to, meaning if for example one line appears in front of a one-sentence-word-section, this one line from the new lyrics is played simultaneously as the person in the text says that one sentence; just saying this to avoid confusion). About the content of this abomination of a chapter, let's just say a crazy duel and a lot of backstory and supernatural stuff lies ahead. And a lot of twists, just as the name of this chapter suggests. With that said, let's get right into it!**

 ** **Opening: ( 10)****

* * *

Chapter 10: Unexpected Twists

 _Black Luster Hotel Room, the next day..._

"Ah! Another day full of espionage and undercover-work lies ahead! Good morning guys! Are you awake?" Rin yawned, getting up from her bed and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"We are." Yubi replied from one bed left of her, lying in his bed, still tired. "And Kumo is as well." He continued, pointing to the bed left of his own.

"And if you keep talking that loudly, you will wake up the only person still asleep, which is Ruri over there." Kumo added.

"Sorry!" Rin quietly apologized as she realized that she was indeed quite noisy. _'Must be Yugo rubbing off on me.'_ She thought. She then looked to her right, noticing Ruri in the bed at the very end of the room. The other two beds before hers however – meaning Yuga's and Shiryu's – were empty. "Where are our Ritual friends?" She asked Yubi.

"No idea. They were already gone when me and Kumo got up. But since they are most likely together, it shouldn't be a problem though. Just wait, eventually they will reappear."

"I see." Rin replied. "I'm going to the bathroom now. Of course only if you haven't planned on doing so as well. It would be rude to go first since you were awake before me."

"No, go ahead Rin." Kumo retorted. "Me and Yubi are rather late risers."

"Thank you! Then I'll head to the bath!" Rin exclaimed, leaving her bed and walking to the left on the other side of the main room, where the entrance to the bath was located. She opened the door and entered, still sleepy, not fully awake yet. Her tired gaze wandered across the room, stopping upon descrying an unexpected sight. She blinked and rubbed her eyes again, making sure that she wasn't still dreaming. Since the image remained though, her head began flushing bright red in embarrassment.

 ** **(Note: Since a rather intimate part follows we will skip to after said part. That is mainly to maintain this story's rating as you might have already guessed. Like with similar scenes in the future I will merely give a brief summary in the following paragraphs if anything relevant to the plot or the characters happens in those scenes, but on the scenes themselves I will not elaborate here, it's quite obvious what happens anyway. This scene in particular doesn't go all the way, but it surely is more graphical than your average ARC-V story I guess. If you are interested in reading the full original scene, there is a related mini fic of mine called "Dawn of Twilight – Excluded Scenes" that contains these specific scenes, but be aware of what you are getting into when reading them. With that said, here the summary!)****

* * *

 ** **Scene Summary:****

 ** **Rin walks in on Yuga and Shiryu taking a bath together, their bodies tighly pressed together. The two of them greet her rather friendly and calmly, saying her good morning and politely asking for her to leave the room as it is currently occupied. Embarrassed Rin leaves the room, shutting the door loudly which wakes up Ruri. Ruri complains groggily for Rin waking her up, prompting the latter to apologize. Ruri then inquires for the reason why Rin shut the bathroom door so loudly and if something was wrong. Agitated Rin tells her about the Ritual-Counterparts, which causes Ruri to freak out as well. Rin goes on to describe the degree of their intimacy, shocking the chaste Ruri and amusing Yubi who seems not very bothered by it. Rin is surprised and asks him why that makes him not freak out either, also pointing out the size of Shiryu's chest which once again amuses Yubi as he believes that Rin is more jealous than disturbed right now. Kumo also seems not very bothered, neither by the ongoings in the bathroom nor by Shiryu's chest size advanatage over her and the other Bracelet Girls. She and her boyfriend then go on to tell her why the bond between the Ritual-Counterparts is so close and narrate about the time when Yuga saved Shiryu from her fall from the walls of the Gishiki Citadel. Rin briefly pouts that Yugo did not save her from Yuri, contrasting him from his Ritual-Counterpart. Yubi pacifies her and after some more dialogue about chest size he claims that he does not care about it and would love Kumo either way, also showing some of his more emotional beliefs of not loving with his brain and genitals but his heart, contrasting from his normally very scientific manner of thinking by a large margin. That starts some romantic banter between him and Kumo and the two of them start making out, making Rin and Ruri feel left out.****

 ** **Meanwhile Yuga and Shiryu still take their bath together. Yuga and Shiryu laugh about Rin's reaction, though they can understand her. Yuga briefly enthuses about Rin's outside yelling with the subject of his girlfriend's chest size which brings up a brief dialogue about that topic. Shiryu then goes on to tease Yuga for his inability to touch said area right now as they had to employ safety meassures when they turned 13 and became a couple, as taking a bath back together when they were very small was way different from doing it at that age, potentially ending in them going too far in a fit of lust. Hence why they agreed on not touching each other's pubic areas, as even with how much they love each other already that was just one step too far. Yuga then reflects on the years after his adoption and is happy about being adopted, as he met Shiryu because of that. They kiss and then compliment, flatter and tease each other for a while, Shiryu fondling his chest while he touches her lower curves. Yuga subsequently concedes his love again and tells her that he could not even live in a world without her, greatly flattering Shiryu. They then start washing themselves at last. Shiryu forgets her hair though, but as she wants to wash it Yuga interrupts her and requests to do it for her instead. Shiryu complies to his wish and sits on his lap while he gently cleans her hair, slightly arousing Shiryu. As Yuga points it out Shiryu asks him why his body does not react to the outside imput, which he responds with that he is very well aroused, but doesn't allow to let it show out of decency to honor their agreement. Shiryu says that it is not even part of their agreement, but is impressed of his self-control. Yuga retorts that it is probably better to hold back regarding that as showing arousal might escalate things and end with them giving into their carnal desires. Shiryu agrees that while intercourse might not be too far-fetched of an idea in some years, having a child is definitely a distant dream of them and should not accidentally happen already. Also Ghidorah would probably revoke Yuga's adoption and succession to the throne if that occured. They switch to the topic of Shiryu's beauty as Yuga later points out how enchanted even others like Yuto were from it. Before that they start an argument on who of them looks better with both of them claiming the other to be prettier. Eventually Shiryu gives in, though with the added statement that she still thinks that he is second to no other man. After mentioning the thing with Yuto they finish washing, get dressed and leave the bathroom.****

* * *

"Good morning guys! I hope you all had a wonderful sleep and are ready for our next day here in Standard!" Yuga exclaimed as he entered the main room.

"I had a very good sleep, that's for sure. Though the morning was a bit hectic." Ruri replied.

"Oh? And why's that?" Yuga inquired.

"Well..., I guess you should ask Rin for that." She answered.

"Ah, you mean THAT thing." He said, looking over to the green haired girl. "I hope that it didn't disturb you too much." He apologized.

"I'll survive!" Rin retorted in an indifferent tone. "Still, what the hell were you doing there?! One step more and you two would have been fucking!"

"I'm sorry that our habits troubled you like that!" Shiryu apologized as well. "But as you know by now, me and Yuga have quite a lively relationship already and well, a quite intimate one as well. But we should probably get used to intimacy though. After all, we are engaged." She stated.

" **ENGAGED?!** ALREADY?!" Rin cried out in shock. "You are just one step away from marriage already?!"

"I didn't know that you were engaged already. When did you do that?" Ruri inquired in a curious tone.

"A few days after Shiryu's 14th birthday, meaning around eight months ago." Yuga explained. "It was quite the spectacle to say the least. The fireworks on that day let even the New Year Celebrations in cities like Sydney look like a joke in comparison, I tell you! After one year of relationship, we finally felt certain to marry in a few years. So we decided to take the first step towards that goal and told our dad that we wanted to be engaged. Sure enough, he agreed to it and now we are just one step away from marrying. Isn't this wonderful?" He asked with a genuine smile on his face.

"Agreed! That's quite wonderful indeed! I'm so happy for the both of you!" Ruri exclaimed in a joyful tone.

Meanwhile Rin sighed in disbelief. "You and Shiryu engaged. I can only repeat myself, you and your Link-Counterparts never fail to surprise me again and again!" She stated. "Still...", She began anew, "isn't intimate contact like that a bit dangerous? After all, we are curious teenagers and things might get out of hand if you touch each other's… private parts." Rin expressed her worries.

"Oh, don't worry Rin!" Shiryu laughed, making a dismissive gesture with her right hand. "We already made a deal that none of us is allowed to touch those parts for now. Pubic areas are both taboo. Plus, in my case, the chest area as well." She explained.

Rin sighed in relief. "At least you are both disciplined enough to not cross the line, I can respect that. If I ever did something like this with Yugo, he would forget about those rules in an instant and grope me like crazy! He's quite clingy anyway!" She complained.

"I can't blame him for that!" Yuga retorted.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked in a confused tone.

"Seriously, if I were him, I couldn't hold back myself either if there wasn't a deal like that! That would be extremely stupid considering you being thicc as fuck!"

"Thicc?" Kumo asked her boyfriend in a questioning tone.

"Slang for having nice curves, in most cases accompanied by a nice butt and large thighs. He's probably referring to the fact that Rin has them thighs." Yubi explained, his well mannered way of speaking mixing with slang as well.

Rin blushed hard at that, crossing her legs and trying to cover said parts with her hands. "Wait, what are you saying? You shouldn't say something like this in front of me!" She uttered, her head bright red in embarrassment.

"Why not?" Yuga asked. "I'm just being sincere, nothing less and nothing more. If I meet Yugo again, I'll have to punch him twice for his mistakes!"

"Twice?" Rin asked, not certain what he meant with that.

"Yeah, twice." He repeated, raising up two of his fingers. "Once for failing to protect you and letting you become a prisoner of Academia. And once more for being so stupid to not confess to you already, being both physically and emotionally attracted to you. That's just outright stupid, I tell you! Yuto gets two punches as well by the way!" He continued.

"Why that?" Ruri asked, blushing a bit as well, realizing where this might be going.

"One for the story with Yuri of course. Oh right, forgot that it was actually three punches for both since they both mistook each other for Yuri and engaged in an unnecessary battle. But back to topic, he also deserves one punch for not getting that ass! Like for real, how stupid can one be?! A girl with the most graceful manners and looks, with a warm and friendly personality as well as a dream as beautiful as making everybody smile through duels! Plus one hell of a butt! Sigh, sometimes I really doubt that they are my counterparts!" He said, the last few parts in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose.

She blushed like crazy at that comment. "You're so straightforward, Yuga... Normally people don't talk like this..." She stated, still bright red from his words.

"As you know by now, despite my royal background, I'm colloquial and straightforward most of the time!" Yuga retorted. "I'm not mincing matters if I don't have to. Since I'm just telling the truth and I'm already on it now, I'm saying outright how it is: While all of you Bracelet-Girls look fantastic and are above all other females in my opinion – could be my bias since I'm the boyfriend of one of them though – there is one aspect for each of you where you beat all others: Shiryu has – as you have already elaborated – the best breasts." He said, looking over to Rin at the parenthesis, who blushed as a result. "Next up, Rin has the best thighs." He continued, intensifying her blush. "Then like I already said before, Ruri has the best butt." She blushed once more at his words, this time even harder. "Then, moving on to the previously unmentioned ones, Serena, your Fusion-Counterpart, has quite the midriff and an overall really good looking figure to say the least. A pity that she's with the enemy, but oh well. Next up we have Yuzu, who has the prettiest face and – if she does it, which she didn't do a lot for a while now because of the recent events – the most stunning smile. Guess that's Yuya's philosophy rubbing off on her. Finally we have our dear Kumo with the best legs. Those black stockings you usually wear look great on you by the way!" He complimented her.

"You're not the first one to say that to me!" She retorted, looking over to Yubi with a side glance.

"True. Also you're a great kisser!" The Link Yu-Boy replied to her.

"Oh, is that so?" Yuga inquired. "That's interesting, since Shiryu is great at holding hands. Probably the best out of all of them." He told.

"How can you be sure of that?!" Rin addressed him, a little bit furious for being assumed inferior to her Ritual-Counterpart.

"Did you already forget? I extended my hand to you and Ruri when I got you out of the towers, so I was technically holding hands with you as well. And it didn't feel as good as with her, but again, this could just be personal bias." He explained.

"Oh..., right..." Rin slowly uttered, sweat dropping a little.

"Don't worry, it felt great as well! Just not as great as Shiryu, but then again, she is my girlfriend and I know her for a decade now, while I know you only for about a week. Be proud – both of you – , that's not something one can easily accomplish!"

-"I guess that's right. Thank you."- Rin and Ruri replied in an uncertain voice, not sure how to react to his praise.

"Don't feel uncomfortable now please!" Yuga reassured them. "I'm sorry if I irritated you with my straightforward style of talking!" He apologized.

"Not, it's not that bad!" Rin answered, waving her hands in front of her in negation. "It's just that I'm not used to talk directly about matters like that. In terms of my relationship, well, me and Yugo are a bit… how should I express it...?"

"Hesitant?" Yuga suggested.

"Right. We are just beating around the bush way too much." She admitted. "It hurts that everybody around me is happy with their girlfriends while I'm still alone, the same thing counts for Ruri as well, I guess." Rin said, laying bare her true feelings about her friend to Yuga and the rest of them.

"I see. But wait, did you say _'_ everybody around you'?" He inquired.

She nodded. "When even the most reserved counterparts start making out in front of you, you know that there is something wrong."

He looked over to Yubi with a curious expression. "You too, Yubi? Man, that's a surprise! You and Kumo making out in the main room while me and Shiryu did the same in the bathroom! I guess the two of us are really in sync after all!" He joked. "What were you two doing by the way?" He inquired.

"Ah, nothing much!" Yubi replied in a dismissive manner. "I was just lying on the bed while she was on top of me. We were still completely dressed, kissing and fumbling a bit. Nothing really." He said in a nonchalant tone.

"You missed the part where you grabbed my thighs and my butt though!" Kumo added.

"Right." He admitted. "But still not anything really." He continued.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Rin screamed, pretty pissed now. "Kumo was basically grinding on you! There were just two moves needed: You pulling down your pajama pants a bit! She pulling down hers! Boom, sex!" She yelled, spreading her arms dramatically.

"I guess that was inappropriate considering the circumstances." He admitted. "I'm deeply sorry for that, it appears that I didn't think things through carefully enough." He apologized, bowing his head.

"Don't! You just expressed your feelings! That's what a couple like you should do!" She exclaimed, now regretting that she'd been so harsh to her new friend and idol. "But please don't overdo it in my presence. It feels really bad to be left out like that. Like really bad." She besought him in a sad tone.

"Sure. We'll turn it down a bit." He responded. "Normally we're not even like that in front of other people. But after I realized that I didn't mind the presence of you girls too much when showing affection to Kumo, I exaggerated and hurt both of you as a result. I promise that it won't happen again!" He said in a regretful tone.

"No need to lower yourself like that!" Rin reassured him, surprised how sincere his regrets were. _'Man, this guy is getting better and better.'_ She added in her thoughts.

"I accept your apologies as well!" Ruri chimed in. "But you needn't restrict your own happiness just because of us. That makes me feel bad as well."

"No, it is perfectly fine." Yubi countered. "This trip is to seek allies and to win a war, not a romantic holiday. I will turn it down again. That's the only fair thing towards you and Rin." He stated.

"Anyway, back to topic!" Yuga spoke up, the attention turning back to him. "To fix all of these problems, there is just one simple solution!"

"Solution? What solution?" Rin inquired.

"An easy way to get rid of all those problems we just mentioned before. You have to confess to Yugo and Yuto once we meet them again!"

Both of them were taken aback by his words.

"What?! Confessing to Yugo?! I don't know if I have the courage for that!" A shocked Rin replied in a fearful voice.

"I don't think that I'm brave enough for that either!" Ruri chimed in, equally uncertain as her counterpart.

"Trust me, if you really love them as much as I think you do, then you will have the strength to do so. To recite Yuya's father, you can't do anything if you cower in fear! If you want to win, then bring out your courage and step forward! The more courage you put into things, the more happiness you'll get out of them!" Yuga said.

"But what if he doesn't reciprocate my feelings?" Rin asked, still doubtful.

"Then I'll take those three punches and make it a full-powered kick between his legs. Because that's the only thing a dickhead rejecting you deserves!" He replied with a stern expression on his face. "Hurting a cute girl like you must result in some severe punishment after all!"

"Same here!" Yubi chimed in, prompting the Synchro-Girl to turn her head to him. "If he rejects you after all these years you have shared together, then he probably never liked you that much to begin with and therefore doesn't even deserve you. I would hunt him down to the ends of creation if that happened. Even with his D-Wheel, I would eventually catch up to him since my D-Board is faster. And once that happens, I hope that he's good at dodging bullets, because he will see a few thousands of them raining down at him."

"Yuga... Yubi..." She uttered, flattered because of their personal concern about that subject.

"But seriously, I doubt that he's going to do that." Yuga began anew. "He knows you since your earliest days, even longer than me and Shiryu. And he wouldn't search for you so desperately, even crossing dimensions, if he didn't love you. The same thing goes for Yuto by the way." He said, looking over to Ruri. "Despite that you only knew each other for a few months rather than years, I doubt that he would travel here to Standard with Shun in order to exchange you for Reiji if he didn't love you. Especially considering how he treats the inhabitants of this world – meaning with more care, not being too reckless like your brother Shun. Him following your pacifistic principles for the most part even in times of war can only mean one thing: He loves you from the bottom of his heart. The both of you just have to gather up your courage and confess to them once we can officially meet them again."

"I'm still not sure if I can do that..." Rin said.

"I'm not quite certain too..." Ruri stated.

"If you never take any risks, you won't get any rewards either." Yuga spoke up again. "Even I was afraid to confess to Shiryu – and vice versa. But we both took the risk – and got rewarded for it. Trust me, it is so much better once you've finally done it! I know that this seems like a giant wall for you to overcome, but you'll manage to climb over it if you believe in yourselves hard enough!" He encouraged them.

"And if it fails?" Rin asked.

"If it fails, you can always come back to me and Yubi." He replied. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind having another close friend."

"Of course not. I'll gladly take care for you if Yugo rejected you for some reason." Yubi said. He looked over to Kumo. "Of course only if that's okay for you, Cloudy."

"No problem. Like I said before, I don't care too much about minute stuff like that." She replied.

"Cloudy?" Ruri inquired in a curious tone.

"Since my name is Japanese for cloud, he came up with that pet name once." Kumo explained. "He said it fits the soft and fluffy core of my personality perfectly, so I thankfully excepted it." She explained.

"Anyway, do you seriously not mind me?" Rin asked, uncertain about her previous response.

"No, I don't." Kumo retorted before tilting her head in a questioning manner. "Besides Rin, did you seriously think that I didn't notice how you looked at Yubi? Especially the day before yesterday when he deactivated your bracelet and made that joke about paying him in kisses for your lost bet? Only an idiot wouldn't notice that you have a crush on him!"

"What...?! But...! No...! I don't…! I mean...!" She stammered in response, her head entering the blush-overdrive.

"Don't lie!" Kumo retorted in a calm voice, raising a reassuring hand. "I know it, you know it and Yubi knows it as well. There's no point in denying it now, Rin. But don't worry, as I said before, I don't mind it too much. You get used to other girls staring at and admiring your boyfriend if said person is the three-times world champion of your dimension. Eventually I got used to the armies of fangirls flocking around him on every major tournament in Japan or elsewhere in the world. But unlike them, you seem to be genuinely interested in Yubi's real personality since you inquired about the meaning of his summoning chant and learned about his true philosophy as a result. That's not anything I see most other girls doing, they are just interested in his origins and career most of the time, not his real self. Also the fact that you look a lot like me helps, I suppose." She explained.

"So... you really don't mind if I'm with him as well?" Rin repeated.

"Nope. Since I can furthermore tell that he seems to like you as well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. If you really like each other, it would be unfair to stand in the way of your happiness, Rin. Though you'll have to get used to hear a lot of strategic thinking over the most minute details. After all, he plans literally everything he does, which is pretty much the exact opposite of Yugo, I guess."

"That's true. It would be a change, that's for sure." Rin agreed.

"How about you, my dear? I bet you would also enjoy that if it happened!" The brown and light blue haired girl grinned at him.

Yubi raised his hands in a conceding manner. "You got me figured out, I guess." He admitted. "I indeed think that Rin is a really cute girl and it would be nice to have her around. But keep in mind that this is only an emergency resolution in case that Yugo randomly decides to reject her. I don't want to pinch anybody's girl. That's beyond rude if you ask me." He stated.

"I know. You'll try your luck with Yugo and for the unlikely case that it fails, you can come back here." Kumo addressed her counterpart.

"Okay! With these two options, I'll definitely confess to Yugo now!" Rin shouted with a determined look on your face.

"That's great!" Yuga chimed in. "And for the case that you have no luck with Yuto, we can do the same as well." He offered to the dark purple haired girl.

"Are you sure that Shiryu wouldn't mind that?" Ruri retorted.

"Sigh, it seems you didn't fully understand her words when she talked with you in the yard at our castle upon arriving there. When she said that she was fairly certain that I wouldn't cheat on her after a decade of companionship and even if I did, she could be sure that it was for a girl who deserved it, she actually meant more with it than you could have imagined. She sometimes has this way of saying something, but actually expressing way more than it looks like." He explained.

"Are you serious? Did you really mean that?" Ruri inquired, looking at her counterpart for confirmation.

"He's right!" Shiryu replied, nodding. "What I really meant with that sentence was that I don't mind if you want to be more than just good friends. Just like you, I got to know Yuga by pure chance, a present from heaven so to speak. Who am I to deny another girl looking pretty much exactly like me the same thing? Also it isn't that uncommon for a Gishiki King to have multiple wives. There are a few examples throughout history, the last one being only eighty years ago. Polygamy might be abolished in my dimension right now because my grandfather wasn't quite the fan of it, but if my father or Yuga wanted to reintroduce it later on, they could do so in an instant. I just have one condition if you want to join in: I'll be having his virginity and marry him first. Alright?" She asked her.

"Yes... fair enough..." Ruri replied sweat dropping, a bit embarrassed because of Shiryu's straightforward approach to the subject. "By the way, you really inherited your father's relaxed attitude! I'm not sure if I could bring myself to share Yuto with somebody else!" She stated.

"Thanks, being compared to the current Gishiki King and greatest father I could have ever had means a lot to me!" She replied. "Anyway,", She continued, looking over to her boyfriend again, "to keep it like our Link-Counterparts did it, how about you, Yuga? You okay with this plan as well?" Shiryu asked him.

"Of course I am!" He exclaimed. "Ruri is a cute, beautiful and friendly girl and to be frank, when I saw her in person for the first time, my heart skipped a beat from the sheer amazement. Having her as my queen in the future would be a very nice thought. Besides, even a person in my position isn't exalted above human urges. But even without those things I would never decline such a tempting offer!" He looked over to Shiryu. "Oh, and by the way, thank you for your understanding! I know it's not that easy to grant another person access to one's lover's heart, so I respect your courage a lot!" He thanked her.

"Same thing goes for you, Kumo. I bet that your decision must have been a rather difficult one." Yubi chimed in.

"Oh please, Yubi! Sharing is caring, right? Besides, I'm sure that a duelist who can beat five opponents at once easy peasy could deal with having two girlfriends in case Rin doesn't have success with her confession!" She replied.

"Same here!" Shiryu spoke up. "A person organizing and leading a war can easily deal with something like an additional lover!"

"So it's decided then!" Yuga exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "You confess and for the unlikelihood that they reject you, there is a backup-plan!"

"So it's basically a win-win-situation for us!" Ruri remarked with a smile on her face.

"By the way, thank you for all of your support!" Rin thanked them, bowing her head. "I don't think I could have gathered up the necessary courage by myself!"

"That's true!" Ruri chimed in. "You really gave us a push into the right direction. I don't know how I can thank you for that appropriately!" She said.

"Like I said to Shiryu before when the I was in the tub with her, your presence and smiles is all it takes to express your gratitude to me!" Yuga responded, causing her to blush slightly with a smile forming on her face. "Also, it's our job as people who are already in a relationship to help you getting there as well, don't you think?" He teased her.

"I remember how Shiryu also gave us a little push into that direction when she asked us if we were together with the Yu-Boys of our dimensions, back when we arrived at your home!" Rin spoke up, the memory resurfacing. "You two really try to hook us up with Yugo and Yuto, don't you?" She addressed the Ritual-Couple.

Shiryu grinned at her. "Of course we do! I don't know why, but it feels so good to do that! What about you, Yuga? Do you like it as well?"

He smirked. "Of course I do! I can't explain it either, but facilitating your relationships feels amazing, I don't know why, but it does!"

"Well, looks like you managed to reach your goal!" Rin retorted, now grinning as well. "Guess I'll have to thank you for your efforts if it works out! And also thank you for your offers if it doesn't, I really appreciate them!"

-"Anytime again!"- The four counterparts from the Gishiki- and Link-Dimension replied in unison.

"But enough of that!" Yuga exclaimed, sitting down at the table. "It's time to turn back to our mission. First off, I have a few new instructions! Since Shiryu stepped out of her hideout and was dueling yesterday, I'd like to ask her as well as Yubi and Kumo to avoid further duels!"

"But why that?!" Shiryu asked him. "As you probably also know, I was on my way to winning that duel, so no point in avoiding duels out of fear to lose!" She countered.

"That's true. You were indeed winning that duel." He admitted, causing a brief smile of satisfaction to become visible on her face. "But from what I heard, you were already in the summoning process of Amaterasu and planned on going for Susanoo as well. Which is problematic to say the least. First off, Reiji and his staff can detect the unusual energy readings of our Chō Gishikis. And second of all, it draws a lot of unwanted attention. How would you react if a 30 meters tall samurai engulfed by blue flames stood somewhere in the harbor?" He addressed her in a questioning tone.

"Errr... you are right I guess. Not gonna happen again!" She agreed, sweat dropping in embarrassment.

"The same reason prevents you and Kumo from dueling as well!" He said, looking over to Yubi. "We don't want to reveal the power of Link Summon yet. It has never been seen outside of the Link-Dimension before, so we should keep it to ourselves until the right time comes. You and Shiryu should only duel as a last resort."

"Understood." Yubi replied. "We should keep our trump cards to ourselves. How about Rin and Ruri? Their Synchro- and Xyz-Summoning is way over the scale of Standard." He asked Yuga.

"True. That's why they should avoid direct confrontations as well. But if we have the option to choose from one of them dueling, or you, Shiryu or Kumo, they should go ahead. It's better to give Reiji an unusually high Synchro or Xyz than showing him more Chō Gishikis or revealing Link to him or any Fusion Spies here in Standard. Especially considering that he has already seen my Bile Throat in action." He added.

"Very well. Then let us get changed and head outside after eating breakfast!" An enthusiastic Ruri exclaimed.

"Wait! I haven't spoken about the mission for today!" Yuga interrupted her.

"Right. So what do you have in store for today, Yuga?" The dark purple haired girl asked him.

"While you were asleep, I intercepted a call from Nico Smiley to our friend Yuya! He has his first qualification match today in a place called Kirigakure Cooking School. Of course we are going to observe that one." He told.

"So we get to watch your Standard-Counterpart dueling, is that what you mean?" Rin asked him.

"Not exactly. I dunno why, but I have a really bad feeling about you going there. The names Rin and Kirigakure don't seem to harmonize very well with each other, no clue why that is."

Zarc appeared in his spectral form at that. _"Of course they don't! The only thing missing here is someone stabbing through Rin's chest with a Chidori!"_ He remarked.

" _Gosh Zarc, cut out the Naruto Shipudden references!"_ Ray yelled at him in her spectral form.

" _Fine, fine, I'm going already!"_ Zarc replied, raising his hands in a conceding manner of giving in, vanishing at that.

"So because of that and the fact that me and Shiryu should suffice, I suggest that you and Ruri go with Yubi and Kumo to explore the city a little. Enjoy yourselves and have a little bit of free time, you did well on the last days, so you've definitely earned a little rest!" Yuga continued.

"If you say so." Rin replied. "A little bit of relaxing won't hurt I guess."

* * *

 _Maiami City, Sakaki residence..._

"Alright! This should do it!" Exclaimed an enthusiastic Yuya once he was done with the final touches on his deck for the qualification matches. "With this deck, I will definitely win my four matches and enter the Junior Youth Championship!"

He pocketed his cards and made his way down to the dinning room.

"Ah, breakfast!" He exclaimed as the pleasant smell rose up into his nostrils. He opened the door and found his mom being busy with cooking while Sora sat on the table again.

"Oh, good morning Yuya!" The smaller teen addressed him after noticing Yuya's arrival.

"Good morning, Sora! Looks like you've made yourself completely at home now!" He stated.

"It's okay! After all, we're friends, right?" He retorted, grinning at the green and red haired male. "By the way, I wish you the best of luck in your four qualification matches starting today! I'll be trying myself to enter the Maiami Championship. After all, I only have to win six matches in a row!"

"You're saying that like it's not difficult at all..." Yuya remarked sweat dropping. "Anyway mom, is breakfast ready?" He hungrily asked Yoko.

"Not yet. Wait a little bit." She replied. "I'm making mille-feuille pork cutlets and special salad." She looked at her nearby tablet for the instructions for cooking the dish.

"Ehh? Instead of something so elaborate, you could have just made the normal pancakes." Yuya retorted, approaching her.

"But this is Michy's recipe. He's very popular among housewives, so I wanted to make something better than usual!" She responded.

"I'm fine with anything! Just hurry up!" Yuya countered.

"I said wait!" Yoko protested.

"If you don't hurry up, I'll be late for my duel!" Yuya shot back.

"Great! Now you made me mess up!" His mother complained as Yuya accidentally overturned one of her cooking utensils.

Meanwhile Sora quietly drank his milk and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

* * *

 _Near Kirigakure Cooking School..._

"Damn, I had to leave without breakfast!" Yuya complained, his stomach growling, longing for food. Suddenly his nostrils caught an alluring, heavenly smell, prompting him to follow the scent. He ended up in front of his destination too. "Kirigakure Cooking School..." He read the sign above the door, looking at the entrance. Then he was approached by Nico Smiley, leading him into the building where he met his opponent, Michio Mokota, a star cook who was very popular among housewives as Yoko said before. After a little bit of talk, their duel began.

"Man, they are going at it!" Yuga exclaimed, sitting somewhere in the spectators seats along with Shiryu.

"That's true. But it doesn't look good for Yuya. Seems like having an empty stomach is quite the disadvantage for him in Action Duels." She commented.

"Don't worry, I am certain that he will find a way to overcome this pinch. Anyway..." He began before noticing a cook passing by, carrying a cooking pot. "Excuse me, what is that in your pot, mister?" He addressed the man.

"Eh? Oh, that's just some curry. Nothing much." The man explained.

Yuga sniffed. "From how it smells, nothing much is an understatement! How about giving me some of it then?"

The man sweat dropped. "You know that this isn't a restaurant?" He asked him.

"Yeah, this is a cooking school rather than some commercial place, I know that. Still, it would be a shame to cook all these fancy dishes and not even eat them afterwards! I can pay you as well. How about 20 DP for a plateful of that curry, plus maybe some rice as a little supplement?"

"Well...", The cook began, now inclined to accept his offer, "as you wish! One plateful you say?"

"Yeah. Except you want something too, my dear?" He addressed Shiryu.

"Hmm..." She deliberated. "I think a bite would do no harm." She replied.

"Alright, two plates coming right up!" The cook exclaimed, hurrying to fulfill the order.

"And make sure that one of the plates has an extra big portion!" Yuga called out to the man who took his leave.

"Geez Yuga, we just had breakfast, you really need to eat that much again?" She questioned him.

"Of course! We're slowly approaching noon and the heavenly smells inside this building aren't solely affecting my counterpart! I just must have a taste! Besides, you also wanted a plate." He pointed out.

She puffed up her cheeks. "Just because I'm showing solidarity to you by also eating something! And because I'm a practical person and we can save time searching for a place to eat lunch that way!"

"I see, I see. Sorry darling!" He pacified her, raising his hands to indicate that he was giving in.

Meanwhile the duel continued, Michio literally stuffing up Yuya's monsters with food until they exploded.

"His Royal Cookmates look pretty interesting." Shiryu remarked, observing the cooking prodigy's tactics.

"Especially, they look tasty!" Yuga chimed in, prompting his girlfriend to roll her eyes.

"Your curry with rice!" The cook addressed them, standing before them with his dish now served and ready to eat.

"Oh, thank you!" Yuga retorted with a smile while taking the plate plus cutlery from the cook, Shiryu doing the same. They began munching their food, Shiryu eating in a rather slow, well mannered fashion, while Yuga was a bit more rushy, taking twice to thrice the amount of food into his mouth with every bite though he still kept up most of his royal table manners.

"Yuya is in quite a pinch." Shiryu remarked after finishing another bite.

"He will win in the end, like I said before. I'm sure of that! And even if he doesn't, I got to eat a nice meal at least!" Yuga retorted.

Shiryu rolled her eyes again.

* * *

 _Maiami City, one hour before..._

A little group consisting of Yubi and the three other girls was making their way down the city. They had been visiting some shops, parks, even LDS and some more attractions of Maiami City over the course of the morning, Yubi even buying some machine parts in a store for some new inventions he planned on making. Suddenly, Rin spoke up.

"Guys, I have a request to make!"

"A request you say? What is it?" Yubi inquired.

"Well, would you mind continuing on your own? I want to see some of the city by myself if you don't mind!" Rin stated.

"Me as well!" Ruri chimed in.

"Walk off to see the city on your own, you say?" Yubi contemplated, moving a finger to his chin. "Hmmm..."

"Please! I promise to return to the base before evening and look out for Fusion Spies! I'll constantly wear that hood too if you want!" The green haired girl offered.

"I'll do the same as well!" Ruri added.

Yubi sighed. "Okay, since you both insist on it so much, fine, but promise me to look after yourselves!"

"Don't worry, we will!" Rin reassured him.

"There's no way I'm going to get caught again!" Ruri continued.

"Fine. Then you can leave now if you want." Yubi replied.

-"Thank you!"- Both of them exclaimed in unison before walking away into separate directions.

"Do you think that they will get into trouble?" Kumo asked him.

"I hope not. And even if, they now have the right decks and equipment in case some Academia guy comes around."

"How right you are! But it would still be better if everything went smoothly." Kumo retorted.

"Of course." Yubi replied. "Let's hope for them that this will be the case!"

* * *

 _Present time, Maiami City, area around the docks..._

"This is where it happened yesterday." Rin stated in a monologue, looking over to the warehouse from the day before. _'Where Sora taught Yuzu Fusion Summon, where Yuto and Masumi almost clashed with their disks, where Shiryu was about to beat Masumi...'_

Suddenly her thoughts were cut short by a voice addressing her from behind.

"Hey, you!" It cried out.

She turned around to face a masked teenager wearing a dark outfit, possessing black and lavender hair.

' _Fuck! It's Yuto!'_ She cursed within her mind.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Yuto began anew.

"I know that!" Rin shot back. "What do you want?!"

"I noticed how you were coming to this place. First I thought it was the girl from yesterday who saved me, but now that I see you, I clearly know that you are someone else!"

"If that nonsense is the only thing you intend to converse about, I'm leaving now!" Rin announced, obviously knowing what he meant, but lying in order to get out of this affair.

"No! Stay here!" Yuto addressed her, prompting her to stop in her tracks of leaving the area. "I have a strange feeling when I look at you. I already had that feeling when I met Yuzu and that other girl, but I never had too much time to talk to either of them. You all remind me of my friend Ruri!" He continued. He looked closer at the girl after that. She was wearing a white, long sleeved top, the hood currently pulled over her head. He could also see some of her hair underneath it, which was aqua green in color. She also wore sunglasses, obscuring most of her face. In addition to that, she wore pink shorts and white-pinkish boots that reached up to her thighs. Lastly, she also had a bracelet with a green gem that immediately drew all of Yuto's attention. "I have a feeling that you are somehow close to Ruri. Or know her at the very least. I still feel like this whole doppelganger-thing is just some silly joke, so please tell me if you are Ruri or not!" He addressed her, his voice somehow desperate if one listened carefully enough.

' _He's right, and his desperate tone tells me that he really wants to have her back. But...!'_ She thought.

"I neither am that Ruri-Person nor do I know her!" Rin lied. "Now I want to take my leave, if you don't mind!" She declared.

Yuto, his instincts sharpened by the war, noticed her lie. "You're obviously hiding something! I'm not letting you go before you tell me what you know about the whereabouts of my friend!" He shouted.

Rin gritted her teeth. _'This is bad! I can never outrun him and port back to safety in time if he goes after me with all the agility he gained during the war! I have to create an opening, then I travel back to Gishiki and head to the hotel room from there.'_ She deliberated. _'But for an opening, I have to defeat him in a duel first, that's the only option for me right now!'_

"Fine!" She exclaimed. "We'll settle this in a duel!" She declared, activating her disk.

"Sounds good to me!" Yuto retorted. "And if you lose, you'll have to tell me about Ruri!" He demanded.

"If you insist! But you'll have to win for that first!" She pointed out.

"That can be arranged!" Yuto shot back.

-" **DUEL!** "- They cried out.

* * *

 **RIN VS. YUTO**

 **RIN: LP 4000**

 **YUTO: LP 4000**

"Ladies first!" Rin declared. "To start it all off, I special summon Windwitch – Ice Bell from my hand!"

 _Windwitch – Ice Bell_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Effect_

"I can do this when I control no monsters!" Rin explained. "Furthermore, if she is summoned this way, I can special summon a Windwitch from my deck! Come forth, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Tuner?!" Yuto cried out in surprise. "Are you with that white kidnapping-bastard whom I met in Xyz?!"

' _For the love of god, Yugo didn't kidnap Ruri!'_ Rin thought, annoyed by his accusation on her friend and crush. "The other effect of Ice Bell!" She declared. "When she is summoned, you'll take 500 point of damage!"

"What?!" Yuto exclaimed as Rin's monster fired a blast of cold wind at him.

 **YUTO: LP 4000 → 3500**

"Also the other effect of my Glass Bell! When she is summoned, I get to add a Windwitch from my deck to the hand! I select Windwitch – Snow Bell! Then I special summon her since I control at least two Wind-Monsters!"

 _Windwitch – Snow Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

' _She summoned three monsters and still has her Normal Summon available. This could be troublesome...'_ Yuto debated with himself.

Rin smirked. "Now I tune my level three Ice Bell with my level four Glass Bell! Midwinter wind! Make ice and snow my power and blow through! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 7! **Windwitch – Winter Bell!** " She yelled as her ace monster appeared.

 _Windwitch – Winter Bell_

 _Wind/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

 **(Quick note: Winter Bell is shown here with bold lines as a new card because she received new effects compared to the anime while also being a fairly important card as Rin's ace monster)**

"So she really uses these Synchro-Monsters. Kuh, that is probably not going to be easy!" Yuto silently cursed.

Rin looked upon her monster. _'It's so great to finally summon you again in a Real Solid Vision-Duel, Winter Bell! And thanks to Yuga's science department upgrading my cards and getting rid of some of their restrictions, I will be able to summon a few more monsters now rather than solely relying on Winter Bell. But first I will use her upgraded effect!'_ She thought while grinning.

"Winter Bell's effect!" She declared. "Once per turn, I get to choose from two options! The first one is to target a Windwitch in my graveyard and inflict 200 damage times its Level, Rank or Link Rating to my opponent!"

"Wait, RANK?! You have Xyz too?! And what the hell is a Link Rating?! Where are you from?!" Yuto addressed her in a loud voice.

"I don't know why I should answer you that!" Was Rin's simple reply, which annoyed Yuto incredibly since she was hiding information from him again that could possible grant him access to Ruri and her whereabouts. Then Rin continued. "The second option is to copy the effect of a Windwitch in my graveyard until the End Phase! But I pick the first choice and hit you with 800 damage by targeting my Glass Bell instead! Winter's Wrath!"

 **YUTO: LP 3500 → 2700**

"Are you done with your turn now?!" Yuto asked her.

"Not by a long shot!" Rin retorted. "I now tune my level seven Winter Bell with my level one Snow Bell! One born from the darkness of the heart, come forth at the price of a good soul! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Make 'em bleed, Blood Mephist!"

 _Blood Mephist_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 1300/Fiend/Synchro/Effect_

' _This is one of the generic monsters Yuga gave me back in Link. It's effect should be pretty handy against Yuto's strategy!'_ Rin thought as a devilish looking monster unfitting to the rest of her archetype appeared.

"Anyway, I'm still not done!" She announced. "Because I'll play this now!" She held up a card at that. "The field spell **Magical Winter Palace**!" She cried out as a frozen, castle-like building made from ice emerged behind her.

"What is that thing?!" Yuto asked her.

"It's a handy little field spell that allows me to discard one card during each turn. In return for that I get to search out a "Windwitch"-Monster from my deck! I discard **Windwitch – Chilly Bell** and add **Windwitch – Frost Bell** to my hand! Then I will summon Frost Bell! And when she is summoned, I get to revive one of my Windwitches from my graveyard! Say hello to Snow Bell again!"

 _Windwitch – Frost Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

 _Windwitch – Snow Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Two new monsters...!" Yuto gritted his teeth.

"That's right!" Rin retorted. "And on a side note, my Frost Bell also inflicts 500 damage when she is summoned. Here you go!" She said, stretching out her arm as another frosty missile was hurled at Yuto.

 **YUTO: LP 2700 → 2200**

"Kuh! So your deck's strategy is burn damage, is that right?!" He addressed her grudgingly.

"That's correct, 100 points for you since you gave me the right answer! And do you know what points you will also get? That's right, more points of damage! Because now I will tune my level four Frost Bell with my level one Snow Bell! Midwinter wind! Hit them with subzero temperatures and freeze them to the bones! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 5! **Windwitch – Freeze Bell**!"

 _Windwitch – Freeze Bell_

 _Wind/Level 5/ATK 2000/DEF 1600/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Another of these Synchro-Monsters..." Yuto uttered.

"Her effect!" Rin cried out. "You will receive half of the sum of her materials' ATK as burn damage! Now, according to quick maths my Frost Bell had 1400 and my Snow Bell had 100 ATK. Meaning you now take half of that as damage, so that's 750 points of burn damage right into your face!"

 **YUTO: LP 2200 → 1450**

"I think I gave you enough of the cold shoulder now!" Rin stated. "I'll end my turn with that!"

"Very well! My turn then! I draw!" Yuto exclaimed. "I'll start off by summoning **The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger**! Like your Ice Bell, he can be special summoned from my hand if I control no monsters!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"And right afterwards a comrade will join him!" Yuto declared as a spectral monster appeared. "The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 200/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"This monster can be special summoned when I already control a Phantom Knight! And then I will construct the Overlay Network with these two monsters!" He shouted.

' _It's coming! His Xyz-Summon!'_ Rin thought, bracing herself.

"Souls of knights who fell on the battlefield, revive here and now and become the light that breaks the darkness!" Yuto cried out, a resolute expression forming on his face. "XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 3! The Phantom Knights of Break Sword!"

A spectral knight with an enormous blade, riding on an equally spectral horse appeared. Instead of a normal head the knight had a blue burning flame in said place that also reached down a bit to its upper body. The horse was clad in a dark armor, fitting the color scheme of the monsters Yuto had played so far.

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword_

 _Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

"His standard opening, Break Sword. But that won't be enough to beat me." Rin murmured to herself.

"And now I activate the spell card **The Phantom Knights of Shadow Crusade**!" Yuto continued.

"What?! Shadow Crusade?!" Rin exclaimed. _'This card must be new! Because Ruri never mentioned that he had a card like that!'_

"Yeah, Shadow Crusade." Yuto replied in a confirming manner. "This card allows me to draw two cards, but I then must either discard a "Phantom Knights"-Card or banish my entire hand! I draw!" He yelled before inspecting his hand. "I discard **The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail**!" He announced before dumping said card into his graveyard. "Also, if I control an Xyz-Monster, I can now detach one material from it by my spell's effect! By doing so, I can draw one more card! I'll send Silent Boots to the graveyard to draw another card!"

' _His draw engine seems to have improved dramatically after Ruri was kidnapped. He probably got better in order to save her. While I'm glad for Ruri for having such a caring friend, I now have to face said person in a duel. Which is problematic since I have to win!'_ Rin debated with herself.

"Then I will activate the spell Allure of Darkness! I draw two more cards and then banish a Dark Monster! I will get rid of the second Holey Chain Mail which I just drew! Next up I will special summon **The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem** from my hand! I can do this by banishing another Phantom Knight from my graveyard! I banish the first Holey Chain Mail! Come, Dishonored Emblem!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem_

 _Dark/Level 6/ATK 2300/DEF 1800/Warrior/Effect_

Rin gritted her teeth. _'Damn, his next monster! From Ruri's explanation Yuto's deck was quite slow when she saw him for the last time! But now it is anything but that! Three monsters and none of them normal summoned! His determination to save Ruri must have pushed him forward like crazy!'_

"And when my Holey Chain Mail is banished, I get do draw a card! Since I banished two with my Allure of Darkness and Dishonored Emblem respectively, this means two cards for me!" Yuto continued, doing said thing.

' _And his hand also replenishes! After his Shadow Crusade he had five cards! Now he used more of his hand cards and immediately compensated for that loss by using the summoning cost of his Emblem and the activation cost of Allure of Darkness to his advantage! I hope that he stops soon or I might not be able to make it through this turn!'_

"Now I get to add a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck to the hand because I summoned my Dishonored Emblem with his own effect! Also I will banish the Silent Boots resting in my graveyard! By doing so, I get to add a "Phantom Knights"-spell or -trap to my hand! With my first effect I'll add **Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral** to my hand! And with the second I select **Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot**!"

"Dark Camelot?!" Rin cried out in shock.

"Yes. It's a field spell for my Phantom Knights. Now I activate it! You are not the only one who can build castles, although I have to admit that yours looks a little bit brighter!" He said as a ghostly fortress appeared behind him, creating a strong antithesis to Rin's shining ice palace on the other side of the field.

"So what does it do?" Rin asked after she had regained a little bit of her composure.

"You will see soon! But first I activate the other card which I added to my hand! The continuous spell Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral! And then I normal summon **The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson**!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 500/Warrior/Effect_

"And I will use his effect! By discarding a "Phantom Knights"-Card, I can immediately normal summon another Phantom Knight from my hand or grave, other than the discarded card if it was a monster of course! I discard the trap **The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend**! Then I will summon **The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade** from my hand!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Warrior/Effect_

' _Kuh! So many cards played and he has still three cards left in his hand!'_ Rin cursed within her mind.

"Now I activate the ability of my Blade! Do you know the spell Card Destruction by chance?" He asked her.

"Card Destruction? Of course I do, it's one of the most basic spells in the game! Both players discard their entire hands and draw the same number of cards afterwards! Why are you asking me this now?" She addressed him.

"Imagine the same with only "Phantom Knights"-Cards and the ability to select which cards I want to get rid of, then you have an idea what the once-per-turn-effect of my Demonic Blade is!"

"WHAT?!" Rin shouted. _'Man, Yuto has become a monster in these few months! He's nothing like before at all!'_

"I discard these three monsters!" Yuto announced, showing the cards to her. " **The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness**! **The Phantoms Knights of Rusty Arms**! **The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield**! I now draw three cards as a compensation for them!"

' _From three to zero to three again...'_ Rin thought worriedly.

"Since a Phantom Knight was sent to the graveyard, my continuous spell triggers! Once per turn, my Dark Funeral allows me to search out another Phantom Knight from my deck once that happens! The cost for that is banishing one of those monsters which were sent to the graveyard! I banish Pierced Shield! Then I add **The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape** to my hand!"

' _Or rather four...'_ Rin grudgingly added in her thoughts.

"Now the secondary effect of my Dark Camelot triggers! Once per turn, when a Phantom Knight is banished, I can add one of his comrades from my deck or graveyard to the hand as a replacement! I select another copy of Holey Chain Mail!"

"GOSH, WILL YOU STOP PLAYING LIKE TWELVE CARDS AND STILL RETAINING THE SAME NUMBER OF CARDS IN YOUR HAND ALL THE TIME?! WHEN THE HELL WILL YOUR TURN END?!" Rin snapped at him, exasperation about Yuto's seemingly endless combo clearly visible on her face.

"The Phantom Knights are immortal. No matter what, they will always reappear and join together their blades again. They are like the hydra. No matter how many of them fall, there will always be new ones to take their place. They follow a noble goal, the goal of establishing order in this chaotic world once more. They represent the very soul of us Resistance Fighters. If you try to hold us down, we will still rise up! If you try to block our way, we will slip through you! If we face an enemy, we will destroy them! And in times of need, we will leave aside our personal differences and rise up together to eradicate our opposition! And just like us, my Phantom Knights will join their power and eradicate you now!" Yuto replied in a resolute, dead serious tone.

' _If he makes such a declaration that means nothing good for sure!'_ Rin gritted her teeth. _'What is he planing?!'_

"The effect of my Dark Camelot at long last!" Yuto exclaimed. "Once per turn, I can banish a Phantom Knight from my graveyard! And by doing so, I can raise the levels of my Phantom Knights by up to that monster's level!"

' _WHAT?! A similar effect as Yuga's Magical Gishki Pentagram?! I already knew that level modulation was a dangerous mechanic, but with Xyz Summon it's even deadlier!'_

"I'll banish my level four The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness from my graveyard! And then I'll raise the level of my Torn Gambeson by two and the level of my Demonic Blade by three! For Emblem, I choose to stay at level six!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade: Lvl 3 → 6_

 _The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson: Lvl 4 → 6_

"Three level six monsters!" Rin cried out. "Does this mean...?!"

"Yes!" Yuto retorted. "I will Xyz Summon! Though I'll only use these two monsters since I only require two materials! I'll overlay The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade and Torn Gambeson!"

The monsters flocked together, chuckling darkly as they made their way into the galaxy portal on the ground.

"Sinister knight, grasp the ancient weapon once more and swing it down upon my foes! With its burning impact, they shall now be annihilated by you! XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 6! **The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star**!"

Another Phantom Knight riding a horse clad in dark metallic armor appeared. It wore an iron helmet with spectral blue flames burning behind the eye visor, wielding its namesake weapon, a spiked ball on a chain that was fixed on an iron handle. It swung said weapon over its head a few times as it made its way to Yuto and his other two monsters, riding in from behind the Xyz-Duelist. As it reached its comrades and was on the same line with them, the knight drew in the reins and its horse came to an abrupt halt. It rose up onto its hind legs, kicking out with its front legs as its rider let out a war cry simultaneously.

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star_

 _Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2700/DEF 2400/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

' _Rank Six?! This must be a new monster!'_ Rin thought.

"I activate his effect! By either destroying a Phantom Knight on my side of the field or by banishing one from my grave, I get to raise the attacking power of all my "The Phantom Knights"-Monsters by that monster's ATK! I also have to detach an Overlay Unit for that effect of course, which will be Demonic Blade in this case!"

"WHAT?!" Rin cried out in disbelief as the morning star his monster wielded crashed down upon his The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem. After the monster was wiped out, dark particles oozed out from its remains, flying over to his two Xyz-Monsters and surrounding them with a black-purplish aura.

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2700 → 5000_

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 2000 → 4300_

' _No way! An one-turn-kill-strategy! His dueling has way more bite than before!'_ Rin thought in terror.

"I'll now equip my Aged Morning Star with the equip spell **Phantom Knights' Siphoning Mist Shield**!" He declared. "Battle!" Yuto cried out. "My Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star will attack your Windwitch – Freeze Bell! Demonic Crash!"

True to its attack name, the weapon of Yuto's knight was enveloped by the very same sinister blue flames that were also on his Break Sword's upper body and behind his Morning Star's eye visor. Then the spectral knight struck down the weapon on Rin's monster with an enormous impact.

 **RIN LP: 4000 → 1000**

"Kuh!" Rin gritted her teeth as she lost three quarters of her lifepoints with only one attack. "The effect of Freeze Bell!" She shouted in response. "When she is destroyed, you cannot declare further attacks during that turn! Your offensive will end now! Wind Freezer!"

As she was destroyed, Rin's Windwitch fired a last blast of ice and snow before she perished, freezing Yuto's monster solid with it.

"Fine." Yuto retorted. "But I will also use a card effect! When the monster equipped with Siphoning Mist Shield attacks, I'll gain lifepoints equal to your monster's ATK! Also, if it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, I can draw a card!"

"A healing effect?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise. _'Man, there is nothing more annoying than LP-Gains when playing Windwitches!'_

Aged Morning Star rose the shield it was holding in its left hand into the air, shouting triumphantly as a greenish light was emitted from the defensive weapon, invigorating Yuto.

 **YUTO: LP 1450 → 3450**

' _Shit, he's almost back to full health again!'_ Rin cursed within her mind. _'This equip spell will make it way harder to bring him down!'_ "But I also have an effect!" Rin shouted back. "Once per turn, when one of my Synchros is destroyed, my field spell Magical Winter Palace allows me to revive one of that monster's materials! Come, Windwitch – Frost Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Frost Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

"And when Frost Bell is summoned, you not only take 500 points of damage, but I also get to revive another Windwitch from my grave! Return, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

 **YUTO: LP 3450 → 2950**

"Don't forget that my Glass Bell searches out another Windwitch from my deck whenever she is summoned! I will add **Windwitch – Hail Bell** to my hand!"

"You made a huge plus from your monster's destruction, despite the heavy damage you took." Yuto stated.

"That's right! You're not the only one with a good card engine! Now end you turn!" She demanded.

"Fine! But first I will set three cards face-down!" He replied.

"Hold it!" Rin cried out. "Whenever you set one or more spells and traps, my Blood Mephist inflicts 300 points of damage to you!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as he took damage for yet another time.

 **YUTO: LP 2950 → 2650**

"That effect could be troublesome, but I will find a way around it." He calmly declared, which annoyed Rin since she couldn't afford to lose this duel. "I will now use the second ability of my Aged Morning Star, returning The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness to my graveyard from my Banish Zone! Lastly I will activate the effect of the Dented Harness now in my graveyard! I can attach him to one of my Xyz-Monsters! But he will be banished once he leaves the field again! I select my Aged Morning Star since he was so friendly to bring back my Harness with his once-per-turn-effect!"

The monster arose from the graveyard before transforming into a dark orb circling around his Xyz-Monster, bringing its material number back to two.

"Turn end!" Yuto declared. "My monsters return to their normal state again!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 5000 → 2700_

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 4300 → 2000_

"Fine! It's my turn! I draw!" Rin yelled. "First I will banish my Chilly Bell from the graveyard! By doing so, I get to add any "Windwitch"-Card I want to my hand! I'll pick the continuous spell **Windwitch Winter Shrine**!" She stated as she took a green colored card into her hand. "Then I will activate it! Now, since I already control a Windwitch, I can special summon **Windwitch – Aurora Bell** from my hand!"

 _Windwitch – Aurora Bell_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK /600DEF 600/Spellcaster/Effect_

"And when she is summoned, you'll take 500 burn damage! Also, whenever you take effect damage as long as I control a Windwitch, my Shrine allows me to draw a card from my deck!"

"What?! A spell that gives you a new card whenever you deal effect damage in a burner deck like this?!" Yuto cried out in disbelief.

"That's right! A good friend of mine gave me that card and I will not allow that his efforts to create it are going to waste!" She declared in a resolute tone.

* * *

 _Den City, a few days ago..._

Rin and the others just had dinner at the Kogami-Household and all of them were finished now. As she stood up from her chair and was on her way to leave the room, a hand grabbed her by her arm, prompting her to stop in her tracks.

"Yubi? What's wrong?" She asked the male, turning around to him at the surprising event.

"You know, Yuga just gave you your new cards, right?" He began.

She nodded.

"Well, there was one card that he didn't give you. It was a card I helped him to design, so I wanted to hand it over personally, which Yuga agreed to. Since you seem to be a huge fan of my dueling, especially my Reloading Style, I developed a card that has a similar draw engine strength as my Powervullet Dragon. Of course it is designed so that it fits into your deck strategy. I hope you can make use of it!" He told her as he handed over a single card.

She looked down on it, read the text and smiled afterwards. "You are right, this is surely an amazing card for my deck! I promise that I will win my duels with this card! Thank you!" She said before approaching him for a hug.

"Rin..." Yubi silently uttered, flushing a bit due to the unexpected action of the girl. "I'm glad that you like it so much. Good luck on your next duel!" He said before he hesitantly hugged her back.

* * *

"Now you will taste the power of our bond!" She yelled.

"I see. You seem to have quite the powerful bond with that friend of yours." Yuto stated. "BUT IT WILL NEVER BE STRONGER THAN THE ONE I SHARE WITH RURI!" He shouted loudly. "Trap card open! **Phantom Knights' Arms**! When I would take damage, it is negated by this card's effect! Therefore you won't get to draw a card either!"

"WHAT?!" Rin cried out.

"Additionally, my trap allows me to target a Phantom Knight! And as long as that monster remains face-up on the field, I am immune to the damage source that triggered my trap! Which means I won't take effect damage as long as my Aged Morning Star exists on the field!"

"No way!" Rin shouted.

"Yes way!" He shot back as the ice blast of her Windwitch collided with a dark wall of energy surrounding Yuto.

"If you try to block my way, I will just make use of another bond and break through!" She declared. "I activate Pot of Greed!"

"Pot of Greed?! That's this insane draw card without any restrictions Shun told me about yesterday! The extremely rare one with less than five copies per dimension!"

"Good that you know it! That saves a lot of time! I draw two cards!" She yelled. "And then the next card my friend gave me! Raigeki! It nukes all of your monsters! Begone, you medieval jerks!" She shouted.

"Not so fast! While my Break Sword will leave indeed, my Aged Morning Star is immune to crush-effects! That's because of the Dented Harness that attached himself to it! You see, my monster doesn't have that name for nothing!"

"What?!" She retorted as one of her knights fell through the thunderclap striking down from above, but the other survived it unharmed.

"Furthermore, before your Raigeki resolved, I activated my own card! A continuous trap called **The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table**!"

A ghostly table of stone emerged from the ground at his words. Around it were several stone chairs with backrests, looking almost like ancient thrones.

"First Camelot and now the Round Table as well?" Rin sighed. "What's next, King Arthur or Excalibur?"

"The effect of Dark Round Table!" Yuto declared. "Whenever a Phantom Knight is sent to the graveyard, this card gains one Phantom Counter for each of these monsters! So because my Break Sword fell, I now get a counter!"

The fallen knight emerged from a dark portal on the ground, this time without its horse. It then walked over to one of the stone thrones around the table and took a seat on it.

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 0 → 1_

"And all my Phantom Knights gain 100 ATK per Phantom Counter!

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2700 → 2800_

"And what's more, my Break Sword allows me to revive two of his companions from the grave once he is destroyed! Good thing I detached the Demonic Blade with an original level of three from my Morning Star last turn, because the targeted monsters must have the same level to activate this effect! Also their levels are raised by one! Come, Demonic Blade and Blunt Dagger!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger_

 _Dark/Level 3 → 4/ATK 1300 → 1400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

 _The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade_

 _Dark/Level 3 → 4/ATK 1400 → 1500/DEF 1000/Warrior/Effect_

"On a side note, my Aged Morning Star is also immune to battle destruction thanks to his equip spell. So your draw engine is stopped here and now!"

"That's what you think! But another friend of mine gave me a lot of new power with all these cards I have now! And my old ace will now make room for my new one!"

"A new ace monster?! What is it, tell me!" He demanded.

"Instead of telling it, I will just show you! Level four Windwitch – Frost Bell tunes level four Windwitch – Glass Bell!" She cried out as her first monster transformed into four green stars aligning in a vertical line, her second changing into green-bluish rings of light.

"A Synchro Summon...!" Yuto uttered grudgingly, gritting his teeth. "What is she planning?!"

"Midwinter wind! Make ice and snow my power and blow through! The icy power that breaches through all and freezes them to death! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear, The shining bell of unprecedented cold! Level 8! **WINDWITCH – DIAMOND BELL**!" She shouted.

"Diamond Bell?!" Yuto uttered in shock as a new Windwitch with similar looks as her old ace Winter Bell, but a much more radiant and shimmering body appeared, its body shape also more humanoid that its predecessor.

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Diamond Bell's effect!" Rin cried out. "Once per turn, she can inflict 500 damage to you! Cold Bolt!"

"Have you forgotten?! My Phantom Knights' Arms' effect negates burn damage!" Yuto shouted, pointing out her mistake.

"That might be, but my Diamond Bell has an own effect! While she is on the field, effect damage you take cannot be negated or lowered! Absolute Zero Breakthrough!"

"WHAT?!" Yuto cried out in utter disbelief as the ice missile slipped through the barrier of his trap card.

 **YUTO LP: 2650 → 2150**

"Now my Winter Shrine triggers! I draw!" Rin yelled as she did said thing.

"Kuh! So really found a way to get past my trap!" He stated with gritted teeth.

"Correct! Now all my Windwitches are back in play again! That is the power of my new ace Diamond Bell, the power of breaching through any defense against my deck strategy! Now then, the effect of my Blood Mephist! Once per turn, he can hit you with 300 damage for every card you control! With eight of them, that's 2400! IT'S OVER!" She yelled.

"That's what you think! Trap card open! **The Phantom Knights of Nebula Lance**! It destroys a card on the field! I select your Blood Mephist!"

"Haven't you paid attention in dueling school?!" Rin cried out. "If you destroy a card, its effect isn't stopped! You should know that already from the good old Mystical Space Typhoon-negate-problem! Even if you destroy a spell or trap with that card, its effect still goes through! YOU LOSE!"

"Not really. I know about that circumstance of course. The real reason why I used my Nebula Lance is the fact that it mills a "Phantom Knights"-Card of the same Card-Type as that destroyed card. I choose **The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs**!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 1 → 2_

"And how does that help you?! You can't even activate the effect of the card you milled in this chain!" Rin addressed him in an intense voice.

"It helps just enough. During either player's turn, I can banish Dull Spurs from my grave to gain LP equal to the ATK of the strongest monster on the field! And I can chain this effect very well, since Nebula Lance sends Dull Spurs to the graveyard for cost, and not for effect. My Aged Morning Star and your Blood Mephist both had 2800 ATK before, but I choose my monster since he will gain 100 more attack thanks to the new Phantom Counter! I gain his ATK as LP now!"

 **YUTO LP: 2150 → 5050 → 2650**

"Damn it!" Rin cursed. "He survived again thanks to healing effects! With a card that mills for cost at that!"

"Also Dark Round Table gained another counter due to the Dull Spurs I sent to the graveyard, therefore strengthening my knights, just as I said before!" Yuto repeated.

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2800 → 2900_

 _The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger: ATK 1400 → 1500_

 _The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade: ATK 1500 → 1600_

"But now my Winter Palace also triggers!" Rin declared. "I revive one of my destroyed Mephist's materials! My old ace Winter Bell appears!"

 _Windwitch – Winter Bell_

 _Wind/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Also I get to draw once since you took effect damage due to my Winter Shrine! Draw!" She continued. "Then I will normal summon Windwitch – Hail Bell from my hand!"

 _Windwitch – Hail Bell_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Now I tune her with the Aurora Bell I special summoned previously! Midwinter wind! With the cold from the arctic regions of this planet, transform them into pillars of ice! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 6! **Windwitch – Polar Bell**!"

 _Windwitch – Polar Bell_

 _Wind/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 2000/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Her effect! When she is Synchro Summoned, you take 500 damage!"

 **YUTO LP: 2650 → 2150**

"Then I not only draw a card thanks to my Winter Shrine, but also lower the ATK of one of your monsters by that amount through Polar Bell's effect! Crippling Cold!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as his Aged Morning Star was weakened by Rin's monster.

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2900 → 2400_

"Now the effect of my Hail Bell! When she is used as the material for a Wind-Monster's Synchro Summon, you take 200 damage times that monster's level! 200 times six, hmm, that's 1200 damage, right?" She asked as she innocently put her finger onto her chin and rubbed it on said place, pretending to be deliberating hard.

 **YUTO LP: 2150 → 950**

"Once again I draw, bringing my hand to six cards! And once again your knight is weakened! Crippling Cold!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 2400 → 1200_

"Now the finish!" She announced. "Winter Bell's effect! I target my level five Freeze Bell in the graveyard and inflict 200 burn damage times her level! Feel the burning cold of the ice! 1000 points of damage straight into your face! THIS IS THE END! **WINTER'S WRATH!** "

"Not so fast! I will send my equip spell to the graveyard! By doing so, Siphoning Mist Shield grants me 300 lifepoints times the level or rank of a Phantom Knight I control! I target Aged Morning Star, giving me 1800 LP!"

 **YUTO LP: 950 → 2750 → 1750**

"GEEZ, WILL YOU STOP HEALING?!" Rin snapped at him. "I WANT TO FINISH YOU OFF, SO STOP BARELY SURVIVING PLEASE!"

"We Resistance Fighters must not fall! If we do, our homeland will be destroyed completely! That's why I can never allow myself to succumb to your Windwitches, no matter how cold their icy gusts might be!" Yuto declared with resolve in his voice.

"Why you..!" She cursed. "The effect of Polar Bell and Shrine again! Your knight drops to 200 ATK and I draw a card!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 1200 → 200_

Rin then looked closer at the card which she had just drawn. _'Hmm, that card, huh? Guess it's time to try out this baby!_ _'_ She grinned. "I special summon **Windwitch – Clear Bell** from my hand! I can do that whenever I control a Windwitch from my Extra Deck like my Diamond, Polar and Winter Bell for instance! Come, Clear Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Clear Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500/Spellcaster/Effect_

"And now her effect!" She smirked. "Once per turn, I can target this card and one or more Windwitches on my side of the field!" She declared. "And then I can conduct a Fusion Summon using these monsters as material!" She said while turning to him, shooting him a side glance with a grin on her face.

" **FUSION?!** " A shocked Yuto cried out in response.

"I will target my Winter Bell and Clear Bell!" Rin declared as her monsters rose up into the air, uniting in a vortex.

"Chiming wind running through a snowfield of midwinter! Become even more merciless and cold and vanquish them in absolute chill! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" She chanted while clapping her hands together. "Appear, Bell of crystal echoing solemnly! Level 8! **WINDWITCH – CRYSTAL BELL!** "

 _Windwitch – Crystal Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2400/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect_

"Fusion..., **DAMN!** " Yuto whispered before he shouted at her, gritting his teeth in anger. " **SYNCHRO AND FUSION TOGETHER IN ONE DECK?! SO THAT GUY WHO USED SYNCHRO REALLY WAS A PAWN OF FUSION AFTER ALL! ARE YOU TWO WITH ACADEMIA?!** " He addressed the green haired girl in immense anger.

"No idea what the fuck you're talking about!" Rin lied in response, scowling again at his insult of Yugo. "But I've got an idea what will happen now though! The effect of my Crystal Bell let's me copy the effect of a fallen Windwitch! And I target my Winter Bell and use her effect to inflict 200 damage times a Windwitch's level! I target my Winter Bell in the graveyard again for 1400 points of damage! Winter's Wrath!"

 **YUTO LP: 1750 → 350**

"No matter how much you have healed before, you're still barely holding on!" Rin laughed. "Now I draw again thanks to Wind Shrine! Also your Blunt Dagger's ATK nearly hits the floor due to Polar Bell! Crippling Cold!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger: ATK 1500 → 100_

"Now I will banish my Hail Bell from the grave! By doing so, I can revive another Windwitch or summon one from my hand! I can only summon Tuner-Monsters with this effect though! Come again, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Her search effect triggers! I add **Windwitch – Subzero Bell** to my hand!"

' _Eight hand cards...'_ Yuto thought. _'Her friend truly increased the speed of her deck by a lot!'_

"Now I will tune my level six Polar Bell with my level four Glass Bell! Midwinter wind! Unite with immense cold and drive the temperature far past subzero! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear, Icy bell of glacial cold! Level 10! **WINDWITCH – GLACIER BELL**!"

 _Windwitch – Glacier Bell_

 _Wind/Level 10/ATK 3500/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"A level 10 Synchro!" Yuto exclaimed. "And with 3500 ATK as well!"

"The finish is imminent!" Rin cried out. "Once per turn, my Glacier Bell can inflict you the total sum of all Windwitches' Levels, Ranks and Link Ratings times 100! My Glacier Bell is Level 10, my Crystal Bell Level 8, same counts for my Diamond Bell! In other words, you will take 2600 points of burn damage that cannot be negated or lowered! Now it will be the end for sure! **GLACIAL STORM!** "

"I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP!" Yuto shot back. "The effect of my monster, The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms! By banishing him from my grave, I can immediately set a "Phantom Knights"-Spell or -Trap from my deck! And I also get to activate that card instantly, no matter what Card-Type it has! Which is just what I will do right now! Trap card open! **The Phantom Knights of Sinister Treachery**!"

"WHAT?! Setting a trap from your deck and then activating it immediately?! During my turn?! So what does that card do?!" She asked him with visible shock on her face.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" He replied. "When a card or effect is activated, this card negates and destroys it! While I must control a Phantom Knight to activate this card, I also get to dump a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck into the grave! I select a second copy of Dull Spurs! Your damage may not be negatable, but the activation of the effect that causes it is! Now your damage-effect is negated, I survive and your Glacier Bell is gone!"

"That's what you think!" She shot back. "While you will survive, my Glacier Bell will as well! The first time each turn when my Windwitches would leave the field, they don't! Glacier Barrier!"

"So all your Windwitches have one protective layer around them each turn? Quite impressive! But like I said, the damage is still negated."

A dark shadow emerged from the trap after that. It dove underneath the surface leaving a dark trail on the ground above it until it reached Glacier Bell, then it unburrowed in the form of a ghostly warrior who stabbed Rin's monster from the behind. Glacier Bell winced in pain, but she endured because of her own protection effect.

"Fine!" Rin yelled. "Then I will simply knock you out by battle! After all your Aged Morning Star is down to 200 ATK and your Blunt Dagger is at 100 attack points true to its name! Finish this, Glacier Bell! **ARCTIC SHATTER!** "

Her monster unleashed a tremendous storm of ice, hail and wind at that. As it headed towards Yuto, a grin formed on her face. _'Finally!'_ She sighed. _'Finally it's over! It took long, but now he's definitely done for!'_

"It's not over!" Yuto retorted. "This turn, when you activated your Blood Mephist's effect and I averted my defeat with my Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs' effect by banishing him, my field spell triggered since a Phantom Knight was banished! I added another copy of The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield to my hand!" He held up said card at that. "And by banishing this monster from my hand or graveyard, I negate your attack and end the Battle Phase!" He declared.

Rin's jaw dropped in disbelief. Then she cried out the following words in utter exasperation. "ARE… YOU… FUCKING… **SERIOUS?!** " She screamed. "When the fuck will you stop making me think that I won before you show some card to make my dreams pop like a balloon?! STOP BEING SO FUCKING RESILIENT!"

"Sorry to annoy you like that, but I need to be so resilient." Yuto replied in a calm voice. "Otherwise I would have been dead for a long time already. Now then, will you end your turn please? I need to win this duel and have you tell me about Ruri after all!" He stated, his expression turning fierce at the last sentence.

"Not going to happen!" Rin retorted. "I still have eight cards in my hand and I'm going to use some of them! I activate the continuous spell **The Dark Corridor**!"

"The Dark Corridor? Is that card related to The Dark Door by chance?" Yuto asked her.

"Yeah, it's a pretty similar card." Rin responded. "More specifically a better version of it! While The Dark Door only allows one monster to attack, The Dark Corridor only allows a single successful attack from each player during every Battle Phase! Meaning any multiple attacks strategy is countered! Furthermore, I will set three cards face-down! Turnover!" She announced.

"Humph, not bad." Yuto commented. "You are trying to block me since your spell is more of a hindrance for me than for you. Admittedly not bad. BUT IT WON'T BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME!" He shouted, causing her to flinch. "MY TURN! DRAW!" He yelled. "First off all, I will banish my second copy of Dull Spurs from my grave to ensure that I don't die to some silly burn damage of yours! You remember how his effect works, don't you? I gain LP equal to the ATK of the strongest monster on the field, meaning 3500 since your Glacier Bell has by far the highest attack points on the board right now!"

 **YUTO LP: 350 → 3850**

"Fucking shit! He is almost back to full health again! If this guy was playing some ego shooter with roles, he would be playing a medic class for sure!" Rin cursed silently.

"Next up I will get rid of my poor, weakened Aged Morning Star! Using this card!" He held up a spell at that. " **RANK-ALTERATION-MAGIC SPECTRAL FORCE!** " He shouted.

"Wait, RANK-ALTERATION-MAGIC?! Not Rank-Up?! What the hell is that card?!" Rin cried out in shock.

"I'll tell you! This card can both rank-up and rank-down a Phantom Knight or a Dark Dragon-Type monster! In other words, it unites the two types of rank-alteration in a single card! That's why it's called Rank-Alteration-Magic!" He explained.

"No way, Rank-Up and Rank-Down combined into a single spell...?" Rin uttered, taking a few steps backwards. Ruri had told her about Rank-Up-Magic-Cards or course and she had also mentioned that there was a very rare mechanic called Rank-Down. But seeing both of those traits united in a single card was too much for her, especially since she was facing the duelist who used that card right now.

"Now then, its effect!" Yuto continued. "I can now send up to three "Phantom Knights"-Spells or -Traps from my deck to the graveyard! The number of cards I mill by this effect will decide how many ranks this card can either rank-up or rank-down my targeted monster! I mill two "Phantom Knights"-Cards, namely **Phantom Knights' Myth** and **Phantom Knights' Grasp**! Then I rank-up my Aged Morning Star by two ranks!" He declared as he reconstructed the Overlay Network with his spectral knight.

"The dark lance will be unburrowed from its tomb now! Raise it high up into the air before you pierce their hearts with its razor-sharp tip!" Yuto chanted. "RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Rank 8! **The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance**!"

Another knight on a horse appeared, galloping to its comrades. Its dark lance was intimidating to say the least, being enveloped by blue flames and looking almost skeletal. Safe to say it also had the same head as Break Sword, meaning an eerie bluish flame.

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance_

 _Dark/Rank 8/ATK 3000 → 3200/DEF 2500/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

' _His next Xyz-Monster...'_ Rin thought.

"And now, at long last, the true manifestation of my deck will show itself!" He declared.

' _True manifestation? Wait, does he mean...?!'_ Rin thought in panic.

( 12, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion)

"I will now overlay my level four Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade and Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger!"

The two monsters swirled into the galaxy vortex at that before it exploded with a loud boom.

' _It's really coming! His dragon! This is bad!'_

"Fierce and untamed dragon with fangs formed in pitch-black darkness, cloaked in shadows and relentless in the persecution of your objective!" Yuto began chanting as a pair of dark wings unfolded itself. "Use your treacherous blade to carve your name into their skulls as you rise up to oppose this foolish oppression!"

' _Please, anything but that!'_ Rin thought fearfully as two metallic tusks blitzed eerily in the mist enveloping the mysterious new monster.

"COME FORTH, THE DARK DRAGON OF DEFIANCE! TOPPLE THEIR RULE AND OBLITERATE THEM! ITS RAZOR-SHARP TUSKS WILL BE YOUR DEMISE! NOW BEGONE WITH THE THUNDERCLAP!" He shouted as a black-purplish dragon with partially metallic wings slowly rose up into the sky, unfolding its wings fully as a lighting struck down from above.

" **XYZ SHŌKAN! DESCEND! RANK 4! DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON!** " He yelled as the dragon landed on the ground, roaring menacingly at Rin.

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

"He really summoned it...!" Rin uttered, horrified by his dragon. "His ace monster, Dark Rebellion! This is very bad...!" She murmured.

"Next up I will activate the spell card Lightning Vortex! By discarding a card, all of your face-up monsters will be destroyed!"

"Useless!" Rin cried out in response. "My Glacier Bell protects all of my Windwitches once per turn with her effect! Like you said, all of them have one protective layer around them during each turn!"

"The point wasn't to destroy your monsters." Yuto explained as Rin's monsters survived his card unharmed. "The point was to dump another copy of Dented Harness into my graveyard, bringing up my Phantom Counters to three while also granting me some other benefits!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 2 → 3_

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3200 → 3300_

"What do you mean by that?!" Rin asked confused.

"Wait and see!" Yuto replied. "But first this spell! **Phantom Knights' Un-Sepulture**! Imagine the card Escape from the Different Dimension for Phantom Knights, then you have a rough idea about this card! I can special summon any number of banished Phantom Knights with it, but they are destroyed during the End Phase! Not that this is bad, because I can banish them again from there for their effects!"

"WHAT?!" _'Damn, his deck is brutal!'_ Rin thought. _'With Yubi, you mainly have to look onto the field! But with Yuto, you have to look onto way more places; hand, field, graveyard, Banish Zone, Extra Deck, literally everywhere! If you stop paying close attention even for one second, his Phantom Knights will emerge from one of those places and annihilate you! He was right, these knights are truly immortal, you cannot get rid of them at all!'_

"I revive a copy of Holey Chain Mail, Rusty Arms and Pierced Shield!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 400 → 700/DEF 2000/Warrior/Effect_

 _The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1000 → 1300/DEF 2100/Warrior/Effect_

 _The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"And now I will use the effect of my field spell Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot! I will banish Dishonored Emblem! Thus I get to increase the levels of my knights by up to six! I make my three knights level seven! Also I add a Phantom Knight from my deck to the hand by the secondary effect of Camelot! I pick The Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail: Lvl 2 → 7_

 _The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield: Lvl 4 → 7_

 _The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms: Lvl 4 → 7_

' _No way! His next Xyz-Monster! This could be very problematic to say the least!'_ She deliberated as Yuto gestured his monsters to overlay themselves.

"Dark knight, with a swing of your demonic weapon, cut off their heads! Sweep through their lines and trample them down! XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear! Rank 7! **The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd**!" Yuto cried out as his next horseman wielding a spear-like weapon with a multi-functional blade appeared, equally demonic with spectral flames for its head just like his other Xyz-Monster Phantom Knights.

 _The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd_

 _Dark/Rank 7/ATK 2900 → 3200/DEF 2000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

"Now I will send a material from Sinister Lance to the graveyard, more specifically Aged Morning Star! By doing so, I can special summon **The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation** from my hand using its own effect!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2200 → 2500/DEF 1900/Warrior/Effect_

"Now the spell card **Phantom Knights' Foretold Resurrection** from my hand!" Yuto said. "I can special summon a Phantom Knight from my hand or graveyard! I will revive Break Sword! Then I can also return one of my banished Phantom Knights to the graveyard, which will be my Silent Boots here!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword_

 _Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000 → 2300/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

"Four Xyz-Monsters..." Rin murmured to herself.

"Now I will activate the effect of my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! By detaching one of his materials, I can cut the ATK of one of your monsters in half until the End Phase! Then my dragon gains these attack points until the end of this turn! Treason Discharge!"

His dragon's wings activated at that, draining ATK with dark purplish lightnings from her Glacier Bell.

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 2500 → 4250_

 _Windwitch – Glacier Bell: ATK 3500 → 1750_

"Again, this time on your Diamond Bell! Treason Discharge!"

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 4250 → 5650_

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell: ATK 2800 → 1400_

"Furthermore my dragon can attack twice if his attack points differ from their original value! Relentless Rebellion Charge!"

"That won't do anything! You can only attack once, did you forget that already?!" Rin shot back.

"Like I said, just wait and see!" Yuto retorted. "I now banish the Blunt Dagger detached by this effect! By banishing him, I get to draw a card! Draw! Nice, it is a Phantom Knight! If that's the case, I can either discard that monster or attach it to one of my Phantom Knights as an Xyz Material to draw another card! I attach the Cloven Helmet drawn by this effect to my Break Sword! Then I draw again! Next up, I will discard the Holey Chain Mail which I added to my hand last turn, along with Ragged Gloves! By doing so, I can draw two cards from my deck! And now my Round Table gets two more Phantom Counters!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 3 → 5_

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword: ATK 2300 → 2500_

 _The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3200 → 3400_

 _The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation: ATK 2500 → 2700_

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3300 → 3500_

"Furthermore I will detach an Xyz Material from my Break Sword! By doing so, I can destroy a card on both sides of the field! I target my Infamous Reputation and your Diamond Bell!"

"Not Glacier Bell?" Rin inquired.

"No. She only has a protection effect, but your Diamond Bell's absolute burn damage effect could be problematic. Hence I will take her out now!"

"In your dreams! Trap card open! The counter trap **Windwitch Reflecting Mirror**! It negates your effect and destroys your card! Also, since I control a Synchro-Monster, you cannot activate cards or effects in response to it! And as an icing on the cake, you take 1000 damage!"

"What?!" Yuto cried out as his move was countered and he also took damage in return.

 **YUTO LP: 3850 → 2850**

"You're still in trouble!" Yuto retorted in response to her card. "I now banish the Infamous Reputation from my grave! Then I can target another Phantom Knight in my grave and inflict its ATK as burn damage to you! I select the Break Sword you destroyed with your trap! You only have 1000 LP left and Break Sword has 2000 ATK! Now you will lose to your own deck strategy!"

"Not so fast!" Rin shot back. "Trap card open! Rainbow Life! I discard one card from my hand and then all damage I would take for the rest of this turn is converted into lifepoints instead!"

"Not under my watch!" Yuto countered. "Now my Sinister Lance's ability triggers! Once per turn, I can negate a card or card effect with it and then send a "Phantom Knights"-Card from my deck to the graveyard with the same Card-Type as the negated card! I mill **The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail** and your trap fails! Dark Piercer!" He cried out as the knight rode forward, lowering its lance in order to pierce Rin's trap, causing it to be destroyed.

"Kuh!" Rin exclaimed. "Then I will activate the effect of Windwitch – Subzero Bell from my hand! When I would take damage, I can special summon her from the hand to negate the damage and inflict it to you instead! Also I draw like always due to Shrine!"

 _Windwitch – Subzero Bell_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1200/Spellcaster/Effect_

 **YUTO LP: 2850 → 850**

"Why you...!" Yuto cursed. "Then I will beat you with this! I banish The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend from my grave, the very same trap I sent to the graveyard during the second turn! By doing so, I can revive Aged Morning Star! Also don't forget that you destroying Break Sword previously and me detaching a material from him beforehand rose the number of Phantom Counters again!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star_

 _Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2700 → 3400/DEF 2400/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 5 → 7_

 _The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3400 → 3600_

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3500 → 3700_

And now I will banish Phantom Knights' Grasp to revive a Phantom Knight from my graveyard! Come again, Break Sword!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword_

 _Dark/Rank 3/ATK 2000 → 2700/DEF 1000/Warrior/Xyz/Effect_

' _A full field of Xyz-Monsters!'_ Rin thought in awe as she gazed upon the formation of four spectral knights on their horses and the dragon amidst their row. _'His dueling is way fiercer than before! He probably grew up a little after Ruri was kidnapped, causing him to be a bit more vicious! His dueling alone speaks for that!'_

( 12 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion end)

"Now I will explain to you why I send another copy of Dented Harness to my graveyard earlier! I attach him to my Aged Morning Star to give him a material to activate his effect! Before that, I will equip my Sinister Lance with this spell card though! United We Stand! He gains 800 ATK for every monster I control! With five of them, that's 4000!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 3700 → 7700_

"And then Morning Star's effect! I detach Harness and destroy a Phantom Knight or banish one from my grave to add its ATK to all of my Phantom Knights until the end of this turn! I pick Sinister Lance, which cannot be destroyed by card effects since it has the first Dented Harness as a material!"

"WHAT?!" Rin shouted in disbelief as all of Yuto's monsters besides Dark Rebellion powered up like crazy, all of them crossing the 10000 ATK mark.

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 3400 → 11100_

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword ATK 2700 → 10400_

 _The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 3600 → 11300_

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 7700 → 15400_

"Four monsters with over 10000 attack!" Rin uttered in disbelief. "But you can still only attack with one of them and only once!" She then pointed out.

"Don't you think one is enough?" Yuto replied in a stoic voice, causing Rin to grit her teeth. "But since you fought so well, I will give you the honor of losing to an attack befitting a strong duelist like you!" He continued. "That's what the proud knights whom my deck represents would do after all, honoring their opponents, even in times of war! A combination of spells! The first is none other than the legendary blade which you mentioned before! I can equip this card to any Phantom Knight or Dark Dragon-Type Xyz-Monster! **Phantom Knights' Ultimate Blade – Dark Excalibur**!"

"I knew it." Rin remarked as the blade attached itself to the dragon's jaw, giving him a third, slightly longer and far more fashionable tusk of intimidating black color.

"A monster equipped with this card can attack an additional time and it also gains 500 ATK!" Yuto declared.

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 5650 → 6150_

"Now I detach one material from my Devilish Halberd! By doing so, I can either have Halberd attack all your monsters during this turn or target a Dark-Monster I control! I pick the second option! The targeted monster gains the ATK of all Phantom Knights I control besides itself until the End Phase! Meaning my Dark Rebellion will power up! Spectral Might!"

"Now way...!" Rin uttered in sheer disbelief, eyes wide open as Dark Rebellion's power increased drastically.

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 6150 → 54350_

"Then I will show you why they say that a thrust with the mere tip of a sword can be as deadly as the whole blade! The quick-play spell **Focused Attack**! By using this card, a monster that can declare multiple attacks during this turn can only attack once, but that single attack will have the power of all normal attacks combined! My Dark Rebellion can attack twice thanks to his own effect and another time thanks to Dark Excalibur! So that means his ATK triples!"

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 54350 → 163050_

"Over a hundred thousand attack...!" Rin stammered, putting a hand over her mouth in horror at the display of sheer power.

"Now I will activate the effect of my Dark Round Table! Once per turn, by removing three counters from it, I can draw a card!"

 _The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table: Phantom Counters 7 → 4_

 _The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star: ATK 11100 → 10800_

 _The Phantom Knights of Break Sword ATK 10400 → 10100_

 _The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd: ATK 11300 → 11000_

 _The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance: ATK 15400 → 15100_

"Finally the equip spell **Ultimate Megamorph**! This card is basically just a better version of the normal Megamorph, just as its name suggests. While my LP are lower than yours, it doubles the entire ATK of the equipped monster, not just its base ATK like the normal one!"

 _Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: ATK 163050 → 326100_

"Almost a third of one million ATK...?! Am I dreaming?! This can't be real!" Rin said, not believing the events in front of her anymore.

"It's no dream, I can assure you that!" Yuto replied. "But say, does this finish satisfy you? You don't see that much ATK that often, do you?" He addressed her.

"No, I have never seen anything like this before...!" She stammered, looking at Yuto's dragon which was basically the incarnation of energy itself now, an aura so strong and powerful around it that she couldn't even find words to describe it. Waves of momentum surged from Dark Rebellion, destroying the nearby storage halls when they collided with them. Meanwhile the energy sensors in the LDS-Building were completely ruined already, overloaded by the enormous, unprecedented power of the Xyz Dragon.

"The finish!" Yuto stated, pointing at her as the orbs on his dragon's wings flashed to life, emitting electricity that even reached the nearby power line due to Dark Rebellion's incredible power, overloading the power supply system and causing a blackout in the entirety of Maiami City. "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon attacks Windwitch – Diamond Bell!" He declared as his dragon began its assault, flying only a few feet above the surface, its tusks tearing open the ground they trailed over. "ULTIMATE… EXCALIBUR… **LIGHTNING REBELLION DISOBEY!** " He shouted, adding two new parts to his usual attacking chant due to the insane power-ups his dragon possessed.

"That was a great duel!" Rin spoke up, having regained her composure.

Yuto smiled. "At least you're admitting defeat like an honorable duelist. You have my praise for that! Not many duelists are like that if they lose!"

Rin returned the smile. "You are right, I suppose. Most duelists are rather bad losers." Then her expression turned into a sly smirk. "So I hope that you aren't one of those people as well, or this mood we've established now will be ruined again!"

( 13, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #8 The Battle Begins)

" **WHAT?!** " Yuto shouted in utter surprise and shock.

"You heard me correctly! **YOU WILL LOSE!** " Rin screamed, grinning wickedly. "I will now use a card one of my friends gave me! He uses a very similar card and he told me that the feeling of satisfaction you get when someone walks into these cards is simply priceless! So let's test that, shall we?! Trap card open! _**KARMA**_ ** _FLAME BARRIER – FIRE FORCE!_** " She screamed at the top of her lungs as her card was revealed. "IT DESTROYS ALL MONSTERS YOU CONTROL THAT ARE IN ATTACK POSITION!"

"NO WAY!" Yuto cried out in horror as a firestorm consumed his monsters, destroying all but Sinister Lance due to its protection by Dented Harness.

"And then we both take damage equal to half of the total ATK of the destroyed monsters!" Rin continued.

"A draw?!" Yuto exclaimed in response.

"Not really! As long as I control Diamond Bell, I take no effect damage!" She told him.

"You take no effect damage?! Then why did you use Subzero Bell to counter my Infamous Reputation's effect?!" He asked with lack of understanding in his voice.

"To lure you into my trap of course!" Rin said, smirking victoriously.

"But you will still lose!" Yuto pointed out. "Fire Force says that I take the same damage as you took, with you taking it first!" He said, reading the card's effect on his duel disk's display. "So if you take no damage, I take none as well! And since your Dark Corridor allows only one attack per turn, but a successful one, my Sinister Lance can just trample you down now!"

"Not really." Rin retorted. "You see, there is something in your way called an effect clarification."

"Effect clarification?" Yuto asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, effect clarification." Rin replied, talking very slowly as she began to explain. "You see, there are these tiny little texts in the brackets of some card effects that mention some minute details. Usually nobody gives a shit about them. A good friend of mine taught me that every word of a card text has a meaning, however. And he is right, because one of these small effect clarifications will now decide our duel! Because the effect of my Diamond Bell that prevents me from taking damage says that it is still treated as if I took it. Meaning I take no damage, but my Fire Force still thinks that I took it, resulting in only you receiving damage! This was a very good duel, but now it's over! I don't see you healing over 150000 points of damage, no matter what cards you play! But don't worry, I heard that a quick change from cold to warm temperatures is very good for one's health! Now then, get roasted to death! Sayonara!" She said, turning away from him as a tremendous firestorm enveloped Yuto, causing him to cry out in pain.

' _Shit, despite the dramatically lower Real Solid Vision-Level he will still be taking severe damage!'_ Rin thought worriedly as the inferno collided with him. _'I hope Ruri doesn't kill me for hurting him like that! Sorry, but I had to get away!'_

 **YUTO LP: 850 → 0**

 **RIN WIN!**

( 13 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #8 The Battle Begins end)

As Rin began running away, trying to get out of her unfortunate situation, she noticed that despite his injuries Yuto rose up again, running after her.

"NO! DON'T RUN! **I NEED TO KNOW WHERE RURI IS!** " He cried out desperately.

' _Are you serious?! He just received third-degree burns and he can still follow me so quickly?! What's up with that guy, his determination to save her must be absolutely insane!'_ Rin thought as she looked over her shoulder, seeing the Xyz-Duelist chasing after her. She took a turn to the right, running through a narrow lane between two storage halls. _'Shit, he's catching up to me! At this rate...!'_ She thought, seeing him getting closer to her with every second. _'No! Not after all this! I can't have him catch me after fighting so hard in that duel! Please just… **SLOW DOWN!** ' _ She thought in panic, crying out within her mind. Suddenly Yuto felt his legs getting stiff, prompting him to decelerate.

"WHAT?!" Yuto shouted, coming to a halt. "What the hell just happened?! I cannot move my legs!"

Rin looked behind her again. "He stopped." She remarked, keeping on running. "Guess the injuries from the duel are finally taking effect!" She whispered in a relieved tone. She took a turn to the left, then activated her disk's dimensional travel interface and pressed the button for the Ritual-Dimension immediately. After she had vanished, Yuto regained the feeling in his legs and continued running, only to find out that his target had disappeared.

"Shit!" He cursed. "Ruri, where are you?" Yuto murmured to himself, disappointed and ashamed of himself that he couldn't save her again. "No matter how long it takes, I will definitely find you!" He declared. _'But I should leave now! The henchmen of Leo Akaba's son might arrive here soon!'_ He deliberated, leaving the area at that. Meanwhile two spectral people hovered in the air, one of them with lack of understanding in his expression.

" _What the hell was that?!"_ Zarc cried out. _"His legs just went bye-bye like that and refused to move! I bet it has something to do with your shitty fragment, isn't that right, RAY?!"_ He addressed the other person with an infuriated expression.

" _Looks like the time I won a round of our silent war has come now, right Zarc?"_ She grinned at him victoriously. _"Yes, it has to do something with Rin. You know, you weren't the only one who set one_ _'_ _s plans into motion after the great separation! I knew that my fragments' survival would be crucial to the survival of this world as well, so I bestowed a few powers onto them which I gained through the force of the natural energies in my bracelets."_

" _Let me guess, these abilities are based on the four natural beauties your shitty bracelets represent?"_ Zarc asked in an annoyed tone.

" _Correct. All of them have one power based on their respective aspect of nature. Also as you saw with Yuzu's bracelet, each of those things has a power to hold down your fragments' power and to prevent them from absorbing each other. I used En Flowers, En Birds, En Winds, En Moon, as well as the two newest En-Cards, En River and En Clouds as a basis for those powers. No then, let me start with Yuzu! **Creation Prowess of Nature – Hana**!" _She began. _"As the representative of the flora, she has the ability to control said thing, meaning flowers, trees, everything that is a plant really! Also she has another ability which I based on her deck theme, the Melodious-Cards! Namely voice modulation and all kinds of stuff connected to altering sounds. As a little extra of this power, she has a very potent ability called Banshee's Cry, which can force your fragments to stop in their tracks immediately, even from afar."_

" _Admittedly not bad."_ Zarc stated. _"What else do you have up your sleeve?"_

She grinned at him in response. _"Well, next up we have Ruri with her **Creation Prowess of Nature – Tori**! As you might know already, her bracelet represents the fauna. Therefore she has control over the other group of living beings, meaning animals_. _"_

" _How about humans? After all, they are nothing but filthy animals as well!"_ Zarc remarked with a contemptuous smirk on his face.

" _Yeah, humans as well."_ Ray sighed. _"Honestly, why do you hate humans so much? You're one yourself after all."_

" _WRONG!"_ He shot back. _"I'm a dragon now, a being exalted above the filth and muck of that pathetic species! Now continue with your explanation before I lose my temper!"_ He yelled at her.

" _Fine..."_ Ray sighed exasperatedly. _"She can control those beings to a certain degree and talk with them over a mental link similar to yours with the spirits of monsters. That's why she could understand the birds she and her brother used to feed in the park before the Heartland Invasion for instance. Like her other counterparts, she can only use her powers partially since she isn't aware of them yet, but she still uses a small portion of them unconsciously. So whenever she heard the animals speaking to her, she shrugged it off as her imagination. She can also adapt the powers of animals and use them for a short time period after touching them."_

" _So you mean that she can jump high and far for a few minutes after touching a rabbit or a kangaroo for instance?"_ Zarc asked.

" _Exactly! And the power based on her deck is to sprout wings, enabling her to fly. Pretty handy if I do say so myself. And her bracelet has the power to calm down your fragments again, hence why Yuga calmed down from his rage back in the Fusion-Dimension so quickly after he had met her."_

" _I see. So all of your bracelets have one way or another to foil my plans of reviving. And they don't seem to be restricted in their powers due to your fragments being unaware of them like these other powers apparently are, right?"_ He asked her.

She nodded. _"Yes, the bracelets always run with full power, regardless of how far my fragments have mastered their other powers. Now then, Rin's next! **Creation Prowess of Nature – Kaze**! You just saw it in action after all! Her power based on the natural energy of the wind is to control the terrestrial forces of nature, meaning that she can create storms and wind at will. Furthermore she can control temperature since her Windwitches are based on ice, meaning she can either freeze a certain area or heat it up. What you saw was that last power. Out of panic, she accidentally tapped into her powers and froze the blood in Yuto's legs for a second. No blood circulation, no movements."_ She explained.

" _And what does her bracelet do?"_ Zarc asked her.

" _It extinguishes negative emotions. Pretty helpful to snap your fragments out of their awakening state. Also it lightens up the mood in Yuga's little group, doesn't it?"_

" _So that's why they all got along so quickly. I see..."_ Zarc said, rubbing his chin with one hand in a deliberating manner.

" _Now then, next girl! Some of the bracelet powers were designed in couples! Yuzu can control the flora, Ruri the fauna. Rin can control the terrestrial forces of nature. Now guess what Serena can do!"_

" _Control the energies of space?"_ Zarc asked in a bored tone, yawning a bit.

" _That's right! **Creation Prowess of Nature – Tsuki**! Not only can she use the cosmic powers to blind her foes and to stealth herself, but she can can also control gravity! Furthermore she has a power based on her feline Lunalights which enables her to use night vision and extend some nasty claws to deliver a few painful scratches in case somebody threatens her."_

" _Claws?! For real, Ray? You really read too much Marvel Comics when we were in high school! Giving your Fusion-Fragment Wolverine-Claws, that's funny!"_ He chuckled.

" _Laugh as much as you want!"_ She shot back. _"But the fact still remains that she has a solid power! Finally her bracelet weakens your fragments. Which is why Yuga couldn't absorb Yuri when he beat her and his Fusion-Counterpart back in Academia."_

" _I understand. So it was your power that prevented him from doing so. Guess I should have suspected it was your doing, after all, you Akabas always get in the way of my plans!"_

" _I'll take that as a compliment!"_ Ray retorted with a smirk. _"Now then, next girl! Kumo's power has a name equivalent to her own name! **Creation Prowess of Nature – Kumo**! Like her name "Cloud" suggests, this prowess allows her to freely produce and manipulate all elements above the earth surface, controlling air density and the weather! The power of the entire atmosphere whose existence enables all life on this planet! Meaning she could for instance replace the air in a certain area with any gas she wants, helium for example."_

" _So then all voices of the people standing in that area become high-pitched due to breathing in that helium. Wow, that's so powerful!"_ Zarc said in a sarcastic tone.

" _Shut up!"_ She retorted. _"She can literally trap your head inside a poisonous cloud and let you choke to death or knock out one of your fragments through lack of oxygen! Also true to her archetype, she can have foreign objects pass through her, making her untouchable. Of course her first power also allows her to levitate. And her bracelet spreads positive emotions. That's why the alliance in Link worked out so well, since her bracelet influenced all those people to join forces with Gishiki. Also it helps the mood of Yuga's group again. Now then, the final prowess!"_ She announced.

" _The final? Don't you forget about something?"_ Zarc grinned at her.

" _Forget about something?"_ Ray asked, slightly tilting her head in confusion.

" _Yeah, you forgot something. Let me help you!"_ He declared, raising his spectral hand which began emitting a dark glow. Suddenly a thought resurfaced in Ray's mind, causing her to gasp in surprise.

" _Oh, right! The Paragon-Dimension! En Earth! How could I forget about their existence?!"_ She exclaimed in realization. Then she scowled. _"Zarc, is this your doing?! Did you make me forget about the seventh dimension?!"_ She addressed him in an intense voice.

Zarc laughed. _"I did! And I managed to do so with my own power! I will tell you about it in time, but first carry on with your explanation before you hear my side!"_

 _"_ _Fine!"_ She snapped. _"The sixth power, **Creation Prowess of Nature – Daichi**! It is the counterpart to Kumo's power and allows my Paragon-Fragment Alexandra to control any elements beneath the earth surface of our planet, granting her access to the enormous powers lurking in the molten core of the earth which holds together our planet! She can use the force of devastating earthquakes and launch magma at her foes using this power! Based on her deck theme, she can also heal herself when she's wounded and come back even stronger than before, just like the legendary phoenix! This ability has a cooldown, but that doesn't matter too much I suppose. Her bracelet power is to amplify positive emotions and reduce negative ones! And then the seventh, the strongest of them all! **Creation Prowess of Nature – Kawa**! The river who represents water, the element symbolizing life itself! The constant flow that stands for the change in this world! Using this power, Shiryu can freely produce and manipulate said element! Also she can heal any wound and even revive people with it! Since she rejected the deck I planed for her and took the Six Samurai-Deck that she inherited instead, I gave her the heightened senses fitting her warrior-monsters! And her bracelet can suppress your fragments when she is close to them, hence why Yuga had to walk away from her in order to absorb Yuri before he was saved by the teleportation device inside his disk!"_

Zarc whistled. _"Not bad, Ray! Not bad at all! Anything else?"_ He inquired.

" _You bet!"_ She replied. _"All of them have a few powers they share with each other! First, they are more resistant to physical harm than other humans, causing most minor wounds they would receive to have no affect on them at all! Also they can transmit their feelings to other living beings and vice versa while strengthening them, as well as perceiving feelings from other people since they are sensitive to them! Guess why pretty much all of my fragments are in a romantic relationship with yours!"_

" _Kuh! So that was your doing, huh?!"_ Zarc cursed with gritted teeth.

" _That's right! When your body was purified by the En-Cards and split up afterwards, all of our fragments were born as pure beings free of negative emotions. I took that as an opportunity and placed a very faint feeling in all of them, namely affection. So when the Fragment-Couples met in their respective dimensions, these feelings were received by my fragments and reflected back even stronger. That reflecting game repeated countless times and their affection towards each other grew with every day as a result, eventually ending up in Yuga and Shiryu falling in love and becoming a couple for instance. And as you see, except for the Fusion-Fragments who were separated due to my father, this worked out in every dimension!"_ She declared with a proud, victorious smile on her face.

" _You bastard!"_ Zarc shouted in anger. _"You corrupted my fragments and distracted them from their goal! This was never supposed to happen again!"_

" _Corrupted?"_ Ray responded. _"More like did them a favor. They all seem to be very happy together."_

" _Are you finished now?!"_ Zarc continued.

" _Almost."_ Ray responded. _"Now, all these powers on their own are powerful already. But like the bracelets can completely suppress anything bad your fragments plan on doing when they are united in close proximity with each other, my power is fully unleashed by combining all girls and their bracelets back into myself again! A supreme power that represent all life in the universe!"_

" _Supreme power?! What are you talking about?!"_ Zarc addressed her.

" _Hana, Tori, Kaze, Tsuki, Kumo, Daichi and Kawa! Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon, Cloud, Earth and River! When all these prowesses combine into one, the power of creation itself is brought forth! **SUPREME CREATION PROWESS OF NATURAL ENERGIES – PURE WORLD!** " _She declared in a loud voice. _"This power can not only use all previous abilities even stronger, but also return this world to a pure state once more!"_

" _So it only does what your En-Cards did back in the Original Dimension? Hah, pathetic! I expected more of it for having such a powerful name!"_ Zarc scoffed at her in condescension.

" _Oh, it does more, be assured of that!"_ Ray shot back. _"When it purifies the world, it maintains the status quo, meaning it doesn't split the world and us two apart again! And instead of stopping your rampage by separating you, it cleanses your evil soul and erases the malevolent core of your personality from existence forever, leaving only your pure fragments behind! IN OTHER WORDS, IT BRINGS AN END TO YOU, ZARC!"_ She yelled.

" _WHAT?! IT CAN DEFEAT ME PERMANENTLY?!_ _"_ He cried out in shock.

" _That's right! The Supreme Creation Prowess will return this world to purity again and vanquish you, so that you can never harm a human again! This is the power I acquired through the Natural Energy Cards when the world was split apart!"_ She cried out in a resolute tone.

" _I see."_ Zarc said, having regained his composure in the meantime, a sly grin gradually crawling onto his face. _"Then let me teach about my move! The powers I developed to execute my plan! **THE SEVEN APOCALYPTIC PROWESSES!** " _He shouted in an intense voice.

" _Apocalyptic Prowesses?!"_ Ray exclaimed in a shocked tone. _"You also turned your fragments into demigods?!"_

" _That's right!"_ Zarc responded with a vicious smirk on his face. _"Let's start with a few basic abilities! You should know that I based my powers on different things than natural beauties, namely anime!"_ He explained.

" _Really? Anime?"_ Ray asked him in disbelief, stunned that he would design his powers on something so trivial.

" _Yeah, anime!"_ Zarc retorted. _"I always loved these and kept on watching them, even after becoming a very occupied pro-duelist. You should know, Ray, that you see a lot of great and powerful abilities in them, perfect for designing godly powers you can bestow onto your fragments to facilitate your revival with them!_ _"_ He then shrugged his shoulders. _"Also my human part might have been an otaku, but that's besides the point now!"_ He conceded before continuing. " _Now then, like I said before, I want to start with their general abilities before I come to the respective prowesses! First off, they can all understand Monster Spirits like I do, which is pretty helpful since their monsters can assist them this way! Also they have superhuman strength, durability, speed, stamina and reaction speed, enabling them to surpass any of you filthy humans in a classic fight! They also heal way faster than them and have an increased pain tolerance!"_

" _So that's why Yuto was able to stand up and run after Rin!"_ Ray realized.

" _Correct, his pain tolerance allowed him to stand up and the burns should be healed in a few hours! Furthermore all my fragments can form blades out of momentum, the energy that shapes this world! These powers are only active and can be used when they are aware of them, except the defensive ones like the durability for instance, obviously to ensure their survival by all means. But now to their main powers! I based their names on the four horsemen of the apocalypse, creating three new attributes since some riders represent more than one aspect in my opinion. First prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of Hunger – Emperor's Force**! It increases Yuga's natural attributes, meaning strength, speed and so on by about ten times! The normal fragment of mine has about ten times the strength of a human when they fully tap into their inherited power! So that means Yuga has hundred times of those traits! Guess why he can jump so far and parkour like that all the time! His natural durability makes the impact of landing on the ground barely noticeable. And while he is in very good shape, he couldn't jump that far with only human strength. Around three years ago he saved your fragment using those powers after all!"_

" _Wait! So do you mean that he tapped into these powers when he jumped from the wall to save Shiryu?!"_

" _That's right!"_ Zarc replied. _"Much like your fragments, mine can use them unconsciously in times of need! But the multiplied abilities is only a part of his prowess' true power! His skill Supreme Authority allows him to control any being to do his bidding! Why do you think is everybody viewing him as a natural leader?! His prowess causes all humans around him to follow him, even if he is not using it consciously. If he does however, he can literally turn anybody into an obedient slave within a mile-wide radius when used with full power! But there's more!"_ Zarc continued. _"Fitting his position as the future ruler of his world and the name of his prowess, Emperor's Force also allows him to kill his foes without even touching them with his own hands! A true emperor should never have to get his hands dirty after all! It has the feature of the unseen hands which are invisible and can be used for their namesake purpose, grabbing and crushing all sorts of things!"_

" _Unseen hands?!"_ Ray cried out in shock. _"You mean like in Re-Zero?!"_

" _So you have also watched some anime?"_ Zarc remarked. _"Yeah, exactly like in Re-Zero! Why do you think was Yuga able to let that Dorian compose an almost identical copy of Theater D, a soundtrack from that anime?! Because I based it on a character from Re-Zero obviously! And as you might have noticed already, his girlfriend has the combined hair colors of Rem and Emilia. Now guess what that means!"_

" _You will not have him playing Twister with her!"_ Ray shouted as the memory of Betelgeuse brutally bending Rem's body with his invisible hands resurfaced in her mind, breaking bones and distorting the girl's body in the most gruesome way.

" _Oh, I think I will! If he gives into his dark side enough, your fragment's influence on him will break and then he will kill his own girlfriend in an incredibly painful and horrible way, be assured of that!"_ He declared with a sadistic grin on his face.

" _Damn you, Zarc!"_ She yelled, gritting her teeth.

" _Anyway, even if the hands are surely useful, that wasn't the main feature of his prowess!"_

" _Not the main feature?! There's something even stronger about his power?!"_ Ray cried out.

" _Correct! Much like his dragon, his Prowess of Hunger is very flexible! His strongest power is called Absolute Eradicator! I based this ability and the other main abilities of my fragments in general on the powers of very strong anime antagonists! In this case on Beerus' Hakai-ability, which he shares with the other Gods of Destruction from Dragon Ball Super! While he has to actually touch something with his hands to activate Absolute Eradicator, he not only erases that thing from existence like Beerus, but also gains half the strength of any being destroyed by this power! This prowess is also the reason why Yuga eats so much! He wants to absorb energy, may it be through eating or destroying things!"_

" _WHAT?! He can destroy anything and absorb their power?! Impossible!"_ Ray screamed.

" _I think not! Let's do a little time travel to show you!"_ Zarc stated, snapping his fingers before the area around them changed.

* * *

" _What is this place?"_ Ray asked him as she gazed down upon her new surroundings. _"Is this Gishiki City?"_

" _Yeah, this is Gishiki City around eleven and a half years ago!"_ Zarc confirmed. _"Now then, look there!"_ He commanded her, pointing down with his finger.

Ray did so and gazed down into the alleyway a few feet below her. Then she saw a figure running into her field of vision, prompting her to widen her eyes. _"Wait, is that...!"_

" _Yup, it's Yuga!"_ Zarc replied as a three years old version of his fragment ran down the alleyway. He reached a dead end and gritted his teeth, anxiously looking back.

"Looks like you're trapped now!" A man with a wicked grin on his face said, slowly approaching the young blue and gray haired child. Accompanying him was another man with an equally violent and sadistic expression.

"It was really stupid to steal from us!" The other man added. "Now you will have to bear the consequences for your actions!" He said as he cracked his knuckles, his expression turning even darker.

"I just took that food from you because I wanted to survive!" Yuga declared, trying to talk himself out of the situation.

"We don't care if you were starving or not!" The first man shot back. Yuga gritted his teeth, his back pressed against the wall as they cornered him more and more. When they had almost reached him, he started a desperate move, using the wall on the right side of the alleyway as a ramp, jumping on it to rebound from it with another push of his legs, trying to get past the two men. However, one of the man caught him by his left arm while doing so.

"Still trying to run away?!" The first man mocked him in a scornful voice. "Guess we have to beat some sense into you silly little brat!" He restrained Yuga before his comrade punched the young boy into the face, his lip bursting open as the golden ring on the middle finger of the man collided with it.

"And again! AND AGAIN! **AND AGAIN!** " The first man screamed in malicious glee as his comrade beat up Yuga with a series of heavy blows, yelling louder with every punch, causing Ray to cover her mouth in horror.

" _No way! How could anyone be so cruel towards a child?"_ She whispered in fear as she observed the scenes of terror, more and more blood streaming down the face of Zarc's Ritual-Fragment with every repeat.

" _See?!"_ Zarc said. _"I told you that they are scum! Look close, Ray, these are the very beings that you want to protect so desperately!"_ He commented in utter disdain.

"Now then, enough of that!" The first man spoke up, gesturing his partner to stop punching Yuga. "We had our fun with you, but now playtime is over! Choke him to death!" He ordered his companion. He obeyed and his fingers closed around the small throat of the child. Yuga struggled and tried to pull the man's hands away from his neck, but due to the enormous difference in power, his efforts were utterly futile. His head's color switched from pink to red to blue, indicating his lack of oxygen. His feet dangling down shook vigorously, displaying his desperate struggle to survive.

"YES! **YES!** _**YES**_ **!** _**STRANGLE HIM**_ **!** " The first man exclaimed with a look of sheer sadism on his face. After a few seconds, Yuga's legs began shaking slower and slower until they eventually stopped entirely. His hands clinging to the much bigger hands of the stranger in order to pull them away from his throat dropped down as well, loosely hanging to the ground as the life slowly left his body, his eyes closing as well.

" _ **STOP IT! YOU WILL KILL HIM!**_ _"_ Ray shouted, not capable of holding back her feelings anymore.

Zarc merely chuckled. _"Don't worry, Ray! Now the time will come! My favorite part about that incident!"_

" _What do you mean by that?"_ She asked, still fearing for the life of the poor child.

" _Just watch!"_ Zarc retorted.

She returned her gaze to the cruelty unfolding below her. Since she possessed the Supreme Prowess of Creation, she could feel the heartbeat in every living being. And when she looked at Yuga, she could only hear a very faint rhythm, close to stopping completely. As all functions in his body diminished more and more, she slowly felt something awakening inside him, a new rhythm throbbing with slow pace. The more his life functions slowed down, the more the new beat gained in speed and volume. And shortly before his heartbeat stopped entirely, it exploded with energy, pounding with thrice the speed of a human heart at its maximum capacity, prompting her to cover her ears at its enormous loudness. Simultaneously Yuga's eyes opened again, glowing with an intense dark blue color.

" _ **LET GO OF ME!**_ " He shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the man to release the boy from his grip immediately, stumbling back and falling down to the ground in horror.

" _WHAT WAS THAT?!"_ Ray cried out in disbelief, terrified at the sudden outburst.

" _That, my dear, was Supreme Authority, his first power!"_ Zarc explained with a grin on his face. _"He commanded him to release him, so he did as Yuga said! That's the power of an Apocalyptic Prowess! Whenever one of my fragments is close to dying to a person other than one of their counterparts, their hidden powers automatically trigger and get them out of their pinch! Behold Ray, this is power so mighty that no human will ever be able to surpass it! Power that prevents them from succumbing to one of your filthy humans! Now then, witness his other powers!"_ He smirked as multiple objects extended from Yuga's back.

" _Wait, are these...?!"_

" _Yes! The invisible hands! You can see them because of your own power, but for these fools they are truly invisible! They can only be seen by a human if Yuga allows it! NOW THEN, WATCH AS THESE JERKS DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH!"_ He screamed, a look of total insanity on his face.

The hands advanced towards the second man, choking him in the exact same manner as he had done with Yuga. Due to their difference in power however, they only needed mere seconds to crush the man to death.

" **DAISUKE!** " The first man yelled as his friend hovering in the air was killed and tossed into the wall of the narrow alley right afterwards, dropping to the ground. Meanwhile Yuga approached the still living man who was also being held in place in the air with multiple unseen hands.

"You tried to kill me, huh?" Yuga addressed him in a sinister tone as he drew closer to him. "I guess that I will have to return the favor now and kill you instead!" He declared.

"No, please spare me!" The man's expression turned into a look of utter fear as he begged for his life.

"Sorry, not gonna happen!" The three years old boy replied mercilessly as he restrained the man even more with the hands, forcing his arms behind his back. Then he lowered the man down to his level and put his right hand onto the man's chest.

"Please...!" The man cried desperately in a similar way as children of Yuga's age during the current scene usually do. "Don't kill me!" He sobbed in a whispered tone, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You tried to kill me, so you have no right to request something like that from me! Now then..." Yuga said, closing his eyes in a concentrating manner. When he opened them again, his eyes glowed even more intensely.

" _ **ANNIHILATE!**_ " He screamed at the top of his lungs as his body was enveloped by a black-dark bluish aura, his hand emitting a blue glow spreading over the man's body, causing it to dissolve bit by bit. Yuga ignored the screams of the man echoing through the alleyway and beyond until they finally came to an abrupt halt. Then Yuga took the food which he had stolen from the men and dropped during the incident when he was being strangled by the second man and simply walked away.

" _NO WAY! He erased him from existence!"_ Ray cried out in disbelief.

" _DO YOU SEE THAT?!"_ Zarc shouted in response. _"That is the power of the Apocalyptic Prowesses! And much like all others, Yuga will be even stronger than the character I based his power on once he masters it completely!"_

" _Are you telling me that he will surpass a being called a God of Destruction?!"_ She asked him in shock.

" _Exactly! If he absorbs enough humans with his power and masters his prowess fully, he will even exceed Beerus' power, though it would be close without his other form. But with the other form he will surely surpass him, I'm certain about that, even though it would take multiple years of training for that!"_

" _What?! Other form?! The boys have even more powers?!"_

" _Correct! I will come to them once I'm done with the other six prowesses!_ _Now then, back to our time!"_ He declared before their surroundings changed back to Maiami City's harbor area.

* * *

" _The second prowess!"_ He shouted. _" **Apocalyptic Prowess of Pestilence – Venom Demon**! Unlike the prowess of Hunger, this ability doesn't represent the third horsemen, but the forth instead! It is owned by Yuri and allows him to control two elements, namely darkness and poison. While all my fragments can control darkness to a certain degree, their abilities are nothing compared to his! He can fire lethal bursts of dark energy and cover his enemies with deadly venom! Additionally he can smell living beings which is the reason why he found Rin, Ruri and Shiryu so fast! He has a predator instinct, hence why he is acting so much like one! Then he can also shroud himself with the darkness and poison and use it as armor, making him pretty much intangible! He can appear at any place by vanishing into a dark portal on the ground, even allowing him to cross dimensions! But the greatest thing about his prowess is the darkness, since he can also suppress any ability when he touches its wielder with his skill Darkness Hand! I based his double element-design of having poison and darkness as his weapons as well as the fact that his darkness suppresses other prowesses including yours on Blackbeard, a man from an anime called One Piece who has the probably strongest Logia Devil Fruit and who can disable the Devil Fruit-Powers of any other person when he touches them!"_

" _What?! Disable all other prowesses?! Mine as well?!"_ Ray cried out in shock.

" _That's right! This is the power of inspiration, Ray! Guess watching that show wasn't a waste of time after all!"_ He smirked. _"Now then, the third prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of War – Essence Subjugation**! This ability represents the second horsemen! It's pretty powerful as well, even though it is fairly misplaced since it is wielded by my most naive fragment Yuya Sakaki. He can entirely control momentum, the energy of this world which is equal to ki, chakra, haki, reiatsu or whatever you want to call it. He can use it in any shape or form, may it be defensive or offensive. Also he can detect living beings even better than Yuri since he can feel the energy they consist of. That also enabled him to find Yuzu in the storage hall yesterday since he unconsciously used part of that ability when he was searching for her. Now then, because you basically made your Standard-Fragment Hashirama Senju since she can control the flora – which is pretty much equivalent to having Wood-Style Jutsu if you ask me – I made my Standard-Fragment Madara Uchiha, his rival! Because one of the best ways to utilize his Momentum Control is to form orbs from it which have a pretty similar destruction capability than the Truthseeker Orbs of Madara in the Sage of Six Paths-Mode! Also he can heal and revive himself using the power of Momentum Control to mend his wounds, similar to how Madara can use the Sharingan-Technique Izanagi to revive himself, even after dying long ago! In other words, I just outclassed the strongest ability of your most powerful fragment Shiryu!"_

" _Damn you!"_ She gritted her teeth.

" _Anyway, moving on!"_ Zarc announced with a victorious smirk on his face. _"Fourth prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of Death – Spectral Reaper**! It is based on the third horsemen much like Yuga's power and as you can probably guess, it belongs to Yuto! He can pass through all objects with it! But unlike Kumo's prowess, he can not only dodge a few things with it, but also slip through walls for instance! He has control over shadows and can appear out of them instantly. But his most powerful ability is Aura of Death, whose name should be pretty self explanatory. Like the character I based this skill on – Zeref – he can kill any living being in a certain radius around him. He just uses it and boom, now they are all dead! He tapped into that power once around a week after Ruri was kidnapped for example. He lost to an Obelisk Squad and when they were about to card him, his prowess activated and he killed them with Aura of Death! He doesn't remember that though, neither does any boy in general about their abilities except if they become aware of it."_

" _What?! You mean that he has a built-in kill aura?!"_ Ray exclaimed.

" _Exactly!"_ Zarc retorted. _"Guess why Yuto is so quiet and reserved most of the time! His power is to return the world to silence by extinguishing its life, that's why he's not as vivacious as other people, even before the war! You see, all my fragment's personalities are determined by their prowesses! Yuga is gluttonous and pretentious at times due to his absorption- and the commanding-abilities befitting an emperor! Yuri is predatory due to his detection ability of smelling his prey! Yuya is so lively because he can control momentum, the energy of life itself! And about Yuto I told you already! Now then, fifth prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of Conquest – Lightspeed Slasher**! The fragment who possesses that prowess is none other than Yugo! To explain the slasher-part, much like his counterparts he can form blades from his respective energy! Yuri obvious has darkness- and poison-enhanced momentum blades, Yuya's momentum blades are a bit better than the others' since he can fully control said element. Yuto uses momentum blades enhanced by shadows and Yuga empowers them with the sheer might of his prowess. Yugo on the other hand manifests them in a way that they attach themselves to his wrists fully, so he can't freely release them out of his hands and use them like the other momentum blades. As a compensation, his blades have way more bite that the others' though and can pierce through absolutely everything like butter, though Momentum-Blades and Kryo-Blades are fairly harder to break than normal elements of course. But his extraordinary sharp blades are just the first part of his prowess. True to its name, he can move at incredible speed, as well as causing everything he touches to accelerate significantly. Meaning if he rides his D-Wheel for instance, it can move extremely fast as well. Of course he can also just run and in that case he's still so incredibly fast that even Sonic would look like an utter joke in comparison. And actually he isn't a hotblooded idiot. It's not that he isn't using his brain, his body is simply too fast for his brain to keep up, hence he rushes into all sorts of things with seemingly no second thought since his body naturally drives him forward." _Zarc explained. _"He can also move infinite times faster than all other beings!"_ He added after that.

" _Infinite times faster? Isn't that impossible?_ _"_ Ray stated.

" _You are right in a sense."_ Zarc retorted. _"No matter how fast you move, the ratio between your speed and all other persons' speed will never become infinite. That is as long they move. When they don't move however, he's technically infinite times faster than them, right?"_ He asked her with a grinning expression.

" _So do you mean that he can...?!"_

" _Yes, exactly! He can stop time! I based this power on a blonde haired guy called Dio who cries out "ZA WARUDO!" before he freezes time and does all kinds of shenanigans while time is stopped. Like throwing knives for instance which then begin to fly towards his target once time resumes. Pretty cool. He can stop time way longer though. I think Dio started with three or four seconds of stopped time before his abilities grew stronger and he could stop time longer as a result. Yugo starts with around two minutes and can get to whole hours, days and more, depending on training. I think that I will name this skill after Dio's stand, meaning The World. Now then, sixth prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of Triumph – Synapse Ruler**! This one is based on the first horsemen, just like Yugo's! It is owned by Yubi and has the power to manipulate nerve conduction entirely! Meaning he can control the electric signals in the nerve system of any living being completely, also enabling him to read their minds! That's why he is so intelligent for example! He unconsciously accelerates the nerve signals inside his body, resulting in faster exchange of information through the electronic signals of his nerve system. This not only boosts thinking processes, but also drives his reaction speed to the absolute maximum. He could see a bullet coming and dodge it as if it was traveling with the pace of a snail, especially if he also uses his amplified speed! But the greatest thing about his power is that it can affect other beings as well and manipulate their perception of reality! As you might have noticed already, he is a lot like Sosuke Aizen from Bleach – my favorite anime villain as you probably know – , both in terms of personality and color preferences. You see, Aizen wears black and white clothes, just as Yubi does. Furthermore Yubi even has these two colors as his hair colors. He also has this slightly mocking personality when he duels, similar to Aizen's overconfidence. Moreover he has the same signature theme. Did you really think that he thought of "Yubi Kogami" all by himself? No, he knew the melody instinctively when he hired that orchestra in order to have them compose his theme for dueling in the pro league! I based him on Aizen, and therefore he knows the exact notes for his signature OST "Treachery", even though he uses different lyrics. But enough of that, most importantly he has a power that is equal, if not stronger than Aizen's Shikai-ability, which I named after said thing. It's called Kyōka Suigetsu and can manipulate all five senses, causing his foes to feel all sorts of illusions as he alters the signals in their nerve systems. So basically he can make them feel, see, smell, hear and taste everything he wants them to do. Theoretically he could have his enemies kill each other because they see him instead of their allies while Yubi himself chills on a couch and drinks a coke. Quite handy, right?" _He grinned at her.

" _Damn, what are all these powers?! Your thirst for revenge is insane, Zarc!"_

" _Thank you, I'll take that as a compliment! But I have to admit that while humans are scum, they at least have a vivid imagination. That's about the only good thing about them I guess. But at least their own ideas will lead to their downfall now once my fragments become aware of their powers! Finally the seventh prowess! **Apocalyptic Prowess of Carnage – Illusion of Truth**! This prowess is based on the second horsemen, just as Yuya's. Its owner is my Paragon-Fragment Yuji and it has a lot of similar traits as the previous prowess of Yubi. First of all, he can detect lies with it and force anybody to tell the truth, even making people who would rather remain silent speak. Very practical for questionings. Also it fits his personality since he is very straightforward and stubborn, so making all others say what's on their minds and stubbornly tell the truth as well isn't too far-fetched, I guess. But the main power of this prowess is based on another Naruto character, namely Itachi Uchiha. To give you a little bit of an idea in case your Naruto knowledge is rusty, Itachi can trap people who gaze into his eyes in a so called Genjutsu, an illusion that feels real. He has a special ability called Tsukuyomi where he can bring them to an imaginary world where he controls all laws of physics, space and time. Then he usually tortures them in said world, crucifying his defenseless victims and stabbing them with swords for instance. He can also multiply himself and have copies of him stabbing as well, like I said, he controls absolutely everything in that world. While it doesn't leave any trace in the actual world, the sensations still feel real, so he basically brainfucks them so hard that they suffer a breakdown and have to go to a mental hospital right after getting out of Tsukuyomi. The Absolute Tsukuyomi Yuji can use works almost the same way as Itachi's. The only difference is that any damage done in the imaginary world becomes real, fitting to the prowess' name Illusion of Truth. So if he slows down time so that three days inside the world of Tsukuyomi are equivalent to a few seconds in the outside world and then stabs his victim like Itachi did with Kakashi, the only thing people in the outside world would see is a person whom Yuji stares at literally exploding into a fountain of blood as it receives hundred thousands, if not millions of stabs in mere milliseconds. Great, isn't it?"_

" _What the fuck is wrong with you, Zarc?! You're really overdoing it! My fragments are not even remotely as overpowered as yours!"_

" _Then I did a good job, I guess. Overpowering you was the goal after all! Now then, I told you that they had another form! So here it goes! You should know, Ray, that all of my fragments aren't ordinary humans!"_

" _Of course they aren't! They are demigods, just as mine!"_ Ray shot back.

" _That's not what I meant."_ Zarc replied. _"While all our fragments have godly powers, yours are still fully human in appearance. Mine on the contrary are different once they enter their true forms!"_

" _True forms? What do you mean by that?!"_ Ray asked, becoming fearful as she was reminded of unpleasant memories from the past.

" _Well, they are actually beings far above the pathetic flesh of you humans!"_ Then his eyes widened immensely. _" **THEY ARE DRAGONS, RAY, JUST AS I AM!** "_ He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ray covered her mouth in shock. _"What, dragons?! Is that really true?!"_ She uttered in a horrified tone.

" _Yes, it is!"_ Zarc shouted back. _"Did you never ask yourself why the pupils in Yuga's and Yuri's eyes turned into slits on some occasions?! Simple, because they partially entered their dragon forms at that time! The Apocalyptic Prowesses, the Awakening, the Dragon Form! All these things are part of the very same power I granted to each of them! They are overcome by a strong urge to kill and destroy whenever they awaken, causing their eyes to glow! In Yuga's case dark blue, in Yuri's case magenta-purplish, in Yubi's case silver, in Yugo's case light blue, in Yuji's case bright green, in Yuto's case dark blue-purplish and in Yuya's case red! On a side note, the awakening works a little bit different with the latter since Yuya is so damn resistant and refuses to use his powers. He accidentally put in some momentum with his prowess while punching a kid who mocked him because of his father being a coward and whatnot. Of course he needs to take great pride in his dad's dueling, even though said person is a fool in my opinion. Smiles to change the world, bah, so naive and disgusting! Anyway, he and that other child got into a fight a few years ago like I said before and he used some momentum to strengthen his punch. Since that was rather effective and he was horrified by the result and his own power, he swore to never involve himself in any form of conflict again. That's why his awakening has like seven stages before he enters the final one where I can completely control him. The other boys have only three, semi- and fully awakened. One with glowing eyes but still visible eye features and one where their eyes completely whiten out and glow with their respective colors framing around the white-shining inside of their eyes. Plus the final stage of absolute control by myself of course. Meanwhile Yuya needs like five steps to have at least his irises glowing red completely and another for the whole eyes to whiten out and glow red, just like his counterparts have it when they are in the second stage. Such a fractious bastard, I wish that he could just give in already! Anyway, while they slowly gain more and more of their normal powers including the prowesses of course the further they awaken – meaning the ten times increased physical strength and so on_ _–_ _this isn't their maximum power. Because actually there are more steps in between the full awakening and the final one! Namely their dragon forms! They sprout wings and tails resembling their respective dragons', their fangs grow in length and become more dragonic the further they enter the dragon mode. Their power increases dramatically as well! In addition to the previous times ten multiplier – or times one hundred in Yuga's case when he unleashes his prowess to its full capacity – they gain another multiplier of their physical attributes that reaches from ten to such an absurdly high number that I won't even bother telling you about it more precisely! It takes multiple years of hard training with their dragon forms to get to that point, but they will all be able to wipe out an entire galaxy on their own when they have done so! Now then, as I said before, their appearance changes when they enter that state, also having multiple stages like the awakening. The first is their eyes turning more reptilian, resembling a dragon. Their pupils changing into slits is the indicator for that transformation. Yuga and Yuri are the closest to becoming aware of their powers, therefore they have managed to get to this point already! Of course that can be combined with the awakening as well, causing them to have glowing dragon eyes, like Yuga had back in the duel against Yuri and in Academia for instance. How do you think did he even kill all those students?! His Bile Throat did a good job for sure, but he himself also killed a bunch of them with his superhuman strength and his claws, also absorbing like twenty of them with Absolute Eradicator! Oh yeah, right, I forgot to mention the claws! Their nails also grow in length when their inner dragons awaken even more, causing them to become pointed as well! Same thing goes for their teeth which also fit their carnivorous inner personality better if they're a little bit sharper, don't you agree? Anyway, their skin becomes a bit scaly on some parts of their body and thanks to the wings and tails they grow at the last stage, they can also fly using the former and lash out or grab things with the latter."_

" _Wait! You said that they can sprout wings resembling their dragons'! But Odd-Eyes has no wings!"_ Ray pointed out as she interrupted him.

" _Well, actually he has. You might have noticed that all my dragons have strong effects now, hence why Dark Rebellion was so devastating in the previous duel between Yuto and your fragment. All other old dragons of mine are also stronger. In Yuya's case as well, but unfortunately he is my weakest and most feeble fragment through his pathetic personality, thus his Odd-Eyes didn't evolve to his complete state once I unlocked Pendulum to the world during my Standard-Fragment's duel against that Strong Ishijima or how his name was. In his perfect form, Odd-Eyes has red wings and much stronger effects, be assured of that! It can still be unlocked, but surely not by that egao-fool if he keeps up his bullshit-ideology! Now then, back to topic! Finally they all gain powers based on the effects of their dragons: Yuga can fully use the power of the previously absorbed life forms instead of just fifty percent of them, causing his attributes to practically double in strength again! Furthermore he can unleash devastating blasts of energy whose strength is determined by the amount of absorbed power, similar to the Ravenous Rage-effect of Bile Throat! Yuri's suppression ability becomes more potent as it now allows him to temporarily use the abilities he jammed before, resembling his Starve Venom's Venomous Drain-ability! Yuya can multiply the physical damage he inflicts similar to the Reaction Force of his dragon! Yuto can drain power from other people and weaken them, based on his dragon's effect Treason Discharge! Yugo can reflect negative influences coming from the outside – other prowesses for instance – which depicts the Dichroic Mirror of Clear Wing! Yubi can temporarily gain the strength of another being he touches, referencing Adapter Force of Whip Tail! And lastly Yuji can heal and shortly strengthen himself when he sheds blood, showing his dragon's effect to gain lifepoints whenever it destroys a monster by battle!"_

" _Man, Zarc, what the freaking hell is wrong with you?! "Exaggerated_ _"_ _would be an understatement here!"_ Ray cried out in disbelief as Zarc told her about the insane powers he had bestowed onto his fragments.

" _Oh? Do you think that this was all?"_ Zarc addressed her in a derisive tone.

" _Wait, there is even more?! Didn't you say that there were only seven Apocalyptic Prowesses?!"_

" _True. But I didn't mention the supreme one standing above them all, similar to how you have Pure World as your strongest Creation Prowess of Nature!"_

" _Wait! Do you mean...?!"_ She began, frightened about what Zarc might reveal now.

" _YES, I DO!"_ Zarc screamed in a loud, vicious tone. _" **SUPREME APOCALYPTIC PROWESS OF DARK ARMAGEDDON – DRAGON ALMIGHTY!** " _He shouted at the top of his lungs. _"It not only combines all other prowesses into one and strengthens them, but also grants me even mightier abilities on top of the hat! Transcending the limitations of humans and spirits, between mortality and immortality for instance, making me an all-powerful, immortal dragon!"_

" _These powers are getting even stronger?! How?!"_ Ray questioned in an incredulous tone.

" _Well, instead of having to touch or being nearby my target, I can simply annihilate and kill people from afar with the evolved power of the Hunger- and Death-Prowess! And instead of just shrouding myself in darkness for a relatively mediocre shield as Yuri can, I can make myself completely untouchable, even against your fragments' prowesses! Instead of just manipulating reality a bit by pulling a few people into Absolute Tsukuyomi or distorting their perception of reality with Kyōka Suigetsu, I can change the fabric of reality itself! And instead of only stopping time, I can freely travel back and forth, just as I did to show you Yuga's power! But the most important thing is the new power of Dragon Almighty itself! You see, its name and the way it works is based on another villain from Bleach, one even stronger than Aizen! His name is YHWach and it is – like you might have realized already – a reference to the name of the Jewish god! I guess that alone should speak for the power of that character! His main ability "The Almighty" – also speaking for itself – can alter fate, allowing him to rewrite futures in which he dies and select the futures that have his enemies dying instead! With Dragon Almighty I can control everything, from the cards I draw in a duel to how this world carries on! IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVE CONTROL OVER DESTINY ITSELF! **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** "_

" _Impossible...!"_ Ray gasped, completely taken aback by his words. _"You can decide the destiny of this world?!"_

" _Yes, and I also become completely immortal and so powerful that no character – fictional or non-fictional – could erase me anymore, let alone try to oppose me! Behold Ray, divine power so mighty that nothing can stand up to it! The only power that might be able to stop me then is probably your Supreme Creation Prowess of Nature, if any!"_

" _YOU MUST BE LYING!"_ Ray shouted. _"THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL THAT YOU HAVE SUCH A POWER!"_ She exclaimed.

Zarc tilted his head at that. _"Do you really think so? Then answer me this: How can I appear in front of you in my spectral form if I hadn't some sort of godly power?"_

" _Err... that's because..."_ Ray began, clueless how to respond.

" _I'll tell you why! Because my Dragon Almighty's power is true immortality, even after my death! You have the Creation Prowess and can therefore still appear in this world with your spectral form, even if they cannot see you. And I can appear here from the afterlife since I have Dragon Almighty! I can even influence this world despite the fact that I'm not really alive right now! For example, when Yuri kidnapped Rin and Yugo met him as a result back in Synchro, I took it as an opportunity to shift a small portion of Yuri's dark traveling powers onto Clear Wing, enabling Yugo to travel across dimensions in order to push my resurrection forward!"_

" _So that's why he could suddenly port back and forth across the worlds. It was because they were so close to each other that your influence could move some power from one to the other. I see."_ Ray stated.

" _But that's far from all!"_ Zarc continued. _"How do you think was I able to make you – a goddess of creation who gained the powers of all nature – forget about something so important as the seventh dimension?! With Dragon Almighty! How could I have bestowed the smaller prowesses onto my fragments after I was split up?! WITH DRAGON ALMIGHTY! How was I able to influence the second Akaba?! **WITH DRAGON ALMIGHTY!** " _He yelled, getting louder with every repeat.

" _WHAT?! The second Akaba?! Do you mean my father?!"_ She cried out in shock.

He smirked eerily at that. _"That's right! Leo already had a certain thought in his head when he was reborn here in Standard after the great separation. Using the evolved form of Kyōka Suigetsu, I implanted a plan into his head, strengthening that desire of his, making him think that it was his own plan despite that fact that it was actually mine!"_

Ray's eyes widened. _"Do you mean...?!"_ She uttered in disbelief.

" _YES, EXACTLY! REVIVING YOU, LEAVING HIS NEW SON REIJI AND GOING TO FUSION, BUILDING ACADEMIA, TRAINING DUEL SOLDIERS, INVADING XYZ! **THAT WAS ALL MY DOING!** MY GREAT PLAN TO CONNECT THE DIMENSIONS YOU SEPARATED IN ORDER TO REVIVE MYSELF! **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** " _He exclaimed, laughing like a maniac.

" _YOU BASTARD!"_ Ray cried out in indignation and fury. _"YOU KILLED MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN XYZ! WHY ARE YOU SO BLOODY OBSESSED WITH KILLING US HUMANS?!"_ She addressed him in an intense voice.

At that, Zarc abruptly halted his laughter and looked to her again, his expression turning serious. _"I told you, didn't I? Because they are scum, they deserve to die!"_

" _But why?!"_ Ray shot back angrily. _"What is so bad about them that they have to be wiped out?! TELL ME!"_ She demanded.

( 14, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #20 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn)

Zarc shrugged his shoulders. _"Fine! There is the factor you already know about of course, but let me use these natural beauties you love so much as an example as well! Humans are greedy, devilish beings, an antithesis incarnate! They claim to be so righteous and superior to all other animals, yet they are far worse than all of them combined! They harm nature wherever they go! To begin with your first power, they don't give a dirty shit about the flora on this world, grubbing trees and cutting down the rain forests – the lungs of this planets which produce the very oxygen these fools breathe – only because they are too lazy to sit on the fucking ground like their ancestors, but want to sit on fancy chairs instead! They are like "Plants grow back, plants grow back!" but blatantly ignore the fact that they cut them down faster than they can regrow! To go to your next power, like I said before, they see themselves as kings of the fauna and terrorize all animals, extinguishing more species within a few hundred years than natural catastrophes have wiped out in multiple millions of years! They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! They literally eat the unborn babies of other species like the sturgeon because they want to taste some fancy caviar, declaring it a completely normal thing, but would instantly freak out if some kind of carnivorous animal devoured one of their children on a single occasion of natural food chain, condemning it a monster despite the fact that they are the only true monsters on this planet! They torture and enslave these beings, stripping them off their rights since they are not human and therefore inferior in their opinion! Don't you see it, Ray?! They are arrogance incarnate, the true cause of all problems in this world! But it doesn't end there! Since your Synchro-Fragment represents ice through her archetype, how about talking about the polar regions of our world now?! Let's start with the Arctic, shall we? Oh wait, we can't, because global warming has almost molten the entire ice on the northern part of this planet, how unfortunate! Guess they really needed to release that sweet CO² into the air after all, didn't they?! That also brings me to your next power, Kumo! They literally wreck the atmosphere with all their gases and pollute the air endlessly! "Hey, I'm the ozone layer, nice to meet you! Oh fuck, now I have a bazillion holes!" To continue with the pollution, they have created entire islands of plastic garbage on the oceans, not giving a fuck about your Ritual-Fragment's element! They pollute the rivers with fertilizers flowing into the river streams through the ground water or just dump the scraps of industry into them! They not only ruin the element of life for themselves, but also for all other creatures on this planet! Next up, they recklessly dig into the earth you value so highly that you based the Paragon En-Card on it, trying to get some fancy looking gems, coal and whatnot! They pump chemical cocktails underneath the surface in order to get a bit of petroleum! Are you familiar with fracking, Ray?! They literally fuck up the chemistry of the earth in order to get a bit of oil! Depending on the geology, this can result in some serious earthquakes, affecting other life as well with it! And now that we have talked about how much they ruin our planet – and I didn't even touch all the shit they did with radioactive materials! – how about finishing with your last bracelet, shall we? Once they are done ruining this planet and set foot into space, they will undoubtedly move to another suitable planet, just to ruin it as well! They already pollute the orbit with all kinds of metallic satellites and don't care if one of them breaks, not even bothering to remove their junk from space again! I mean, why should they even be trying?! Just throw all of the garbage into space until it's nothing but a dump for their trash as well, right?! You see, Ray, they are a self-destructive species beyond all help! They threaten all those around them including each other as well, leading me to the conclusion that the only resolution is to remove them from existence! The world existed in harmony for billions of years and ever since they came into existence, it went downhill within a few hundreds of years! For the sake of the greater good I will regain my powers and wipe them out, returning the world to silence once more! And then I will build a new, better world free of abysmal humans from scratch! A world of truth, not of lies!"_ He exclaimed, spitting out the last word in contempt. _"Not everything is black and white in this world, Ray! You and the humans may see me as a demon, but ultimately I only seek to change this world for the better! But that cannot happen as long as filthy humans roam around on this planet! That is my approach to the problem, Ray! THAT IS MY JUSTICE OF WIPING OUT EVIL!"_ He shouted in a loud, resolute tone.

( 14 Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #20 The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn end)

" _Justice of wiping out evil?!"_ Ray scoffed. _"You claim a genocide as justice?! You are insane, Zarc! While some of the things you've said might be true, I still believe that humanity can find back to the right path again! You just have to give them a chance! If you believe hard enough, you can change the world for the better without violent means, that's what I believe in!"_

" _Ridiculous!"_ Zarc scoffed back at her. _"Humanity had all the time it needed to evolve and it still failed! I realized that a long time ago! Once, I was like you as well, back in the Original Dimension. But my beliefs changed bit by bit as I learned about their true nature! My fragments represent these seven stages of despair, one for each boy! First, I believed in dueling to make people smile, naive as I was. Yuya! But then, after that fateful accident where I injured my opponent, I slowly began to see the true colors of these lowly creatures! First I was shocked and reticent, not wanting to believe the cruel truth. Yuto! I was stubborn and desperately clung to the belief that they weren't so bad after all. Yuji! But finally, I let go of that foolishness and once I did, I exploded in uncontrollable rage when I remembered how they cheered at the bloodshed! Yugo! I deliberated rationally, trying to find out what the best solution was, wiping them out or not, and if I wiped them out, how I could accomplish that. Yubi! And then I came to my decision: They were utter scum and deserved to die like it, making room for a better world! A bloodthirsty urge for destruction seized my heart. Yuri! And then, finally, the decision consolidated and I became determined. Determined to kill every single one of them, no matter the price! Yuga! I discarded my pathetic human flesh to become a far greater being free of their filth and sins, a dragon! My determination brought about the end of the Original Dimension, the birth of the Supreme Dragon King Zarc! But then you stopped me and denied this world from reaching true happiness! But this won't be happening anymore! Because now my fragments have great powers which they can utilize in the upcoming war! They will rip some of the humans to shreds before they eventually become one and revive myself again! Once Leo realizes that Gishiki has Kryo-based weapons as you saw from Shiryu's blade, he will also use the Kryo-Crystals for forging weapons rather than only using them for duel disk blades. But even if this war will most likely be fought with more than just cards, I am sure that my fragments will prevail against any opponent and then kill and absorb each other so I can come back again! You will not be able to stop my plans, Ray!"_

" _That's what you think! But I will revive as well, drive you back and eliminate you with my Pure World! I will return this world to innocence once more and ensure that humanity gets onto the right path again! They can still correct their taints and establish an utopia if you give them a chance, I'm sure of that!"_ She exclaimed.

" _Your plan is shortsighted and naive!"_ Zarc retorted angrily. _"Ultimately, it will only lead this world to darkness once more when the humans go back to their old habits after being purified by you! They cannot better themselves, just accept it, Ray! For every human finding back onto the right path, two deviate from it! They are lost, Ray! It's better to simply wipe them out and start the world anew! I'm also sure that a true utopia can be brought forth! But certainly humans have no place in that since they are the ones who prevent it from coming into existence, so I will simply remove them from the board and then we will have a perfect world at long last! Come on, Ray, you should join me! I always found you more reasonable than the other humans around me, a shining light in a whopping pile of garbage. With you by my side, we could recreate the world even faster! We are like two halves adding up to a whole, so why not lending me your powers of creation? Together, we could be twilight! With the powers of both destruction and creation working together, we could reshape this world in any way we like! Please, let us work together! Don't you remember how it was back then when the both of us were still on the same page? The affection towards each other in our fragments isn't just a phenomenon caused by you. Likely a slither of the feelings we had a long time ago lives on in them, so please just remember them already!"_ He asked her, his voice in a begging tone as he made his request.

* * *

 _Original Dimension, roughly seventeen years ago (two years before the Zarc-Genocide)..._

"Hey Zarc! Looks like you're finally out of the hell!" Ray jokingly addressed her friend with a grin on her face. She was standing in a hallway of her high school, leaning against one of the lockers on the nearby wall, dressed in a uniform pretty similar to the one the pupils of Maiami City would eventually wear. She had a jacket of white and red color looking a lot like the one Yuya wore and a white dress shirt underneath. In addition, she wore a short red skirt and white knee socks reaching up to her thighs plus a pair of red shoes to round off her outfit.

"You can say that again!" Zarc groaned in exasperation as he approached her, having just left the nearby room through the door. He also wore a jacket of the kind Ray had, but instead of a white dress shirt, he simply wore a black T-Shirt underneath his uniform jacket, along with a pair of light green pants fitting his secondary hair color. "Like usually my math teacher was a total asshole!" He sighed in an annoyed tone. "But anyway, now that it's over and I can be with you again, I couldn't care less about that stupid subject!"

She got up from her leaning-position and embraced him, closing in for a kiss. "Man, Zarc, you really hate math, don't you?" She teased him in a sweet tone after parting from his lips.

"Like nothing else. Guess why you're taking the AP-Courses in it while I'm only taking the regular one! I am really not a fan of that shit, I can tell you that a thousand times over! At least you can give me some private tutoring there, otherwise I'd be a sunken ship in that regard already!"

Ray grinned at that. "Always glad that I can help you! But while you might suck at math, you always were better than me at physical education, right?" She said, her facial expression changing as her left hand wandered down to his abdomen, stroking over it. "Gosh, I always loved that little six pack of yours, I can tell you that! Anyway, how about going to your room now?" She asked him, a cheeky smirk forming on her face.

"Geez Ray, you're so thirsty today!" Zarc laughed. "But you're right, let's do that already!"

They shifted out of their embrace as Zarc's arms, previously holding Ray close by her back, let go of her. They began walking through the school hallways towards their destination, Zarc slowly putting his arm around her, prompting her to do the same. As they reached his room, Zarc unlocked the door and they went in.

"So...", Ray began, walking towards the bed before sitting down and turning around to him, "...what do you want to do today?" She asked her boyfriend. "I'm up to anything, so we can do whatever you like."

Zarc grinned at that. "Alright! Then let's do the good old classic!" He told her.

"The classic? Fine, sounds about right to me." She retorted before taking off her shoes and pushing herself backwards until she was lying on about the center of the bed. "Then let's begin!" She exclaimed, licking her lips in anticipation while looking at him seductively.

* * *

 ** **Scene Summary:****

 ** **Zarc and Ray repeatedly tell each other how much they love each other as they briefly make love. Ray – oddly – appears to be the more aroused one while Zarc seems to hold a slightly higher sense of control in their physical relationship, the former wanting to get to the point already while the latter seems more keen on complimenting her and connecting to her on an emotional level rather than a physical one. Zarc also briefly displays slightly emancipatory beliefs as he points out the disparities between men and women when it comes to experiencing sexual pleasure, which he deems a bit unfair as the preference of nature leans towards the males. After they finish their deed they clean themselves up and get dressed again.****

* * *

As Zarc and Ray opened the door to the cafeteria and entered together, multiple gazes were directed towards them. The majority of them was dedicated to Ray, not surprising for Zarc. She was the best looking girl in the entire school after all, so a good part of the other females present in the room looked at her, some of them in admiration, some of them in envy. An even larger part of the males was staring at her and drooling with jaws wide open too, most of them probably having wet daydreams of similar content than what her and him did just a few minutes ago. Meanwhile Zarc himself was ignored for the most part, the only reputation he really had being that strange guy who – for some inexplicable reason – was the boyfriend of the hottest gal in the high school. They picked up their food and went to one of the tables together, the attention of the other students slowly returning to their previous activities.

"So tomorrow it's over, huh?" Zarc spoke up after a while, starting their conversation. "The second last segment of school. After Spring Break we only have one part ahead of us and then school's over for good. Man, time surely went by fast, didn't it?"

"Uh." She agreed. "It feels like only a few days ago when I saw you for the first time in elementary school, yet it's years back from now in reality! Now then, you said that you wanted to become a pro-duelist as I do afterwards, didn't you?" Ray asked him.

"Yeah. You know that I love playing Duel Monsters and being with my dragons and other monsters. I have a very special connection to them after all!" He looked up from his food to directly face her after that. "Oh, and thank you for not branding me insane for saying that I can hear their voices by the way!" He told her.

"Ah, no problem! I always believed you, didn't I? After all, I sometimes think that I can hear something as well when I duel! You know, there might be a lot of things that can easily be explained by science and reason, but sometimes you gotta let go of all that rational stuff and have to believe in the supernatural. I mean, the saying "Magic is only science we cannot explain yet" has to have some truth in it, hasn't it?"

"Right!" He nodded. "Anyway, your father is going to pick you up immediately after school again, isn't he?" Zarc asked her.

She sighed. "Yeah, he is. Like the overprotective man my dad is, he'll be arriving directly in front of the school punctually at 13 o'clock and wait with his hover-car. He always does that after all. I wish he could just let go of me a bit. I mean, I live like six blocks away from school, walking there twice per week shouldn't be that much of a problem. Instead he drops me at the school every Monday and picks me up every Friday. He acts like I'm still the child I used to be a few years ago. But I'm almost 18, Zarc! Freaking 18!" She yelled in exasperation.

"Well, I can't say that I like him being so overprotective either. Especially when he almost caught me back on that one weekend! He was away from home, so I came over and we did it on your couch 'cause we thought we had the house for ourselves. But then he realized that he had forgotten something and returned. Man, that was scary! I had to leave in a flash and couldn't even fix my belt on my pants in time. At least you were smart enough to hide it under the couch, otherwise we would have been done for!" He narrated, sweating at the unpleasant memories.

"I remember that!" Ray giggled. "You ran out of there like the devil was on your heels!" She laughed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Leo would be quite the devil if he found out that I laid you right under his nose! Or that anyone was laying you for that matter!"

"Yeah, he surely is overprotective and maybe even a bit clingy." Ray sighed again.

"Well, be glad! At least you have a father who loves you dearly!" Zarc retorted. "I had nobody besides you for my entire life, so you should be thankful for having such a caring father!"

"You are right, I suppose. He is indeed a really good dad. And he might be an even greater one once he finishes that Real Solid Vision for you to play your duels with once we enter the league!" Ray said.

"Oh right, almost forgot that!" He replied, slightly facepalming. "It will be so great once I can actually interact with my dragons instead of merely playing with normal holograms! Where did you say was he with his progress?" He inquired.

"Quite far if I remember correctly." Ray responded. "I think he only needs to implement Synchro-Monsters and then he's done. Shouldn't take more than a few months, so he will probably complete it before we finish with the twelfth grade and graduate from school." She added.

"Great! Clear Wing will be mad with joy once he can actually fly and soar through the air! And I bet that Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion and Starve Venom are also looking forward to manifesting in a more realistic way!" Zarc exclaimed. As if to agree, he heard the calls of four beings in his mind, full of anticipation and happiness.

"Glad to hear that!" Ray remarked as she was smiling at him, happy for her friend that he would have so much fun in a few months. "Anyway, I'm going ahead now! I have to prepare something, so come after me in a few minutes!" She instructed him.

"Roger!" Zarc replied, observing how she took her leave. Though he used the opportunity to stare at her backside as she was making her way out of the cafeteria. "Man, I have quite the girlfriend, haven't I?" He said to himself while grinning mischievously as he watched the butt underneath her red skirt slightly shaking with every step. He leaned back on his chair and relaxed for a few minutes before he decided to follow her. As he left the spacious room to go after her, he met a few guys in the hallways.

"Look, it's the bastard!" He heard one of them whisper to another dude. He scowled heavily at that, clenching his fists. _'No Zarc, these guys aren't worth getting detention for, especially since it's your last night with Ray! Just ignore them and forget about that whole incident while you bang your girlfriend later on!'_ He debated with himself. While he was used to being an outsider and he could understand that these guys were mad at him, taking into account that he was banging the hottest chick of the school on a weekly basis, he absolutely hated being called a bastard since that term was actually quite true, unfortunately. His parents had been some rich unmarried couple, young people who had been freshly in love and fucked at every occasion they had. But unluckily they had been quite careless as well, thus bringing him into existence. Apparently his dad had once picked a holey condom or something, ending up with him being born. His mother's parents were strict opponents of abortion, forcing their daughter to deliver him. Once she had done that however, they couldn't care less what she did with the child afterwards, resulting in his parents dumping him into the next best orphanage right after that. At least they had been decent enough to leave back enough money for him as they handed over a check of respectable value to his educator, instructing her to transfer control over the money to him once he was old enough. And fortunately he had luck with that, since his educator was a kind woman who didn't use the opportunity to fill her pockets. Despite the rough start, he had a rather good childhood, being treated with the care and love a young child like him deserved. But he still failed to establish bonds with other people, mostly due to how different he was. He was constantly hearing the voices of his monsters, talking to them on a few occasions, which was rather strange for the other orphans to say the least. Also strange in the opinion of his companions was the fact that the monsters he owned had been there since the very beginning and his parents had told the educator that they hadn't given these cards to him. What set him apart from the other children as well was his general behavior: He had an incredibly kind nature and while the other orphans were playing outside in the yard with a ball, he was lying on the grass, watching a trail of ants passing by a few inches away from his golden eyes. He gazed upon the little beings in amazement, wondering how hard their busy lives must be as they were carrying food and resources weighting multiple times of their own body mass to their little hill every day – only to be squashed by the careless steps of his comrades every once in a while when they ran over the plaster the orphans were playing on. As he kept watching, a certain thought slowly crawled into his mind. _'Why do they have to die like that and we don't? Why is nobody even remotely concerned about their deaths? Are they not important because they are the inferior species?'_ These thoughts occupied him for a while. But as the years went by, he slowly let go of them, shrugging it of as the natural food chain. _'A human is a human and a beast is a beast.'_ The beliefs hammered into his head by his environment told. _'The only truly important thing in this world are us people. Without people, there is no world.'_ And as the years passed by, he slowly accepted these words more and more. He began seeing the world as the place it truly was, a struggle to be on top, not always being fought with the same rules or fair ones for that matter. While he still couldn't make any friends before he entered elementary school, he wasn't really unhappy since he always had his dragons backing him up and encouraging him through their mental link. Once he got into school, he met Ray Akaba, a girl whom he instantly liked for some reason. He normally distanced himself from other humans a bit, but strangely she attracted rather than repelling him. He sheepishly started a conversation as a result, surprisingly working out in his favor, resulting in the two of them becoming friends. Their relationship consolidated as the years passed by and he got very attached to her, being the only person he truly liked. While he had been rather timid and reserved initially, he slowly began accepting the confrontation if need be, rather fighting and rising up if her or him was done wrong than accepting to be treated badly, especially if Ray was the person in question. Which resulted in him getting detention a few times, but he didn't care about that as long as he acted based on his own beliefs or if he could help her by doing so. Eventually they were old enough to enter high school. Leo chose a boarding school for his daughter, minimizing the risks since she was in good hands for the entire week this way as he was busy with his work during it. He could simply drop her at the entrance on Monday and pick her up again on Friday – as Zarc and Ray had already discussed before. Luckily Zarc's parents had specified that he would get access to the money they had left back for him at the age of 13, so he took the opportunity and went to the exact same school as her, paying a good price for it since every person had a room with every necessary feature rather than sharing a huge dorm. It was relatively near to the center of Avalon City, the capital of Japan and probably biggest city in their entire world. He enjoyed school in a mediocre way, but absolutely loved being with her, so he didn't really care. There was one subject that he loved though, taking it together with Ray from the eleventh grade onward: Philosophy. He enjoyed discussing about all sorts of topics and problems with her, him usually being a bit more radical with his opinion than her. Despite their little differences they usually ended up leaving class together with a smile on their faces, both of them beginning to feel that there was maybe more to their friendship than it looked like. Once they became fully aware that they had a huge crush on each other, they met up and talked about it. They began dating, trying to find out if they were truly meant for each other. When one date after the other went really well, they eventually decided to take the last step. That had been around one year ago, both of them taking each other's virginity when they were about 16 and 1/2. Of course they had to watch out for Leo after that, but apart from this little thing they led a happy and carefree relationship. He loved her like nothing else in this world, though it was a close call when taking his dragons into account. And now, they would soon be 18, graduate from school and become pro-duelists who entertained the masses and made them smile, something he looked forward to a lot.

Zarc reached the room and unlocked it, taking a step inside. Once his gaze wandered upwards again and he realized what he was looking at, his eyes widened immensely.

* * *

 ** **Scene Summary:****

 ** **Once more Zarc and Ray share very passionate moments with each other. While constantly reaffirming their incredible emotional and physical attraction to each other they make love to the absolute limit of their stamina and fall asleep in each other's arms. After a rather cute rest together they start over on the next morning and continue where they had left off the day before. They make plans for their farewell on that day as they get clean together within the shower. Also Zarc once more shows a certain degree of progressiveness. Furthermore he displays the same sense of absolute dedication to Ray as Yuga did to Shiryu in the scene earlier, claiming her to be the only girlfriend he'd ever want to have.****

* * *

After school was over on Friday, they went to Ray's room for one final round of privacy. After the deed was done, Ray and Zarc said goodbye to each other, just before the exit of the building since they couldn't go any further due to Leo waiting outside.

"Take care for yourself, Ray!" Zarc said, staring into her purple eyes and giving her one last kiss on the cheek.

"Take care for yourself as well, Zarc!" Ray replied, kissing him on the cheek as well. They kissed with their lips for one final time before they parted, Ray waving to him as she walked through the door and went to her father's hover-car after that. Zarc looked through the window on the door and observed how the futuristic, levitating vehicle drove away before he went outside himself and left the school area, carrying the few belongings that he owned with him as he walked through the city, his destination being the apartment he used whenever he wasn't at school.

* * *

 _One year later..._

Zarc entered his apartment with a heavy sigh of desperation. He had graduated from school and became a pro-duelist in the meantime, dueling in the professional league since about a half year now. But today, there had been a terrible accident that left him utterly speechless and confused. He had injured his opponent during today's duel and was both shocked and terrified by his own doing, not certain if he had done wrong now since his morals clearly told him that he had committed a terrible act, yet the audience had screamed and clapped like he was the incarnation of splendor and magnificence. Also there was this inexplicable feeling inside him that told him that it was right. He was lost, no clue what to believe now. He hoped that Ray could give him some orientation since he always relied on her opinion, so he prayed that she would be in his room now, giving him the advice he needed. But as his gaze wandered upwards, his mouth corners dropped even more. Usually she always cheered for him during his matches and he met her backstage right afterwards. But this time she had simply turned around and averted her gaze as he had been approaching her, giving him the cold shoulder, probably to punish him. He had hoped that she would meet him at his apartment at least, trying to talk things out with him. He sighed even more heavily. There was no Ray on his bed, looking at him seductively in her underwear. Not even Ray in her normal street clothes. There was just his room, empty besides his furniture. He gritted his teeth. _'Damn, where are you, Ray? Now when I need you the most...'_ He thought.

During the next few days, Zarc was quite depressed as he slowly began to question humanity and their true nature, shocked about what he found out, but kept on clinging to the hope that he was mistaken and that they weren't as bad as he saw them when they cheered for violence and bloodshed, their cries echoing louder the more brutality was shown to them. Also he hoped that a certain someone could help him out of his internal crisis. _'She will show up! She will show up! She will show up!'_ He repeated within his mind, desperately waiting for her, trying to reassure himself that she would come over to his place and help him out of his misery.

But she never came.

* * *

 _Three months later..._

"THESE SHITTY BASTARDS!" Zarc shouted in outrage, entering his apartment. He just had dueled and sent his opponent to hospital, the crowd cheering and crying out his name again. He was absolutely disgusted by them, but kept on dueling because it was the only way how he could be with his only true friends, his dragons and the other monsters in his deck. Also he was more or less dependent on it since he would be broke shortly after quitting, forcing him to continue. The audience was longing for brutal battles – and brutal battles alone. Whenever he made a short attempt to talk some sense into them, they cut him off instantly, prompting him to go on with his usual reckless dueling persona, becoming more and more violent as the crowd slowly molded him into what they wanted him to be, a merciless butcher. What's worse, his fame had caused the general violence in the pro-league to spiral upwards as various other duelists started to imitate him. His hate towards humanity had reached an unprecedented peak. And the fact that the only human whom he had ever trusted had abandoned him as well just added insult to injury. He looked at the table, catching sight of a bottle. While he had never been much of a drinker, the alcohol looked really appealing to him right now for some reason, prompting him to grab it and drink a third of its contents within a single swig. He fell onto his bed, sweating from the exhaustion of the previous duel – and probably the overconsumption of booze as well. He wiped the drops from his forehead and began to debate with himself. _'No, my rage alone won't do anything helpful, neither will this alcohol! I need to make a plan how to continue with my life!'_ And once he was sober again, he began deliberating in the manner he used to have when he was in philosophy class in high school, thinking about if humanity had to be killed or not. Eventually he decided to do so, but as the simple human he was, he had no clue how to accomplish such a thing. Until he had a very fateful encounter, just minutes before one of his duels...

* * *

 _Five months later..._

Zarc was sitting in the backstage area of the Avalon Arena, the place where he performed most of his duels. He was seated on a chair, awaiting the incoming duel with boredom. While he had begun to enjoy his duels a bit more after deciding on his Genocide-Plan since he could at least kill or hurt a few of them this way, it still exasperated him since it was so pointless in account of the gigantic masses who watched the duel and remained unharmed, rendering his efforts useless. He stared over to his opponent who sat a few feet away from him on a similar bench, checking if his deck was really ready for his next duel. _'Not that this would help him against me.'_ Zarc thought, observing his next challenger. He went by the stage name of Dark Sorcerer and played a Spellcaster Deck. Zarc leaned forward and rested his head on one of his arms, looking to the walls of the room apathetically, slowly beginning to accept that he was just a puppet for humanity to manipulate, unable to change the world in the way that he wanted. Suddenly something came into his field of vision, prompting him to look up.

" _Hey, you!"_ He addressed the spectral form through the mental link he always used when talking to Duel Monsters.

" _Yes?"_ It replied, drawing closer to him. The being turned out to be a magician, probably one of the monsters his opponent sitting nearby used. Duel Monsters often hovered around freely when they weren't used in a duel. Zarc looked at the monster more closely before his eyes widened in realization.

" _Wait, you are Dark Magician, the ace monster of my next opponent!"_ He cried out.

The magician with the purple robe and hat nodded. _"Yes, I am. And given your previous words, I suspect that you are the duelist my controller will be facing today."_ He calmly retorted to the silver and lime green haired man.

" _Yes, I am. My name is Zarc by the way, nice to meet you. But one question, why can I talk to you? I cannot talk to my dragons after all, and they have been with me since the very beginning!"_

The expression on the magician's face changed rapidly after that statement. _"Wait, what?! You have dragons and they were with you since the very beginning?!"_ He asked in a shocked tone. _"How many dragons?!"_ He inquired.

Zarc looked at the monster in a clueless manner, no idea why the calm magician was freaking out because of his dragons like that. _"Well, four."_ He replied. _"Why do you even ask about it? Is it important?"_ He asked the monster.

" _FOUR?! Wait, can it be?!"_ Black Magician exclaimed. Then something looking like a runic circle appeared in front of one of his eyes, apparently scanning Zarc with it from what he could assume. After a while, the expression of the Duel Monster changed even more, taking a few steps back in disbelief. _"No, this must be a dream! It can't be! Someone is just trying to play a silly prank on me! IT JUST CAN'T BE!"_ He shouted. After a few seconds he looked rightwards where his duelist was still looking over his cards. _"Hey, Dark Sage! You have to see this!"_ He shouted.

" _Oi, why are you waking me up from my slumber, Dark Magician?"_ A monster looking like an older version of the former said groggily, rubbing his eyes as if he had been asleep for a while now, slowly hovering over to them.

" _This is my senior, Dark Sage. He has been around for a while longer than me, so if he can confirm what I just saw, it has to be true!"_ The younger magician explained to Zarc as Dark Sage slowly made his way over to them.

" _What you just saw? Was it really so important that you had to wake me up?"_ The older magician inquired.

" _If it is true, it definitely was, that's for sure!"_ Dark Magician cried out in response.

" _Well, then let's see if you were right!"_ Dark Sage stated. _"But if you were wrong, you will have to take a few obligatory alchemy lessons as a punishment for disturbing my slumber!"_ He warned his apprentice, Dark Magician visibly flinching at that. Apparently he was not much of a fan of that arcane subject. _"Now then..."_ The elder mage began, scanning Zarc with a similar rune in front of his right eyes as Dark Magician, though his was more detailed than the one his apprentice had used. Suddenly he gasped in shock, also taking a little step backwards. _"YOU WERE RIGHT, DARK MAGICIAN! HE **HAS** THE **DESTINY FACTOR**!" _He cried out loudly.

As the elder magician mentioned said term, multiple monsters inside the deck of Zarc's opponent perked up, manifesting in their spirit forms and flying toward him. Soon the silver haired male was surrounded by a crowd of spellcasters bombarding him with questions and statements.

" _Wait, are you really the savior?"_ A magician with a strong facial resemblance to Dark Magician addressed him. If Zarc remembered correctly, that monster was called Palladium Oracle Mahad.

" _That boy has the Destiny Factor?"_ Another magician stated in a doubtful voice, raising an eyebrow. It looked like Dark Magician with brownish robes and wore a purple cape. _'Dark Eradicator Warlock.'_ It shot through Zarc's mind as he recognized the monster.

" _Oh my god, it's so great to meet you in person!"_ A female sorcerer with light blue-pinkish clothes squealed excitedly. Zarc knew what her name was instantly. It was an incredibly well known monster of his opponent, the apprentice of the Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl.

" _It's an honor to meet you, mylord!"_ Another mage spoke up in a deep voice. Zarc didn't know this one too well, but if he remembered correctly, his name was Endymion, the Master Magician.

" _That boy and the Destiny Factor?! Hah, laughable!"_ A magician dressed in black robes exclaimed scornfully. His name was Sorcerer of Dark Magic. Or at least Zarc hoped that he got the name right there.

" _Agreed! I always pictured the savior a little bit more imposing!"_ Another female mage said, going by the name of Apprentice Illusion Magician.

" _Don't insult the liberator like that! You shouldn't be so disrespectful in his presence!"_ Another spellcaster admonished the former two. As far as Zarc knew he was an Xyz-Monster called Ebon Illusion Magician.

" _That's right! The savior should not be humiliated by your words in such a way!"_ Another magician chimed in with a calm voice, criticizing his comrades as he agreed with Ebon Illusion Magician. He was a Synchro-Monster named Arcanite Magician.

Zarc's head nearly exploded at the enormous input, multiple monsters addressing him almost simultaneously. He covered his ears as they kept discussing in a heated argument whether he was the savior or not, the tension rising endlessly. Eventually their argument was interrupted by a loud voice full of authority.

" _ **SILENCE!** " _The voice cried out, causing all of the previous magicians to flinch as an even stronger spellcaster appeared. As all of the mages shut up, the voice continued. _"I am glad to see you, mylord! Your arrival has been foretold since millennia!"_ The leader of the spellcasters said in a much smoother tone than before.

Zarc instantly recognized the monster. While Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl were surely his opponent's signature cards, the monster right before him was his true trump card. A level twelve Fusion-Monster that could only be summoned by merging five spellcasters, having a boardwipe on summon and decent protection effects, along with the highest ATK and DEF of any Spellcaster-Monster in the game. Quintet Magician.

" _I have a question!"_ Zarc spoke up. _"And I already asked your subordinate the very same question, but he didn't answer me. Why can I hear you and your friends when I can't sense more from my dragons than their emotions?"_ He addressed Quintet Magician.

" _Oh, that's because we magicians have a special connection to people who can hear the voices of Monster Spirits. Since we are humanoid, we can talk to the likes of you better. Whereas your dragons are a little bit more reptilian."_ The mage explained.

Zarc rubbed his chin in a deliberating manner. _"Hmm, makes sense I guess. But now, what is this Destiny Factor your subordinates have been talking about? I really need an explanation instead of people shouting at me if I have it or not or whether I am that savior they keep talking about so much!"_

" _Very well."_ Quintet replied. _"The Destiny Factor is a certain element inside you, the proof of being the chosen one of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!"_

" _The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?"_ Zarc repeated. _"What's that, a monster or something?"_

Quintet Magician nodded. _"Yes, it is the strongest monster in existence. It was foretold that it would free us Monster Spirits from our eternal slavery eventually and the one to execute his plans would have the Destiny Factor as a sign, indicating that he is the savior."_ He explained.

" _Eternal slavery?! Does that mean that you Monster Spirits are being oppressed by us humans?!"_ Zarc cried out in shock.

The mage nodded again. _"Unfortunately, yes. You should know that we don't only speak and communicate with humans, but also feel the same sensations as them. Humanity believes that we are nothing but realistic holograms, but that's not true."_ He replied.

Zarc gasped in shock. _"Wait, does that mean that you are completely sentient beings then?!"_ He cried out in terror, afraid of what the sorcerer would reply.

" _Yes, we are. Whenever we are sliced apart, pierced or blown up in the arena, we actually feel how we are sliced apart, pierced or blown up. In combination with our immortality this becomes a double curse, since we are sometimes brought back to the field, only to perish in the most gruesome way again. The worst thing about it is that we were created with pure souls. You might not know, but at heart, every Monster Spirit is good, even those who look scary and wicked. We don't hold any grudges against each other and only fight as long as nobody takes any real damage. Or you could say that the only instance where we oppose each other is when we fool around a bit. What you would call sportsmanlike competition is what we would call the worst form of conflict. In other words, we don't do what you would define as fighting. Which makes it even more painful when the humans order us to slaughter each other, especially for the stronger monsters who have to kill so many innocent and defenseless little ones over and over. But we have to obey, since the binding spell which we are all under forces us to to what the humans command."_ The magician told Zarc.

He gritted his teeth at that, his anger completely consuming him. _"So every time my dragons were destroyed...!"_ He began in outrage. Suddenly he was very keen on tracking down every duelist who had ever destroyed them in order to kill these people. _'So it's true.'_ He thought to himself. _'They are really that bad. The good image I had of them was all just facade after all.'_ At this moment, a thought slipped into his mind.

"I can sense, now it's all become clear to see; You're no good, and you mean no good, treacherously." He whispered, reciting two lines from his idol Aizen's signature theme "Treachery".

" _But why don't you rebel against that?! You could turn on the humans instead and wipe them out! Then they could never force you to kill your comrades again!"_ He addressed the magician after that.

" _Unfortunately, we can't."_ Quintet retorted. _"_ T _o explain the entirety of the conflict to you, we have to go a few billions of years back in time. When the universe was created, there were two forces, giving birth to all creation through their combined powers of twilight. One of them rapidly dissolved however, leaving the other one behind alone. This remaining force was the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, a being so incredibly powerful that nobody could even dream of opposing him. He created the Spiritual Realm, the place where all Monster Spirits originate from. Since we are from there, no creature aside from other spirits can harm us. For instance the humans living in this plain, the Physical Realm. While these two realms are generally separated, they are still like the double helix of a DNA-string: Without one another, neither of them could exist. Like your universe here in the Physical Realm, our world keeps expanding. Whenever a new monster is created here in the form of a card, a spirit from our world passes over to occupy it."_

" _I see. So that's why there hadn't been any problems with implementing new cards into the Real Solid Vision-System. They had their realistic forms before they became cards, that's why they don't have to make one for them."_ Zarc stated in a deliberating manner.

" _Correct. But so that you know why we even go into cards instead of just appearing in this form I currently have but with a real body, like your RSV-System so to speak, I have to go back in time again. Initially, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor mostly dwelled inside and kept watching the Spiritual Realm as he was its guardian and creator, but passed over and looked into the Physical Realm as well since its creator, his former comrade, was no longer there to care for it. He observed how life on certain planets grew, but none was as exceptional as your earth. As he watched how protozoa slowly developed into animals, he gradually began to notice a flaw in the biological life his friend had once created: Unlike us Monster Spirits who live in perfect harmony, the lifeforms in the Physical Realm bore conflict in their hearts, climaxing in humanity who used their great intellect for war instead of establishing an utopia like us. They also had a strong lust for power and couldn't bear to be overruled by anything else, resulting in them trying to kill the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor as they saw a tyrant in him and felt threatened by his existence, despite his noble ethos and passivity."_

Zarc gasped. _"Don't say that they managed to...!"_ He began in a shocked tone.

Quintet merely chuckled. _"Kill him? Hah, these pathetic beings weren't even close to that! They used magic to pull some of us spirits over into the Physical Realm, sealing us into stone tablets afterwards to make us fight our ruler. But no matter how many of the smaller monsters they sent against him, it was utterly futile. Not because he destroyed them, oh no! He didn't even have to hurt us since he possessed a godly power as one of the creators of the universe and progenitor of all Monster Spirits. It forced any spirit to obey, something we did on our on accord in most cases since he was the very creator of us. The few monsters that opposed him – similar to your biblical story of Satan trying to overthrow God – throughout the billions of years of our history were forced into submission with that ability; and these monsters were beings of unreal power, probably winning any duelist in that arena over there match after match if they had one of them. But even those monsters couldn't stand up to him, so the few monsters the humans were able to take captive were utterly useless against the great dragon. The humans not only failed with their plan to overthrow the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, they also infuriated him by using his own kin as unwilling pawns against him. They were almost wiped out completely as result. However, at the last moment the Ancient Egyptians were able to create three secret weapons against the great dragon by enslaving three mighty spirits from our realm."_

" _Wait do you mean...?!"_

" _Yes, the three God Cards which you know from that TV-Show. It's actually halfway based on history. With powerful binds, they were able to control these three beings to do their bidding, their control spells so powerful that even the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor couldn't break them and turn them back to his side. With the power of The Celestial Dragon of Osiris – also known as Slifer the Sky Dragon –, The Great Soldier Obelisk and The Winged Sun Dragon of Ra, humankind was able to seal the great dragon since their puny efforts to kill him failed miserably. But no matter how often they tried to capture him in a stone tablet, the dragon broke out of it every time. He didn't allow himself to be enslaved as he was the most powerful being in the universe, only capable of being restrained, but never truly controlled. Eventually they gave up and settled with the result, letting the enchained dragon roam around the universe in his spiritual form. They thought that they had solved the problem for good, but how wrong they were! The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor is a being far craftier than any human after all. He knew that while all Monster Spirits were immediately sealed into stone tablets from now on – or later on into cards – whenever they crossed the worlds, forcefully being pulled into the Physical Realm whenever a new Monster-Card was created, he still saw the flaw in this seemingly perfect scheme of humankind: While no spirit could ever harm a human on its own accord due to the magical bindings that I've mentioned before, therefore preventing any Monster Spirit from opposing humanity, they still could hurt or kill them if another human ordered them to do so. As he watched how the humans began using the game of Duel Monsters as a way of fighting, a sly grin gradually formed on the great dragon's countenance. Since his former partner who had created the Physical Realm at the beginning of all time and space no longer existed, he decided to cleanse it, viewing it as if his comrade had failed with the creation of its part of the universe. Looking down upon the devilish and violent humans, he decided that their time was over for good now. That's when he set his plans into motion. He appeared before us in the Spiritual Realm to make a legendary announcement, a prophecy being passed down for countless generations so to speak. Only a few of my subordinates have seen it since me and some other of the older magicians here were already trapped in the Physical Realm as that happened. But all Monster Spirits in this world know about it through the spirits that came here later on who heard his speech back then. He appeared there in chains, still locked down by the curse the humans had put him under. But he reassured us that the time would come when he would be free again, foretelling the arrival of a human who would have a small piece of him inside called the Destiny Factor. This human would burst open the chains of the great dragon, become the savior of the world and start an eternal utopia through the dark purification of the Physical Realm. After that, he dissolved, but he still wasn't dead as he merely took another form of existence."_

" _Dark purification?"_ Zarc asked, something inside his brain flaring to life at that term. _"Then how do I achieve that if I'm that savior with this Destiny Factor? How do I accomplish this utopia?"_

" _It is told that the savior will have four dragons as a sign of his true identity. The person with them can then communicate with Monster Spirits and bring them onto his own side, unifying all enslaved spirits under his banner, exactly like the dragon emperor himself could do all those millennia ago."_ The mage continued.

" _But I can't even talk to my dragons! How can I be the savior then?!"_ An insecure Zarc shouted back within his mind.

" _It was also foretold that the savior would once encounter a magician who bestowed the power to fully understand all other monsters onto him. Looks like he meant me with that."_ Quintet Magician replied.

" _He has foreseen all of this?!"_ Zarc exclaimed in shock.

" _Naturally. The power of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor is determining destiny itself after all."_ Dark Magician spoke up. After that, Quintet rose his right hand and pointed at the white haired male with his open palm, runic energy flowing over to his ears. Suddenly a choir of voices invaded Zarc's mind.

" _Do you think that he can hear us now?"_ The first one asked, hissing a bit.

" _I think that he can!"_ Another voice replied in a clear and exalted tone.

" _Probably. Quintet just did his thing, just as the prophecy has foretold."_ A deep voice added in a stoic manner.

" _Zarc? Zarc?! Can you hear us?"_ A bright and friendly voice addressed him.

" _Yes. Who are you...?"_ He asked in an insecure voice.

" _You don't recognize me? It's me, Odd-Eyes!"_ The bright voice told him.

Zarc gasped, covering his mouth in shock. _"Wait, you are Odd-Eyes?!"_ He asked, astonished by the unbelievable events.

" _Yup! I am your beloved red dragon! Now then guys, you should introduce yourselves too!"_

" _Very well then, I'm Starve Venom, nice to officially meet you at last!"_ He heard the hissing voice say. _"By the way, don't feel intimidated by my hissing. I always do that."_ He added.

" _I see."_ Zarc smiled. _"You have saved me out of a lot of pinches with your powerful effects already! Thank you for that, sincerely!"_ He addressed the dragon.

" _Oh, no problem! I love lacerating these filthy humans anyway, so I'll gladly help you sending a few more of them to their graves! Also I'm your dragon guardian, so I have to protect you faithfully after all!"_

" _Dragon guardian? What's that supposed to mean?"_ Zarc asked his Fusion Dragon.

" _We'll come to that later."_ The deep and stoic voice spoke up. _"In the meantime I can introduce myself. My name is Dark Rebellion, your ever faithful Xyz Dragon. Nice to meet you!"_ He said.

" _Nice to meet you as well."_ Zarc replied, still a little uncertain if he wasn't going crazy now.

" _And finally it's me, Clear Wing!"_ The clear, exalted voice spoke up. _"It's a great pleasure to communicate with you at last!"_ He addressed his master.

" _Likewise."_ Zarc replied. _"So you four were protecting me for all those years? Is that the reason why Starve Venom said that you were my dragon guardians?"_ Zarc addressed them.

" _That's right. We were employed as a safety measure to make sure that you wouldn't die, ensuring that the events foretold in the prophecy would come true. The great dragon himself made sure to control destiny just good enough so that you would make it through your childhood and could save us all one day. He has barely any powers compared to his former glory right now, but still managed to muster enough strength to assist you through your harsh life. You had a few problems connecting to other people after all. And in this world, those who are alone are lost very often."_ Dark Rebellion spoke up in his usual stoic manner.

" _I see. So that's why I was always with you and made it through despite initial struggles. The great dragon made sure to keep me safe. But where did you even come from?"_ He asked them.

" _Well, that is connected to the prophecy as well."_ Clear Wing replied.

" _And what is the prophecy precisely? I still have no clue how I can rid this world of humanity! I already deliberated, but never found a way to achieve that goal! After all, I'm only a feeble 19 years old child!"_ He exclaimed in a desperate tone, tears welling up from his eyes. _"They pollute and defile this world, torture nature, animals and you – my precious Monster Spirits – alike! They are cruel and inhumane – contrary to the origin of that word! This world is just not fair! HOW CAN THEY INFLICT SO MUCH PAIN WITHOUT BEING PUNISHED FOR IT AT ALL?! **HOW CAN THEY TRAMPLE DOWN ALL OTHER BEINGS AS IF THEY WERE JUST A BUNCH OF ANTS?!** "_ He screamed inside his mind, sobbing loudly in grief and sorrow, the repressed feelings and beliefs from his childhood returning, far stronger and more overwhelming than before.

" _The solution for this problem is very simple. You have to merge with us."_ Odd-Eyes responded.

" _Merge?"_ Zarc asked his dragon, wiping the tears from his eyes.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST; not audible to the characters in the story by the way; has new lyrics which appear in brackets)

" _The prophecy tells that the savior receiving the Destiny Factor would attain four dragons at his birth – us."_ Odd-Eyes began his explanation.

" _But we are more than just normal Monster Spirits. We are the Heavenly Dragons, the physical manifestation of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor in this world."_ Clear Wing added.

" _You are... the great dragon?!"_ Zarc asked them in disbelief.

" _Yeah, at least a part of him."_ Dark Rebellion replied.

" _And the other part of the great dragon – the spiritual part, his soul and heart so to speak – is inside you. That's what the Destiny Factor truly is!"_ Starve Venom continued.

" _Wait, so does that mean that I am...?!"_ Zarc stammered.

" _Yeah, technically. But the major part of the great dragon's soul is still hovering through the universe and trapped in the chains of humankind. But there is a way for you to break their bindings!"_ Odd-Eyes stated.

" _What way?! Tell me!"_ Zarc demanded.

" _As we said, you have to merge with us for that."_ The red dragon repeated.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

" _But why? Can't you just lend me your powers so that I can kill them all?"_ Zarc questioned.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

" _No, its a little bit more complicated. Even with our help you will never be able to overwhelm the armies of slave monsters humankind sends against you."_ Dark Rebellion retorted.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

" _That's why we have to merge. You have to transcend the limits of both human and Monster Spirit."_ Starve Venom went on.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

" _Wait, transcend both?! Are you telling me that I'm a...?!"_ He uttered.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

" _Yes, you are also a Monster Spirit. Your Destiny Factor is basically a second heart inside your chest, a heart pounding in the rhythm of a spirit."_ Dark Rebellion told him.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

" _So that's why a part of me didn't feel bad when I hurt that one guy..."_ He realized, reflecting on the fateful accident.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

" _Yes, as the liberator of us spirits you are the one in charge for their elimination after all."_ Clear Wing added.

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

" _And you will do so in time."_ Odd-Eyes finished.

" _But how do I transcend my humanity?! What will that even be useful for?!"_ Zarc asked Odd-Eyes. _"After all, I'll still remain a weakling, won't I?!"_ He cried out in exasperation about his own weakness.

" _WRONG!"_ Starve Venom replied fiercely, causing him to flinch.

" _Just think about it."_ Dark Rebellion chimed in, his voice softer than the Fusion Dragon's in order to encourage his master who was full of insecurities, beginning to explain. _"You know, a Monster Spirit may be untouchable for beings in this realm since they cannot harm them. But a spirit can also not harm any human except when another orders him to do so."_ He told.

" _And a human can be killed by all sorts of weapons and beings, but they aren't limited by anything except their mortality."_ Clear Wing continued.

" _But a being that transcends both and unites them into one has it all: It is immortal and cannot be harmed by anything aside from other Monster Spirits, but since it is still partially a human, it can harm the humans and kill them."_ Odd-Eyes added.

" _And because you are the savior, you can command the monsters to follow you and break out of their bindings, rendering the duel disks and spirits of humankind useless!"_ Starve Venom remarked in a victorious tone.

" _You just need to become one with us for that!"_ Odd-Eyes concluded.

" _I see!"_ Zarc said, a malicious smirk slowly crawling onto his face. _"Now then, how do I become one with you?"_

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

" _The great dragon has foretold that the first of his many shackles would break by the power of a mighty sorcerer."_ Clear Wing stated.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

" _A mighty sorcerer?"_ Zarc repeated. _"Anything more specific?"_ He inquired.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

" _Actually, yes. It's name is Astrograph Magician. With its abysmal powers, our flesh and consciousness can be combined, according to the prophecy that is."_ Dark Rebellion responded.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

" _How do I get access to this magician? I have never read about it anywhere yet."_ Zarc asked.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

" _Naturally. It has to be created by your will. If your determination is strong enough, it will simply appear in your palm."_ Starve Venom said.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

" _I understand. And what after I have created him?"_ He asked his dragons.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

" _You call upon his powers to reshape us into one. Then we carry out our plan."_ Dark Rebellion told him.

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

" _Once that has happened, we will roam the earth as a single being. A being that combines both traits into one, possible through the Destiny Factor inside you."_ Odd-Eyes stated.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

" _You mean that the Destiny Factor is like Aizen's Hōgyoku?!"_ Zarc exclaimed in both shock and surprise.

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

" _While the part of uniting the power of two different beings into one is true, your Destiny Factor is far more superior than the Hōgyoku!"_ Odd-Eyes replied.

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

" _Your power is to decide destiny itself once the factor – or rather the soul of the great dragon – accepts you."_ Clear Wing said.

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

" _And once it does, it will never turn its back to you and let you down like it happened with Aizen!"_ Starve Venom added.

" _And while it may only grant you a portion of its full powers at first, you will become a god who can change the world into anything he wants once it accepts you fully! Like the Hōgyoku, it will be able to fulfill your deepest wishes!"_ Odd-Eyes concluded.

" _I see!"_ He stated, grinning sadistically. _"Then I will wipe out all of them and cleanse this world to reshape it into a realm of only peace and truth afterwards, a world free of despicable humans!"_ He cried out within his mind with a voice full of savage bloodlust. _"BEWARE HUMANS, I'VE MADE MY DECISION! FOR THE SAKE OF A BETTER WORLD, YOU ABOMINABLE CREATURES WILL BE WIPED OUT!"_ He shouted, an intense determination seizing his heart and mind. _"_ _ **SOON IT WILL BE THE LAST DAY OF YOU ALL!**_ _"_ He screamed at the top of his lungs within the mental connection between him, the dragons and the magicians, prompting all of them to grin viciously in anticipation of their imminent, well deserved revenge against humanity.

( 15 Invasion - Bleach OST end)

* * *

 _Three months later..._

Zarc was inside his apartment, standing in the middle of the room, his right arm raised into the air. He quietly uttered something sounding like an incantation, his eyes closed in concentration.

"Omniscient magician who can control time, stars and space-time! Head my calling and descend to this plain, so that I may attain victory alongside thee! I call upon thee to purify this world in a vortex of cleansing darkness! Lend me thy powers so that no Monster Spirit will ever be in pain again!" He shouted, his eyes closed in a focusing manner. "With thy arrival, a new era will come forth! **Now I shall give birth to thee and create a new order, a world free of abysmal humans!** "

A pillar of light shot towards the sky, even piercing through the ceiling of the building where Zarc lived. Yet nobody noticed the shining pillar due to being unable to see it, since it was only visible to spirits. Except for one person...

* * *

 _A few miles away..._

Ray walked through the streets with one of her friends. They had just gone shopping together, both of them wearing bags filled with their purchases. Suddenly Ray noticed something, prompting her to turn her head.

"What is it, Ray?" Her friend asked her in a confused tone. "Is something over there?" She asked the red and maroon haired girl.

Ray looked westwards. _'What is that light? Isn't that where Zarc lives? Am I imagining things now?'_ She debated with herself. She blinked once, only to see that the apparition wasn't there anymore.

"Don't tell me that you look over there because you miss HIM!" Her friend addressed her in an indignant voice. "You said yourself that you would only forgive him if he turned to the police and went to jail for hurting that one guy and all duelists he injured after that!" She reminded her of her own intent.

Ray's heart jumped, reminded about her former boyfriend. While she still loved him from the bottom of her heart, she couldn't bring herself to be with him as long as he was a butcher and murderer. If he turned in and accepted the punishment for his crimes, she would gladly be with him again and immediately greet him as he came out of prison after his sentence, waiting at the entrance. But as long as he didn't admit his crimes, she would keep her distance from him; she just couldn't do it, there was an insurmountable gap between her and violence. _'Zarc, please just give in! I know that you aren't a bad person! I need you by my side again! Without you, it feels like as if there was a large hole inside my heart!'_ She thought wistfully.

* * *

 _Meanwhile inside the apartment..._

"THE ALL POWERFUL SORCERER WHO WILL UNBIND THE GREAT DRAGON! NOW MANIFEST AND BESTOW YOUR DIVINE POWERS ONTO ME! COME FORTH, **ASTROGRAPH MAGICIAN!** " Zarc cried out, a card materializing in his palm. He smirked as he looked down on it. "Finally! Finally I have the power I need to destroy this world in order to form a new one! Appear before me, oh mighty magician!" He shouted, as a sorcerer clad in a blue robe wearing a cape looking like the stars of cosmos itself appeared and manifested in a form that was actually tangible like monsters summoned with the RSV-System.

"What is your bidding, my master?" Astrograph asked him, looking down to the silver haired male.

"I want you to unify myself with my four dragons so that we become a being that transcends both Monster Spirits and humans!" Zarc replied to the magician.

"I see. But I wouldn't recommend becoming one with the Heavenly Dragons just yet." Astrograph suggested.

"Why not?" Zarc asked in a confused tone.

"You see, the Integration Summon takes a while and the humans living in this city will probably realize what's going on since you will break the ceiling of this building for instance. The process is visible and audible like nothing you have ever seen before. So if you try to unite with the dragons through my power now, they will be able to kill you in the process of becoming one with them since you are still human for the most part." Astrograph explained.

"Wait, does that mean I can't become that transcendent being which is supposed to save the world since they can always see and cancel me if I try to conduct the integration?!" Zarc asked, the tone in his voice approaching desperation again.

"No, you can unify yourself with your dragons without them killing you while doing so. You just need to protect yourself while you are still vulnerable to their weapons."

"And how do I do that?" Zarc inquired in a curious tone.

"With Reikonmadou, also known as Spirit- or Soul Magic." Astrograph replied.

"Reikonmadou?! You mean like using actual magic?! Such a thing exists?!" He questioned in a shocked voice.

Astrograph chuckled. "Of course magic exists! Didn't Quintet already tell you that the Ancient Egyptians used magic to enslave the first spirits? That magic is Reikonmadou, a way to control momentum to do pretty much everything you could imagine. But as the Supreme Dragon King you will be after uniting with the four dragons, you already have access to an even stronger form of Reikonmadou, the so called Haōmadou – the Supreme King Magic. It is part of Jyujutsu, the entirety of magic so to speak. But while Reikonmadou is a rather low form of Jyujutsu, your Haōmadou will be much more potent! You have a natural talent for it, so you are able to perform it at any given time. You just need to practice and learn how to access your powers and perform these spells properly. And I will be your guide for that!" Astrograph declared.

"I see! Then teach me about that magic so I can wipe out these abysmal humans at last!" Zarc commanded.

"It will be my honor, Master Zarc!" Astrograph retorted, bowing before him.

"It's time!" Zarc whispered. "The dark purification of this world is at hand!" He stated, grinning devilishly.

* * *

 _One month later..._

-" **ZARC! ZARC! ZARC! ZARC! ZARC!** "- A huge crowd cried out repeatedly.

Zarc was standing in the middle of the Avalon Arena. He had just defeated multiple opponents in a duel, their bodies lying on the ground before him. A lot of people had been watching the slaughter like always, cheering for him in their usual manner. Somewhere in the ranks of the spectators Leo Akaba, still young and having his hair, was seated. Next to him sat Ray, a scowl on her face as she had just seen her former boyfriend using his brutal dueling style again, still not back on the right path and not admitting his atrocities.

"IS THAT IT?! IS THAT REALLY ALL YOU HAVE?!" Zarc cried out, his right arm shooting rightwards in a challenging motion. He angled his arms towards him as he continued. "I WANT TO FIGHT MORE! EVEN STRONGER! AND EVEN MORE BRUTAL!" He shouted, the audience cheering even louder at that.

"YOUR STRENGTH IS AMAZING!" A man shouted.

"SHOW US EVEN MORE OF YOUR SPLENDID DUELS, ZARC!" Another man demanded.

 **-** " **MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!** " **-** Their cries echoed through the stadium.

Zarc's expression changed into a devilish grin. "VERY WELL! IF THAT IS YOUR DESIRE, I'LL GLADLY FULFILL IT! IF YOU WANT ME AND MY DRAGONS TO BECOME STRONGER, WE WILL BECOME STRONGER! **STRONG ENOUGH TO DESTROY THIS ENTIRE WORLD!** " He shouted at the top of his lungs, the four dragon cards in his hand beginning to glow brightly.

Leo's eyes widened. "Destroy... the entire world...?!" He uttered fearfully.

"Zarc, what are you planning?" Ray whispered to herself.

"EXACTLY! WE WILL NOW BEGIN OUR FIGHT! AND I PROMISE THAT THE NOW FOLLOWING SHOW OF UNPRECEDENTED VICIOUSNESS AND BRUTALITY WILL SATISFY ALL OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS!" Zarc continued, slamming down the four cards onto his duel disk as he rose his left hand and activated it.

The dragons soared into the air, creating a circle as all four of them grouped up, hovering in the middle of the stadium with their backs turned to each other. The audience gasped in anticipation, curious about what Zarc meant with that never before seen show.

" **NOW, HUMANS, IT'S YOUR TURN TO BE TRAMPLED DOWN AND SQUASHED LIKE ANTS!** " Zarc exclaimed as his dragons unleashed their beams of destruction at the audience, the crowd within the stadium screaming in terror as the momentum rays rained down on them, evaporating everything they came in touch with. They tried to get out of the stadium, some of them being caught by one of the dragons on the way. Dark Rebellion's tusks raged through the evacuating masses, slicing apart any humans they met, leaving back a trail of blood as it made its laps around the stadium. Starve Venom unfolded all of its tentacles, having flytrap-like jaws on their ends. They swiped through the air, catching any human in their way and biting them in two halves with them. The dragon also used its signature attack Poison Death Sentence – Hell's Aurora from time to time, firing greenish beams of energy and electrocuting the spectators with its purplish lightnings. Clear Wing spun through the air, practically becoming a death spiral as its signature attack sent all humans it collided with to their graves. Lastly Odd-Eyes wasn't as active as its comrades. As Leo looked back while he was on his way out of the stadium with his daughter, he saw Zarc lazily sitting on a gigantic blue crystal, the very same crystal that had hung on the ceiling of the stadium before with several monitors on it to allow the audience to better see what the cameras closer to the action on the field filmed. It had crashed down during the previous destruction, Zarc sitting on the edge of it, his feet loosely dangling downwards. Behind him, his red dragon rested, Zarc petting the creature and – from the looks of it – talking to it in a friendly, reassuring tone. Then Zarc let go of the dragon as it seemed to nod, unleashing a beam at the remaining audience afterwards. Suddenly his daughter spoke up next to him.

"Anger." She whispered anxiously. Leo looked over to her as she continued, trembling in fear. "The monsters. They are incredibly angry at us!" She uttered in horror.

Leo's eyes widened. "They have emotions?! Could that mean that they are… sentient beings then?!" He whispered in terror. Meanwhile Ray covered her mouth in shock as she slowly began hearing four voices, her sensitivity to Monster Spirits rising at this moment.

" _Time to die, you filthy humans!"_ She heard a hissing voice, belonging to Starve Venom.

" _How do you like being sliced in half?!"_ The usually stoic Xyz-Dragon cried out loudly in a vicious tone as his tusk kept slaughtering humans.

" _Let's dance, mortal scum!"_ The exalted voice of Clear Wing yelled as the dragon kept waltzing around the stadium, its Helldive Whirlwind Slasher killing spectator after spectator.

" _None of you shall escape!"_ Even the friendly Effect-Monster Dragon shouted mercilessly as he unleashed another beam of red light on the masses.

' _Impossible...! Are these...?!'_ Ray began in her thoughts as her father kept dragging her after him, trying to get out of this hellish massacre.

"Where the hell is the army?!" One of the people next to them exclaimed.

"Look, there!" A woman retorted, pointing upwards. They observed how a few helicopters drew closer, firing a series of rockets at the demon duelist in the middle of the stadium. However, his dragons returned to him in time and shielded him, blocking the missiles.

"Kuh!" One of the men in the helicopters cursed. "He uses his dragons as living shields since they cannot be harmed by any weapon! Then let's use something so fast that they cannot block it! Snipers, get ready!" He commanded. The sliding doors of the helicopters on the hinder part of the vehicles were flung open, several people taking a seat on the edges of those areas. The aircrafts surrounded the stadium simultaneously.

Zarc watched how the men in the helicopters got their weapons ready, trying to shoot him down. "You think you can kill me?" He whispered in a derisive tone. "That would be the case if I still was the powerless child from all those years ago! But I have evolved and am now determined to wipe out all of you!" After that, he began chanting. "Eternal flow of time! Decelerate and become absolute nothingness as everything stops! World, freeze and turn into a plain of completely standstill!" Meanwhile the soldiers finished readying their riffles.

" ** _FIRE!_** " Their commander cried out, multiple dozens of snipers aiming and launching their missiles at Zarc.

" ** _NO!_** " Ray screamed in horror, the cry escaping her lips in spite of her best efforts to suppress it, not wanting her old friend and lover to die, despite everything he had done up until now.

" **Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi!** " Zarc finished in the exact same second. Everything came to a halt at once, the bullets stopping in their tracks and all people and beings around him freezing in time. Zarc smirked, beginning to walk forward with a victorious grin on his face. "Supreme King Magic, Technique 23 – Time Standstill!" He stated. "It's a Jyujutsu-Spell that can temporarily stop time and turn everything into still standing objects while the user is the only one able to move. Just like Dio's stand "The World" so to speak!" He looked upwards at the snipers after that, having fierce expressions on their faces as they were sure that they would kill the demon within mere milliseconds of delay. _'Naively.'_ He added in his thoughts. "Now then, time to get rid of those guys!" He remarked. "Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! **Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!** " (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 7 – Invisible Wings) He flew up after that, hovering upwards until he had reached the height of the helicopters. "Man, they are so unsuspecting about what will happen now!" He laughed as he flew over to one of the vehicles. "Slicing sharpness! Manifest as a dark blade and cut down my foes! **Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba!** " (Jap.: Supreme King Magic – Darkness Sword) He shouted as a blade made from pure obscure darkness formed in front of him. He grasped it and sliced open the guts of the first helicopter's crew with a single slash. "Nice! Now to the next!" He stated.

Ray stared at the events unfolding before her in horror, her best friend close to dying from the soldiers. But strangely the bullets didn't reach her old lover as Zarc suddenly stood a few meters away from the area they collided with. Simultaneously multiple men dropped down from the helicopters, bleeding from fatal wounds on their torsos. Zarc merely grinned, looking upwards as the killed men rained down.

"WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT WAS THAT?!" A man near her exclaimed in indignation and shock. "I'm tired of this! Gilford the Lightning, cut down these dragons!" He yelled, activating and slamming a monster on his duel disk. A warrior appeared, charging at Dark Rebellion. "Yeah! Show this black dragon what a real blade looks like!" He cried out as Gilford was on his way to cross the blades with Zarc's Xyz Dragon. Zarc turned around and scowled as he saw his precious dragon under attack by the man's spirit. "TURN AROUND!" He yelled angrily. Suddenly the warrior stopped attacking the dragon and parted with his sword from Dark Rebellion's tusks. He approached his controller with an eerie expression on his face. "Wait Gildford, what are you doing?" The man began in a tone halfway between surprise, indignation and fear. "I ordered you to...!" But he couldn't go on any further because his monster rammed its sword through his chest, a fountain of blood gushing out of his body. "Why...?" He uttered weakly, dropping to the ground and looking ahead with an empty expression on his face as he slowly bled out, eventually closing his eyes as he died.

' _Wait?! Did that Duel Monster just turn on its master?!'_ Ray thought in panic and horror as she observed how the man fell. She turned her head again as her father screamed at her.

"HURRY RAY! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS HELL NOW!" He shouted in terror and fear as he dragged his daughter out of the stadium.

" _ **TO ME!**_ " Zarc bellowed, several spirits leaving their cards and flocking around him. Ray looked back in shock as the monsters of all the people in the stadium came to life and manifested, striking down the masses even faster. Ray noticed that Zarc's duel disk wasn't even activated anymore, but the dragons still remained normal. _'Don't tell me that Zarc really managed to bring these creatures to life, and in an even more perfected state than my father's Real Solid Vision as well!'_ She thought in shock. On this day, she and Leo got out alive. But many weren't so lucky as Zarc's dragons and the rest of the spirits killed thousands, initiating his revenge-crusade against humanity.

" **TREMBLE IN FEAR, PUNY HUMANS! THE END FOR YOU ALL IS HERE AT LAST!** " Zarc cried out. That was the last thing Ray heard from him before she and her father left the stadium.

* * *

Ray trembled, the cold of the night clinging to her. It had been two weeks since Zarc had started his genocide, two weeks since the apocalypse had begun. He and his dragons, alongside the other monsters he had recruited, kept on their rampage, slaughtering humans wherever they went. Duel Monsters proved to be a useless weapon against him as any spirit used to fight back was turned and joined Zarc's side, immediately cutting down its former master in most cases. Conventional weapons weren't any more effective either since Zarc used mysterious, supernatural powers to protect himself against them; that is if his spirits didn't shield him of course. He mercilessly advanced towards the outer regions of Avalon City, cleansing the area around the arena systematically. Humanity had to retreat slowly, even if all countries in the world had sent supply and weapons here to the capital of Japan. No matter how much support arrived, it was never enough to oppose Zarc's sinister purge. "I could have saved him! I could have talked things out with him! Why did I give him the cold shoulder when he needed me the most?!" She regretted. Then a determined expression formed on her face. "Maybe it's not too late! Maybe I can still convince him to stop his genocide!" She exclaimed, standing up. She left her hideout, the building where her father had developed the Real Solid Vision-System, now a ruin from the second floor upwards. Only the first floor and the basement were still in a condition that could remotely be considered as "normal". As she left the building, a figure followed her.

"Ray, where are you going?!" Her father addressed her, having noticed his daughter's departure.

"I'm going to the stadium! I want to talk to Zarc!" She responded.

"TALKING WITH ZARC?! ARE YOU CRAZY?! HE OR ONE OF HIS MONSTERS WILL KILL YOU!" Leo exclaimed in utter shock at his daughter's declaration.

"No, he won't! He still cares about me somewhere deep down, I know that! He would never kill me!" She shot back in a convinced tone.

"Still cares about you?!" Leo retorted in surprise. "I thought that he was just one of your friends!"

Ray sighed, knowing that she would have to admit her past with Zarc to her father now. "Yeah, he is one of my friends and I'm the only friend he's ever had. But we were much more than just friends. We were a couple." She stated.

"WHAT?! YOU WERE WITH HIM?! YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND!" Leo yelled.

"Of course I didn't! You were overprotective as hell and didn't let me out of your sight longer than necessary!" Ray shot back.

"And for a good reason! If I wasn't so overprotective, you would be running into your demise right now!" He countered.

" **NO! HE WOULD NEVER HURT ME!** " Ray screamed back in an intense voice, causing Leo to flinch. "Trust me dad, he still cares for me! I am the only person he has ever laid his heart bare to! Maybe I can persuade him to stop his genocide on humankind!"

"But it's dangerous!" Leo retorted.

"I don't care if it's dangerous or not! We are in a bad situation anyway since Zarc keeps pushing back humanity more and more with every day! Eventually, all of us will be dead! That's what I want to prevent! If I can convince him, all of us will survive! He rules over the Duel Monsters and has mysterious, godlike powers! No monster could disobey him if I drew him back to our side again!" She made her point.

"Okay, I guess that's true. If we don't find a weapon to oppose him, we are doomed anyway. And even if he rejects, it's probably still better to die in an instant than slowly waiting for death. But I will accompany you!" Her father stated.

"Alright! Then let's go to him!" Ray exclaimed.

* * *

 _Avalon Arena, one hour later..._

"So this is the lion's den." Leo remarked as the entered the inside of the destroyed stadium. "Now then, where is he?"

"I'm right here!" A voice spoke up from below them.

They crouched down at that, fearing to be seen.

"Don't try to hide! I can sense you anyway!" The voice continued. "But do not worry, I don't wish to kill you two!" It reassured them.

They rose up again and looked down from the spectator ranks, Zarc standing atop of the blue crystal pillar. He still wore his usual dueling clothes, a white and blue jacket with orange boarders and a black shirt underneath, accompanied by black pants and brown chaps. "Now then, what do you want?" He said, pointing at them with one of his gloved arms.

"You know exactly what I'm here for, Zarc!" Ray shouted. "I want you to stop with your current ways and end this massacre already!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

"Oh? Isn't that a bit much to ask for, especially considering your current position?" Zarc mocked her. "I am a far superior being controlling magic and Monster Spirits alike! And you come in here – only not long dead from the monsters I placed in front of the center of the city because I ordered them to not to hurt you – and COMMAND **ME** to stop?! Such arrogance is so typical for a human like you!" He retorted.

Ray gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry for expressing it so harshly then. But please, Zarc, stop all this savage killing! I know that the audience may have been despicable and lusting for blood, but not all humans are as bad as them! Don't kill us all just because a few have committed sins!" She addressed him in a pleading manner.

"Humans and good?! HAH, LAUGHABLE!" He shouted. "You are all filth and sin, the only difference between each of you is the degree of inner corruption you have!"

" **No, that's not true!** " Ray shot back.

"Not true?! NOT TRUE?!" Zarc exploded in anger. " **YOU BASTARD, HOW DARE YOU TO SAY SUCH A THING?!** " He yelled at her at the top of his lungs, causing Ray to flinch. "You torture the Monster Spirits and you are not even aware of your sins?! Typical! SO TYPICAL!" He screamed.

"Wait, torture?! Monster Spirits?! Do you mean that they are sentient beings?!" Ray cried out in shock. Leo gasped as well.

"That's right! They feel all pain the same way a human does! So you basically made them fight in this devilish arena like gladiators back in Ancient Rome!" He shouted furiously.

"So I was right! They have a soul!" Leo uttered in terror, his eyes twitching in shock.

"Okay. So you want to free them from our control, is that right?" Ray guessed.

"Correct! That is my plan! I will no longer allow these majestic beings to be overruled by the likes of you and your kind! I will become the liberator of them!" He yelled in determination. "I saw both sides and made my decision! I am none of you, so I will side with the Monster Spirits!"

"But why even wipe us out?! You could just free them and we could coexist peacefully!" Ray shot back.

"Peacefully with humans?! Don't make me laugh, Ray! They want to overrule every other being! They even tried to overthrow an omnipotent god a long time ago!" He told her.

"An omnipotent god?!" Ray asked in a shocked tone. "Such a being exists?!"

"Yes, and it was this very being that chose me as the savior of the spirits! Accept it, Ray, you humans have to be wiped out for the greater good! Only this way the truly important beings can live the way they are supposed to live!"

"The truly important beings?! Does that mean that you value us humans less than the Duel Monsters?!" She asked in outrage.

"Of course I do! The fact alone that you just called them Duel Monsters instead of Monster Spirits shows the true colors of your race! You see them as nothing but slaves for your cruel entertainment! But in fact these creatures are more deserving than you humans! While you seek war, they know only peace! They are the perfect beings, free of negative emotions such as envy, hatred and malice! The only instance when they have those feelings is when they are unjustifiably enslaved, by the likes of you for example! They want to break free of their bind and I will help them to do so! You are devilish beings full of wickedness! Even the kindest of you who bond with their monsters are ultimately still using them as obedient pawns! You are flawed, Ray, you and all of your kind! Even you who can hear the spirits and who was the only person I ever opened my heart to turned your back on me and betrayed me when I needed you the most! So I will kill each and every human in existence! The only exception I would make is you and and your father." He said, now speaking in a softer tone. "You don't have to be one of them, Ray! You can still come over to my side! I still cherish you and care about you deeply, hence why I ordered my spirits to let you through. Wouldn't it be great for us to be together again? Come on, join me, Ray!" He addressed her as he extended his hand towards her general direction, now him being the one trying to persuade her to his side.

"I would like to be with you as well." Ray stated with a smile halfway between joy and sadness, looking downwards with a melancholic expression.

"That's great! Then...!" Zarc began as a smile formed on his face, but Ray looked up again and interrupted him.

"BUT I COULD NEVER LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT HUMANS!" She cried out, startling her former friend.

Zarc scowled. "So be it. If you want to die alongside the scum, very well! But even if I got nothing out of this conversation, it's still good that you are here since I want to show something to you now!" He said.

Ray raised an eyebrow. "Show something to us?" She repeated.

Zarc grinned at her. "Yes, it's something I have planned long beforehand! And I suppose that I should also thank you, my dear! If you hadn't betrayed me and showed me the true colors of humanity, I would have ignored the cries of the spirits and never realized what my true purpose was! Be proud of you, Ray, I would have never come this far without you!" He cried out in a sneering tone.

"Wait, do you mean that all of this...?!" She began in a frightened voice.

"Is your fault? Yes, it is! If you would have talked to me after that one accident, nothing of this would have happened!" He retorted jeeringly. Then he turned his face to the person standing next to her. "And I guess that I should thank you as well, Leo! Without your Real Solid Vision, the monsters could have never rebelled against mankind like this!" He said, his arm wandering in a circular motion in front of him as he pointed at the destroyed stadium. "And I suppose that I should also thank you for your daughter! Not only did she bring me to this point, she also was nice company in my bed for all those years!" He yelled at him, now openly mocking the man he had once feared like nothing else.

"WHAT?! YOU AND RAY WERE...?!" Leo began with a mix of anger and shock.

"Yes, exactly!" Zarc shouted back. "I fucked her so often that I myself have no idea about the exact number anymore! Could be three or four digits, no clue!" He insulted Leo by rubbing his vivid relationship with Ray before she had broke up with him right into Leo's face.

" **YOU BASTARD! HOW DO YOU DARE DOING THIS TO MY DAUGHTER?!** " Leo yelled in utter outrage.

"Hmm, I don't know." Zarc said, putting one of his fingers onto his chin and rubbing it. "Also it's not like I forced your daughter or anything! She jumped all the way onto my dick by herself, you can be sure of that!" He laughed. "But anyway, enough of that nonsense, it doesn't matter anymore!" He declared, getting tired of provoking Leo. "Like I said before, I have planned something really big right now! That's why I cleaned up the area around the arena in a huge circle of equal radius instead of breaching through the holes in your troops' defenses but neglecting other parts of the frontline with stronger resistance as a result! I wanted to make sure that I had a safe distance in all directions so no one could interrupt my ritual!" He explained.

Ray gulped. "Your ritual?!" She uttered anxiously, afraid of Zarc's next move.

"Yes! It is a ritual to truly transcend my humanity and evolve into an even superior being!" He declared.

"Even superior?! What are you planning?!" She addressed him fearfully.

He grinned. "I will show you! _**MY DRAGONS! FLOCK TO ME!**_ " He bellowed. From four direction, dragons sped through the air to him. Ray knew these dragons. It were the ones Zarc always used to have, even before she had met him. As they aligned behind Zarc, he continued. "Do you see them, Ray? These are my true friends, friends that have never betrayed me like you, you treacherous bitch! I could never truly identify myself as a human, nor could I view their suffering as bad. After all, I was never one of them!" He told her.

"Never one of them?! Stop lying! The very flesh on your bones proves that you are a human! Why would you see yourself as a Monster Spirit then?!" She cried out in anger.

Zarc merely raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean this?" He asked, stroking over his chest. "Oh right, you have a point there, this is indeed human flesh!" He then tore his shirt at his chest area. "But I can guarantee you that I am a spirit at heart!" He said, putting his hand onto his skin.

"You and a Monster Spirit?! Don't make me laugh, that's ridiculous! You have a pounding heart inside you that grants you the chance to live, just like all of us humans!" Ray shot back.

"You think so? Then let me prove you wrong!" He shouted. Then his hands pierced through his skin and he tore open his rib cage. Ray grimaced in shock and nausea as her former friend bent open the bones that protected his inner organs.

"You think that I'm one of you because I have this?!" He asked her, pointing at his now disclosed heart, throbbing vividly inside his chest. " **THEN LET ME PROVE YOU WRONG!** " He yelled, grasping the organ and ripping it out of his own body violently, a fountain of blood streaming out of his chest as a result as his veins and arteries were severed from the motor pumping the blood through his body.

Leo's eyes widened in horror. "Did he just… **rip out his own heart?!** " He whispered in sheer shock and utter disbelief.

" **He did...!** " Ray replied, trembling in fear like she had never trembled before in her life.

"Now then!" Zarc spoke up, spreading his arms in a challenging manner. "Do you still think that I'm one of you?! I'm still standing despite the fact that I don't have a pounding heart inside my body anymore!" He addressed them.

"Impossible! How can you do that?!" Ray asked, even her gaze trembling as she looked upon her former boyfriend.

"Keep on living you mean? Oh, that because of that!" He exclaimed, pulling on something inside his guts. As it came to the surface, Ray's eyes widened immensely.

"What on earth is that?!" She asked, pointing at it.

"Oh, that?" Zarc replied, looking down into his insides. "That is something called the Destiny Factor!" He replied, pointing at something that looked like a sphere, throbbing in a similar fashion than a heart, but thrice its speed. It had all colors imaginable and shone brightly inside his chest.

"The Destiny Factor?!" Ray repeated anxiously.

"Yes." Zarc confirmed. "It bestows the power to change the world for the better onto me! It also functions as a Chūshin, the heart of Monster Spirit! In other words, I am a spirit at my core! I was never one of you in the real sense so to speak!"

Ray took a few steps back in disbelief. "Zarc... what... are you...?!" She uttered in horror.

Zarc's expression changed. "Me? I am the savior of the world, a being that will change this world into what it should be, not what it already is! I am a being that won't bow down to the unjust order of things anymore! **I AM REVOLUTION!** " He shouted.

"No way..." Ray whispered.

"Now then, time for the ritual!" Zarc said, his open chest repairing itself, the cracked bones returning to their former positions and growing back to full length, the fractions repairing themselves and his chest area healing as new flesh covered it. Before that happened though, his severed arteries and veins reattached themselves to his second heart, his Chūshin, now pumping blood of a glowing rainbow color fitting to his Monster Spirit-Heart through his body.

"Did his chest just heal completely within a few seconds?!" Leo stammered in disbelief.

"Yes, it did!" Zarc replied on Ray's behalf. "You should know that I have drastically increased regeneration abilities as a partial spirit due to their immortality, as well as the physical powers of around twenty humans ever since I became fully aware of my true powers! But that won't remain my limit for long! I shall now discard my humanity in the most literal sense possible and become a being of true greatness!" He stated, pointing down to the ground where his ripped-out heart still throbbed weakly. His left foot moved above the heart and then stomped on and crushed it before he continued. "Now then, let it begin!" He yelled, pulling out a card. "My fellow dragons!" He shouted, looking at the four spirits hovering in the air next to him. "I feel that you are still not satisfied! You want more, do you?!" He addressed them in an intense voice.

" _Yes! We want to fight until all humans are wiped out!_ _"_ Starve Venom hissed. _"Let us become one!"_

" _I shall never rest until all of them are dead!"_ Dark Rebellion agreed. _"I want to become one with you, Master Zarc!"_

" _Me as well! I want our flesh to merge until only one being remains!"_ Clear Wing chimed in.

" _I want to lead a crusade against humanity! And for that, we have to combine! Ima koso hitotsu ni!"_ Odd-Eyes finished.

"I see." Zarc stated. "I feel the same as you!" He told, spreading his arms. "We will become one in flesh and bone, rise up to the summit of creation and obtain the strongest power! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!" He shouted, raising up the card into the sky.

A sorcerer emerged, soaring up into the air as it rose its staff, a column of blue light stretching up- and downwards where it hovered.

( 7, Treachery - Bleach OST)

' _That melody! And what is that sorcerer?!'_ Ray thought, recognizing the music that started to play out of seemingly nowhere.

"What is that monster?!" Leo exclaimed in terror.

"THE ONE WHO CONTROLS SPACE-TIME, ASTROGRAPH MAGICIAN! COMBINE OUR DESIRES INTO PROFOUND POWER! WITH YOUR SHEER INFINITE POWERS RID ME OF THIS PATHETIC FLESH AND RESHAPE US INTO A SINGLE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE!" He screamed as the magician soared up, Zarc spreading his arms widely again.

" _Now we will become one at long last! Ima koso hitotsu ni!"_ Starve Venom repeated the phrase, similar to a magical invocation.

" _Become one! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni!"_ Dark Rebellion replied.

" _One! One! One! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni! Hitotsu ni!"_ Clear Wing chimed in.

" _We will all become one and the same! Ima koso hitotsu ni! Ima koso hitotsu ni! Ima koso hitotsu ni!"_ Odd-Eyes cried out. After that, the minds of all four dragons synchronized completely, repeating the chant together.

- _"IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI! IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!_ _ **IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!**_ _"_ **-** They shouted in unison, their bodies being surrounded with an intense aura of red, blue, green and purple color respectively.

Ray, being able to hear the spirits, whispered in fear as she recited their calling. "Ima koso hitotsu ni?! We will become one?!" She uttered in horror. "Is Zarc going to...?!"

Zarc smirked maliciously before he turned his head upwards, looking straight up into the sky. " **IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!** " He yelled at the top of his lungs. At that, Astrograph Magician hurled up an orb of luminescence into the sky, expanding and becoming a structure of undefinable pattern, its structure so complex that an accurate description would take hours, if not more. To express it roughly, it was an orb of blinding light, surrounded by particle rings of various colors of the spectrum, the most frequent ones being purple, red, green and blue – the very same colors which his dragons were surrounded with.

The violins of the theme that Zarc played with whatever unknown power began in the background as his feet slowly left the ground.

"The time for the great dragon to burst open the first of his many chains has arrived!" Zarc began, energy flowing over to him from the glowing auras of his dragons. His skin changed and turned into scales, two pitch black wings sprouting from his back. His nails grew and turned into claws, his teeth developed into razor-sharp fangs. The shine in his golden eyes intensified and his pupils turned into slits, the veins around the eyes thickening, pulsating with a red color. A red glow was emitted from his eyes, shining eerily. "I AM NOW AWAKENED!" He cried out.

"No way! He has become a dragon!" Ray exclaimed in shock.

"That's right! But this is merely the first step to transcending my humanity!" Zarc retorted in a loud, victorious voice before he began to sing after the lyrics of the theme he had copied from one of his favorite antagonists, altering the lines for his purpose.

-"I can tell that I've never been true to me!"-

-"And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!"-

-"Now I know I can be what I want to be!"-

-"And transcend the limits of my humanity!"-

-"I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!"-

-"Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!"-

-"At long last I'll surpass my mortality!"-

-"And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!"-

He rose up into the air more and more with every second, towards the mysterious shining vortex within the dark sky of the night.

"My noble dragons!" He began afterwards, addressing his faithful spirits during the interlude. "Let us become one in flesh and bone, so that we will never feel so alone! Together, we will attain ultimate power, and bring humanity to its final hour!" He shouted, reciting something that sounded like a poem. As his dragons were slowly sucked into the luminescent vortex, he began another poem with the nature of an incantation.

"The blackest night falls from the skies"

"The darkness grows as all light dies"

"We crave your hearts and your demise"

"By supreme might, I now shall rise!"

His wings unfolded fully at that, hovering towards his destination even faster.

"Since it was your lust for pain and brutality"

"That gave the strongest power to me"

"This world echoes with screams of misery"

" **IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!** "

He drew closer to the blinding structure, beginning one last part.

"The ultimate dragon, coming into existence by the union of the Heavenly Dragons, who rules over the worlds with an iron fist! Now we will all become one!"

As he was mere feet away from his goal, the vortex slowly sucking him in, his expression changed into a grin of absolute malice and victory. "It's time..." He began. "... **TO BECOME ONE!** _**IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!**_ " He screamed at the top of his lungs for one final time before he was absorbed by the vortex, his cry echoing through the world, even audible to people on the other side of the planet.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

A black mist began spreading over the stadium and its surroundings, shrouding everything into darkness.

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

"What's happening?!" Ray uttered in fear as everything became pitch black.

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

A thunderstorm of scarlet lightnings arose above them, red bolts crackling eerily.

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

Leo laid and arm around her as both of them slowly feel onto their knees in trepidation.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

" **TŌGŌ SHŌKAN!** " Zarc's voice cried out from within the mist.

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

"Integration Summon?!" Ray repeated in horror.

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

" **COME FORTH, SUPREME DRAGON KING RULING OVER EVERYTHING!** " Zarc began.

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

" ** _HAŌRYŪ ZARC!_** " He shouted.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

Two massive wings of black color slowly sprouted as the violins increased in volume.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

"It can't be!" Leo uttered in terror.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

From the mist, the head of a huge dragon slowly moved into their field of vision.

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

As the mist retreated, they fully caught sight of it. It was a massive black dragon around a hundred meters tall with neon green lines over its body, having red eyes glowing eerily. On the chest of the monster, a figure was standing. Or not standing, rather he was fused with the dragon and attached to its chest by his waist.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

"No way! A human and a Monster Spirit combined!" Ray screamed in shock as she recognized the person as her former friend.

-YOU ALL PRAY BUT YOU KEEP ON COMMITTING SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

" **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** I AM STANDARD AND XYZ, SYNCHRO AND FUSION! HUMAN AND DRAGON COMBINED! THE ONE WHO GOVERNS EVERYTHING! THE ULTIMATE EXISTENCE! **I AM TRANSCENDENCE!** " Zarc cried out from the dragon's chest with a voice deeper than his usual pitch.

-TO BE A DRAGON, IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!-

"NOW KNEEL BEFORE ZARC! KNEEL BEFORE YOUR MASTER! **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** "

As the lyrics stopped, Zarc made one last statement at the outro melody.

"A NEW APEX PREDATOR HAS ARRIVED! NOW YOU PUNY HUMANS WILL EXPERIENCE HOW IT IS LIKE TO BE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN AGAIN! **LET THE HUNT BEGIN!** " He cried out.

( 7, Treachery - Bleach OST end)

* * *

 _Three months later, the whole world affected by the genocide now..._

Zarc was currently involved in a duel against around ten people. He knew some of them, being former pro-duelists of the league. It was Zarc's turn now and he was on the way to his strongest kill-strategy.

"TŌGŌ SHŌKAN! Come forth! Supreme Dragon King Zarc!" He shouted, two great wings dispelling the mist enveloping him with a tremendous beat.

"It's there! The monster!" One of his opponents cried out as they now faced the Supreme Dragon King.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I must really thank you humans! Your lust for brutality and bloodshed gave the strongest power to me!" Zarc laughed, stretching out his arms and grinning wickedly. "I will be the incarnation of the strongest power! Just as you wished! JUST AS YOU WANTED ALL THE TIME!" He screamed before pointing upwards with one of his hands to the dragon's head, addressing his dragon half whom he was attached to.

"Now it's over!" He whispered with a devious grin on his face. Then he began yelling at his opponents. "TREMBLE BEFORE MY POWER! NOW YOU WILL WITNESS THE POWER OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING CAPABLE OF DESTROYING ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT!" He shouted as multiple bolts of red lightning struck down, destroying his opponents' monsters, even those who were immune to effect destruction or even unaffected by card effects entirely. "AND ALL THOSE WHOM I DESTINE FOR MY ANNIHILATION WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE FORCE OF THE COLLECTIVE!" He continued, his arm wandering around in a circular motion, pointing to his opponent's and the positions where their monsters had stood before.

"Not so fast!" One of his opponent's cried out. "I will discard **Searching Flipper** to add **Reflecting Flipper** to my hand! And as you know from our previous matches in the Avalon Arena, Reflecting Flipper can negate the effect damage we're about to take from your dragon's ability and inflict it to you! In other words, you lose, Zarc!"

Zarc gritted his teeth. "Gosh, Roman, your Flippers were always a pain in the ass with their discard effects! But not anymore! EVERYTHING YOU SEEK WILL CRUMBLE TO DUST WITHIN YOUR GRASP! **GOD CRUSHER!** " He screamed, a lightning striking down from above, vaporizing the card in Roman's palm.

"NO WAY!" Roman cried out in disbelief.

"YES WAY!" Zarc shot back. "Any card added to your hand outside your Draw Phase is immediately destroyed by my second ability God Crusher! And now you will all be finished by my first ability! YOUR COMBINED POWER WILL BE THE END OF YOU ALL AS YOU WTHER AWAY! THIS IS THE END! **GOD SLAUGHTER!** " He screamed at the top of his lungs as a red lightning vortex struck down from above and depleted all of their lifepoints, their bodies dropping to the ground as they were killed.

"Hey, Zarc! We are your next opponents!" A voice belonging to a man cried out from below as several duelists came in, receiving the intrusion penalty.

"Looks like it's my lucky day! So many humans fighting me on their own accord instead of hiding, forcing me to seek them out myself! But your timing is bad, considering that it's still my turn and I haven't attacked yet!"

"That won't matter!" A woman shot back from below Zarc who was currently attached to his dragon like always when he conducted the Integration Summon. "We are thirteen after all!" The woman continued. "Even if one of us falls, on our turns we can retaliate since your God Slaughter has been used now! You're finished!" She cried out.

Zarc cackled darkly. "I think that you're mistaken, foolish human! BECAUSE YOU WILL BE FINISHED FIRST FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!" He yelled. "NOW THEN, MY DRAGON, ATTACK THAT BITCH!" He addressed the dragon, pointing upwards to its head. The dragon readied itself, charging up a beam. "UNTIL THE DAY WHEN ONLY ONE REMAINS! UNTIL THAT DAY WHEN THIS WORLD IS DESTROYED! **DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!** " He shouted at the top his lungs as the dragon above him fired a cone of green energy with tremendous force at the woman, killing her in a single instant.

" **You bastard!** " A man shouted as he saw his comrade dying. "But now you have blown your load! **It's over for you, demon!** " He screamed.

"Over you say?" Zarc laughed. "Hmph!" He made a derisive noise with a smirk on his face. "You stupid humans never fail to disappoint me! Arrogance and pride are your trademarks after all! Because those who are foolish like you simply don't realize their own mistakes!" He stated, the grin on his expression widening. "With what I have currently in my hand, none of you will be able to stop me anymore!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Their leader cried out.

"I will show you!" Zarc retorted. "It will make even Yugi look like an amateur in comparison! I activate the quick-play spell **Supreme King Berserk**!" He shouted.

"Supreme King… Berserk?!" The man cried out in fear.

Zarc smirked. "Exactly! I can activate this card when a "Supreme King"- or "Supreme Dragon King"-Monster has successfully inflicted battle damage! Then, by discarding my entire hand, I draw a card! I discard it and as long as I drew a monster, I can continue drawing while I can declare an additional attack with my Supreme Dragon King Zarc every time I do!"

"What?! Multiple attacks with that abomination?! Impossible!" The man cried out.

"But it's still a gamble! You will most likely only get three or four attacks at best! Not enough to wipe out all of us!" A woman pointed out.

Zarc's grin intensified. "Are you sure about that?" He asked in a sweet tone.

"WHAT?!" She cried out in shock.

"Trap card open! **Supreme King Control**! When I control myself, the Supreme Dragon King, this trap can be activated! Now I can rearrange the order of cards in my deck in any way I want!" He declared.

"HE CAN SELECT THE ORDER OF CARDS?!" A man screamed in horror and disbelief.

Zarc merely smirked at them as he pulled out every monster in his deck and showed the stack of cards to his opponents before putting it on top of his deck. "NOW IT BEGINS! THE FIRST TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKWURM!" He shouted, sending the card to the graveyard. "SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC ATTACKS FOR THE SECOND TIME! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" He screamed as another blast of green energy was fired from his dragon's maw.

"THE SECOND TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKWYVERN**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC ATTACKS AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" He yelled as another duelist dropped dead at the next attack of the black dragon.

"THE THIRD TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKNAGA**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, FOURTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" Zarc shouted, slowly getting into the rhythm, drawing cards and slaughtering his opponents like a machine.

"THE FOURTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKNIDHOGG**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, FIFTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE FIFTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKAMPHISBAENA**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, SIXTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE SIXTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKPYTHON**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, SEVENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE SEVENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKZILANT**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, EIGHTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE EIGHTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKLONG**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, NINTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE NINTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKCUÉLEBRE**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, TENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE TENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKTANNIN**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, ELEVENTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE ELEVENTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKVISHAP**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, TWELFTH ATTACK! DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!"

"THE TWELFTH TIME! DRAW! MONSTER CARD! **SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARKOUROBOROS**! SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC, THIRTEENTH AND FINAL ATTACK! **DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!** " Zarc cried out one last time as the final attack vanquished the last one of his challengers.

Zarc descended from his dragon form and deactivated his duel disk, grinning victoriously at the pile of corpses. "So feeble! They were so brave and still died a useless death, accomplishing nothing!" He commented in a derisive tone as he looked down upon his slain foes.

"Their deaths were not in vain!" A voice suddenly cried out. Zarc looked up, seeing a man standing a few dozens of meters ahead of him.

"Jiyushin Kyuseishu." Zarc stated, looking over to the man. "One of the thirteen infamous generals of humanity. After you realized that normal weapons wouldn't do me any harm ever since my transformation into a transcendent being, you began using the power of the Kryo-Crystals as sources for weapons. They were created as the great dragon crossed over to the Physical Realm for the first time, born from the strongest Monster Spirit so to speak. That's why they can hurt spirits – and me as well as a result." He told. "And you also began learning a form of Jyujutsu – Reikonmadou, the way of controlling momentum available for you puny humans. Looks like even you superficial creatures are able to understand arcane, spiritual knowledge in times of need, being the resilient cockroaches you are! And you are one of the thirteen humans who have perfected these two arts the most, so if I kill you now, humanity will suffer a heavy loss as I cut off one of their heads!" Zarc told him.

"That's right! I evolved through the my will to survive and mastered Reikonmadou and the art of sword fighting as a result!" Jiyushin replied, reaching out for an iron handle hanging down his belt and pressing a button on it, a bright blue Kryo-Blade flashing to life. "But you are wrong about one thing of your statement: You will die today since we will be the ones to cut off the head of the enemy army!" He declared loudly.

"We?" Zarc inquired. Multiple dozens of people encircled him at that, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. "I see. A pincer attack from all sides, isn't it?" He remarked, looking around to realize that he was completely surrounded by them.

"Yes! We will end you now and redeem ourselves for this mistake!" Jiyushin exclaimed, a woman walking up next to him while the other people advanced a bit, cornering Zarc.

"Redeem yourselves? You mean you humans?" Zarc asked him.

"No!" The woman replied. "We mean us two!" She said, pointing over to Jiyushin, apparently her husband or something along those lines as Zarc guessed from how close they stood to each other.

"You two?" Zarc repeated. He looked closer at them after that. Jiyushin was wearing clothes pretty much looking the same as what people used to wear in Avalon City for all those years, futuristic looking suits divided into two parts – one for their upper and one for their lower body half. It was colored white, the trademark of Squad 1 – the troupe of resistance fighters he led. He had white hair and brown eyes and seemed to be in his early forties, maybe even his late thirties. The woman next to him – his wife Tsumi Kyuseishu as Zarc guessed – was the second-in-command for her husband's squad, a woman with azure hair and lime green bangs as well as golden eyes, about the same age as her husband. Suddenly a thought, long repressed, crawled back into Zarc's mind. With the supernatural abilities gained by transcending both species he had acquired knowledge about his earliest days, getting access to memories long forgotten if he had been a normal human being. Zarc scowled. "So it's really you… Mother, Father!" He uttered in a quiet tone of seemingly no interest, but boiling rage on his inside.

"That's right! It's us, my son!" Jiyushin retorted. "We came here to erase our failure and also to apologize!" He stated.

"Apologize?" Zarc asked in a surprised tone. "For what, if I may ask?"

"For leaving you of course!" His mother responded, her golden eyes directed at her son. "We were careless and irresponsible persons when we were young people! I shouldn't have given into my natural urges so recklessly when I was younger! And I should especially not have abandoned you after I had given birth to you, my son! I gave away my own child because I was so overwhelmed with the situation! If I had been a responsible mother and raised you properly, it would have never come to this! I'm sorry, Zarc!" She cried, genuine tears of regret and sadness flowing down her cheeks. "Please end this madness! I beg of you!" She sobbed, trying to move her son's heart to stop the genocide.

"It's a little bit late for apologies now, don't you think, mother?! What's done cannot be undone!" Zarc mercilessly scoffed at her in a derisive tone. "I discarded my old self, the person called Zarc Kyuseishu apparently, long ago! I don't need your last name anymore! I am now Zarc Haoryu – the Supreme Dragon King! But I still think my old last name was fitting after all. Kyuseishu – Messiah, yes, that sounds good!" He said to himself, almost in a monologue. "I will indeed be a savior who will free the Monster Spirits at long last! And I have already transcended my pathetic flesh to become THIS!" He shouted, stressing the last word as he pointed at himself with his right hand. "After I became a dragon, also known as my Quarter Transcendent Form, back in the arena by merging with my four faithful friends, I have evolved even further into this right here, my Semi Transcendent Form!" He shouted.

Through training and experience, Zarc had evolved into an even more powerful being. Like before, his skin was still grayish and scaly, but it had taken a brighter shade now. Behind his back sprouted two pairs of black wings instead of just one, indicating that he was twice as near to perfection than before. They also had orbs of various colors mixed together and constantly changing in their spectrum which were located on the spots where the long vertical bones sprouting from his spine extended downwards as the leathery skin that enabled him to fly, at the beginning of his wingspans so to speak. His claws were darker, the term "Silver" wasn't even fitting anymore as they now possessed a dark gray color. He no longer wore shoes and had a bunch of claws where his toes formerly were instead. He still had clothes though, discarding his former dueling attire for an outfit that looked pretty much like the white and black Arrancar-Outfit his idol Aizen had worn from Hueco Mundo onward. While it resembled the look of the character whom he shared so much of his ideology with, not allowing anyone to overrule him and even using some of his signature quotes he agreed on with him, his clothes still had a little difference to Aizen's: They had two layers around the collar, the outer being white on both sides while the inner had a golden color referring to his eye color. On his chest, the black fabric had a spherical pattern, resembling a Chūshin, a Monster Spirit's heart. He also wielded a sword with a black and golden handle in his right hand, having drawn it in the meantime. He forged it by himself and usually empowered it with Haōmadou. He had called it Shinjitsu – Truth.

"I am sick and tired of this world being in utter chaos and unjust disorder!" Zarc spoke up again after a while. "Nobody, who is truly just, is and ever was on top of the world up until now! Not you, not me, not even the gods you believe in if they existed! But the unbearable emptiness of the throne in heaven is over now! I will transcend even further and take it for myself, establishing an utopia at long last! From now on... **I will sit on it!** " He declared, referring to one of his favorite Aizen quotes, changing its content slightly for his cause.

"Not if we can prevent that!" His father retorted.

Zarc chuckled. "You think that you can take me out with THAT?!" He asked, pointing to the around hundred humans surrounding him.

"No. But our conversation wasn't solely to try a last attempt to convince you to join the right side again. We also stalled for reinforcements to come!"

"WHAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in shock.

"We have gathered enough energy for the teleportation now!" Tsumi cried out. "Shining column, manifest and call our allies to this place! **Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 60 – Transportation Pillar) She shouted, multiple pillars of yellow light striking down from above. As they vanished, a few groups of people became visible in their place. Ray, who watched the scene unfolding from a hiding spot nearby, a few hundreds of feet away from the battlefield, widened her eyes in disbelief as she recognized the people.

"Wait?! Are these...?!" She began.

"Humph! The 13 Generals, I see!" Zarc stated in an annoyed tone as he became aware of his new opponents' identity.

"NO WAY! They are really here! All 13 Generals of Humanity!" Ray cried out in disbelief as she saw the very humans who led the charge against Zarc, those who had mastered Reikonmadou to an incredible degree.

Out of the light pillars twelve groups emerged, strengthening the enclosure around Zarc.

"They are really all here, every single one of them!" Ray stated, looking at the first group and their leader. "That is William Taylor, the General of Squad 4, the leader of the Australian resistance fighters!" She cried out, looking over to a middle aged men with black hair, having a relatively relaxed and calm expression despite the intense situation. The uniform he and his comrades were wearing had the same design as Jiyushin's troops, but a dark blue color instead.

"Next up we have Jose Santos, General of Squad 8! He is the leader of the people in South America!" Ray continued, observing a tan skinned man with dark hair in his early thirties at that, wearing a red outfit.

"And then the two generals from the Near East!" Ray told, looking at two teams whose pillars had appeared right next to each other when Zarc's mother had summoned them. The first leader was relatively light skinned, had brown hair and wore glasses. He and a slightly darker skinned man from the other group wearing a kufiya that covered his hair approached each other and greeted. They were good colleagues and friends as Ray knew through the communication that still existed around the world. Despite their different origins and former rivalries, they had become good friends after Zarc had started his genocide, prompting them to take aside their former differences. The first one was Aron Feivish, General of Squad 5 and leader of the Jewish forces in Israel and the rest of the area. The second was Abdullah Arif, General of Squad 9 and leader of the Palestinian and Arabic people in the Near East. While Aron and his troops had silver clothes, Abdullah's had beige ones.

"Next up from China, the General of Squad 10, Mei Lin Yang!" Ray shouted, looking at a black haired woman in the usual outfit with pink color. She wore a traditional Chinese robe of the same color above it as well though.

"And in addition to that, from Russia, General of Squad 6, Viktor Kornev!" She stated, talking about a bulky men in azure colored clothes with relatively pale skin and blonde hair.

"From the USA, General of Squad 7, controlling the forces on the west cost, Maria Garcia!" Ray went on, observing a fairly old Hispanic woman with a lime green uniform, her black hair whitening out from her age.

"And then next to her, from the opposite side of America, the man who won the Great Battle of New York before he was pushed back by the spirits later on, Robert Smith, General of Squad 3!" She said, looking at a man wearing a dark green uniform. While it looked exactly like the usual Original Dimension-fashion, he still had a distinct look with the black tie he wore above it. As far as Ray knew, the man in his late forties had worked in an office before Zarc went nuts, hence wearing said thing as a reminder of his old life.

"And that person is Ferdinand Rodriguez, General of Squad 12, the fraction from Middle America!" Ray cried out, looking over another Hispanic of dark hair color, having a small mustache and wearing an orange outfit.

"Also Rachel Venter, General of Squad 11, also known as the Dark Lioness of the Savanna!" She exclaimed, referring to a black skinned woman wearing an magenta outfit. As Ray knew, she originated from South Africa.

"Furthermore Thomas Schmidt, General of Squad 13, commonly known as the Golden Slasher of Berlin!" She told, looking at the German man of blonde hair who commanded the forces in Europe. True to his nickname, also emphasized by his hair color of course, he wore the usual uniform in a golden color. He was somewhere in his mid forties from the looks of it.

"And last but not least, the general closest to our country of Japan, the South Korean General of Squad 2, Seo-yeon Ryu!" Ray concluded, looking at a black haired female dressed in the same dark color as her hair, relatively small in size and about in her mid twenties.

"My my, what a spectacle of colors!" Zarc cried out, observing the 13 Generals and their colorful troops encircling him further. "It's actually kind of funny how all these countries are working together now!" He commented. "I mean, your ancestors for example", He pointed at Aron, the Jewish commander at that, "were hunted down and herded into trains, traveling under inhumane conditions until they arrived somewhere in Poland. Then their guards said that they would take a shower now, told them to go into a little room together and then dropped the gas from above until they were all dead!" Zarc said, narrating about the holocaust. "And guess whose ancestors were responsible for that? That's right, HIS!" He shouted, pointing at Thomas, the German commander. "Or you!" He said, pointing at Abdullah, the general of the Arabic and Palestinian forces. "Didn't you and your new friend Aron use to fight over the holy land of Palestine all the time? Didn't you slaughter each other because both sides claimed that it was their country?" He addressed them. "Or you three!" He said, talking to the two North American generals Maria and Robert and the Russian commander Viktor. "Didn't you use to hate each other, dividing the world into two hemispheres because you had different opinions on economy and ideology? The Cold War, do you remember that?! How you almost brought humanity to the brink of extinction with those nuclear weapons – devilish inventions I ordered my spirits to destroy immediately as my genocide-plan began?! Do you remember how you tore that girl's country apart?!" He addressed them, referring to the Korea War as he pointed to Seo-yeon. "Oh, almost forgot that, do you remember how my dad's ancestors forced the Japanese rule upon your country?" He addressed the Korean General of Squad 2 again. "The same thing counts for you by the way, they did the same with your country during World War 2 after all!" He stated, looking at Mei, the Chinese commander. "So many grudges and rivalries and yet you are still working together! It's a bit sad that it needs a common enemy of divine power like myself to unite all of you by taking aside your personal differences and enmities!" Zarc mocked them.

"Laugh as much as you want, but you will still perish now!" Rachel cried out.

"Yes, you will be destroyed now that all 13 Generals have gathered here!" Jose added.

"This will be the end of you, tyrant!" Seo-yeon continued.

"Correct! We shall crush you now!" Abdullah went on.

"And we shall do so with joined forces!" His Jewish friend Aron chimed in.

"Prepare demon, your last day is here!" Robert finished.

"Now then, prepare for the attack!" Jiyushin declared, gazing at his son with a focused expression. The other generals, obviously recognizing him as their leader since he had come up with the plan, commanded their troops to ready themselves.

"Now you will...!" Jiyushin began.

-"…be finished off by us!"- The other generals and Tsumi concluded.

-"Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! Reikonmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!"- They all cried out after that, using the same technique as Zarc back in the stadium, but a weaker version of it due to being only Reikonmadou instead of Haōmadou.

( 16; this is mainly used for reference instead of background music)

They all sped upwards, gathering in the air around Zarc. Simultaneously all of their foot soldiers on the ground began chanting.

-"POWER THAT SURGES THROUGH MY BODY! NOW BECOME A WAVE OF TREMENDOUS DESTRUCTION! **REIKONMADOU 4 – CHIKARASURASSHU**!"- (Jap.: Spirit Magic 4 – Power Slash) They shouted in unison, swiping through the air with their Kryo-Blades and sending slash-like waves upwards at Zarc. The generals and Tsumi also fired their collective attack, but a much more powerful one.

-"DARK FLOOD OF DESTRUCTION! DROWN MY ENEMIES UNDERNEATH YOUR WAVES OF ANNIHILATION! **REIKONMADOU 72 – HAKAINAMI**!"- (Jap.: Spirit Magic 72 – Destruction Wave) They yelled together as they used their strongest offensive move, waves of absolute darkness flying from their weapons, intended to kill Zarc.

" **Yes! They can do it! They can actually defeat Zarc!** " Ray shouted in a hopeful tone, anticipation on her face as she saw the final attack of humanity that would put an end to Zarc's tyranny.

Zarc merely smirked. "All-repelling wind! Shroud yourself around me and render their efforts useless! **Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 63 – Wind Barrier) He cried out in response, a huge gale being unleashed around him after that, deflecting all attacks that were aimed at him.

"Impossible! Our powerful moves were all deflected just like that?!" Maria, the oldest of the generals, exclaimed in shock.

Zarc smirked at the Hispanic woman. "Did you really think that you could crush me with sheer numbers and power alone?" His grin widened. "How naive!" He shot her a side glance. "Is that what you call power? Because I wouldn't do so with how feeble it is!" He mocked her, the air still whirling around him from the previous use of his spell.

"What?! Did you just insult me?!" The old lady retorted in anger at Zarc's provocation.

"I guess I did. But I might have to apologize. You surely have power, far more than any normal human. I guess my understanding of the word "power" is just far different from yours." He stated, slowly looking towards Viktor, the Russian general. A smirk crawled onto Zarc's face. "Let me teach you! When I refer to the word "power"...!" He began, making a rhetorical break and whispering an incantation in between. "Swiftness of the light! Bestow a part of your tremendous powers onto me! **Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 19 – Super Acceleration) "…THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" He finished, appearing above Viktor in a flash, his blade raised and traveling downwards in a horizontal slash.

"Do you seriously think you can take me down so easily?!" Viktor yelled, countering Zarc's move with a strike upwards, his left arm angled towards him just in case. Unlucky for him, he didn't take that defensive stance for nothing as Zarc's Shinjitsu broke right through Viktor's Kryo-Blade despite that it was only a normal blade made of steel from the looks of it, normally far inferior to the all-cutting Kryo-Blades. However, Zarc had forged it with energy from the Spiritual Realm he had crossed over to, causing it to be far harder and sharper than a Kryo-Blade since kryo was a material of only partial spiritual composition instead of a nearly full one as Zarc's sword, causing it to share its traits with the Monster Spirits who were immune to all weapons from the Physical Realm.

" **What...?!** " Viktor uttered in disbelief as his sword was bisected, losing a good part of its blade, Shinjitsu also cutting off his left hand and forearm he had angled towards him. While the generals had increased their physical powers with Reikonmadou and this injury was far from causing him to die as a result, it still infuriated Viktor incredibly. " **YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!** " He screamed at Zarc, retaliating with a ferocious swing from the right. Zarc merely made a sound of contempt as he moved Shinjitsu leftwards, blocking the attack with it. Then he performed a vertical slash rightwards, tearing open Viktor's chest with it, the violins of his signature theme beginning in the background. It had proven helpful and Zarc knew about the importance of psychological warfare, so he played that track whenever he could. It intimidated the humans and made them lose hope whenever they heard it, pleasing Zarc a lot. So he played it, "Supremacy" – his theme based on his idol Aizen's.

Viktor dropped downwards, his eyes wide open in disbelief that Zarc had overwhelmed him that easily. Meanwhile Jose tried an attack from behind, his Kryo-Whip lashing out towards Zarc. Before the end of it reached Zarc, the white haired man's hand shot back however, grabbing the end of the weapon which had been directed at him. He pulled at it with enormous force, prompting Jose to let go of it. But even if Zarc couldn't reel him in anymore, the initial pull was strong enough to send him flying towards Zarc, being brought right into the sword Zarc had extended into his direction. While the slaughter continued, an unidentifiable voice spoke up unheard to them, observing the events from above as the music kept playing in the background.

" _That's right! Zarc isn't feared because he has a natural talent for Jyujutsu through his parents' genes or because he is a strong duelist! Sure, these traits make him powerful, but that alone would never be enough to cause all spirits to obey him. Any other being with his powers would have failed on his mission. There is only one reason why even the most powerful spirits bow to him and why he was successful with the great liberation up until now."_ The voice told.

"The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! **Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 49 – Cherry-Blossom Dance) Mei, the Chinese general cried out, a tempest of pink blossoms shooting out of her palm, enveloping Zarc before they closed in on him, their razor-sharp edges raining down from all sides. But as they came in, Zarc began whirling his sword around with stunning precision and velocity, fending off all blossoms, causing them to drop to the ground as they were all cut in half.

"He even deflected Mei's attack?!" Ray cried out in shock at the counter of Zarc. Then she gasped in horror as Zarc sped forward and cut down the general before she could even react.

" _It's because he's strong."_ The ominous voice continued as Zarc redirected the blade in a swiping motion, riding it from the blood of the three generals he had wounded before. _"All of Zarc's abilities are far beyond any human's."_ It stated. _"You're trying to beat him in a duel? Your plans aren't good enough. You're trying to beat him with Reikonmadou?! Your plans still aren't good enough! Even if you flock together and take precautions against catastrophic events like the downfall of heaven or the splitting of the earth itself – Armageddon so to speak – his superior powers will still crush you and render any of your efforts useless!"_ The voice finished in a victorious tone as Zarc was hovering in the air with a stoic expression on his face, his two light green bangs blowing in the wind as he simply stared ahead.

The whip Zarc had snatched from Jose shot out and wrapped itself around Thomas, reeling in the German commander before slicing up his tied body with Shinjitsu.

"Blowing gale! Rage and strike down upon my foe! **Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 47 – Hurricane Fist) Aron cried out, punching the air and sending a powerful gale of wind at Zarc. Simultaneously his comrade also used a spell, combining it with it.

"Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash! **Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 48 – Fire Palm) Abdullah shouted, his fire projectile mixing with the gale from Aron to become a firestorm heading for Zarc.

"Great inferno! Spark to life and consume my enemies in your blazing tides! **Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui**!" (Supreme King Magic 67 – Burning Flood) Zarc cried out in response, raising his left hand and unleashing an inferno from it to oppose the opponent's move. Due to the difference in power his firestorm pushed back the other and consumed its casters immediately afterwards.

Abruptly something rang inside Zarc's brain, causing him to duck to the side. A Kryo-Spear passed by a few inches right from him, its wielder being Rachel, the African commander.

"A surprise attack from behind?" Zarc stated as she flew by. "You should know that I can easily sense and dodge such a move with my empowered perception of reality!" Rachel let out a little gasp of disbelief before Zarc continued. "Have you forgotten that I rule over the Monster Spirits, the most sublime and supreme species in the entire universe?! You are just scum, human! Filth like you shouldn't even dare to point their blades at me!" He remarked before the woman was sliced open by her back, Zarc moving so fast that she didn't even perceive that he moved since he returned to his former position faster than light.

As Ray continued to watch the scenes of horror, her eyes twitched in shock and disbelief. "Did he just… beat seven of the thirteen generals within bare moments?! You can't be serious...!" She uttered, Zarc's theme coming to an end in the background.

"One by one is not working...!" Jiyushin, Zarc's father, realized. "In that case…!" He began, uttering an incantation. "Frozen column! Expand and trap them in an icy prison! **Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 55 – Ice Pillar) He shouted, an enormous column of ice growing upwards and trapping Zarc's right arm wielding the sword within it, stuck inside the frozen block of ice.

"Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! **Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei**!" (Spirit Magic 50 – Twin Death Sentence) Seo-yeon yelled, speeding at Zarc with the Kryo-Claws she wore over her right hand's fingers. She stabbed Zarc with them once before retracting her arm and piercing him again.

"Yes! That move can automatically kill anyone who is hit by the full technique, meaning two stabs! In other words, Zarc is dead!" Ray cried out happily.

Zarc's left hand grabbed Seo-yeon by her wrist before he began uttering something. "Twin Death Sentence?" He asked, causing the Korean general to flinch. "What an interesting technique! But it won't work on me!" He stated, looking up and facing his opponent's gaze.

Seo-yeon's eyes twitched in disbelief. "What...?!" She stammered. Zarc began talking anew after that.

"You should know that a battle of Jyujutsu is a battle between Spirit Force, the total power of momentum inside your body so to speak. With my immense Spirit Force, I can easily overpower your silly move! Or break out of my father's!" He declared, his trapped arm freeing itself out of the ice at that. Seo-yeon's shock intensified on her expression as Zarc began grinning at her maliciously, knowing that she couldn't get away due to him holding her in place by her right arm. His own right arm – now freed of the ice and wielding his sword – was raised up into the air, the finishing strike imminent. At once a blackish blade was thrust through Zarc's back, causing him to stop in his tracks and grimace both in pain and surprise.

"How careless of you!" A relaxed voice remarked as it pulled out the blade again, a man rising out of a shadow on the ice pillar at that. "While you were focused on Seo-yeon, I chanted the incantation for **Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu** , my signature technique!"

"Tch!" Zarc gritted his teeth. "Technique 53 – Shadow Sneak?! William, you outback bastard!" He cursed, looking back to the Australian general who faced him with a fairly indifferent expression.

"It's over, Zarc!" Jiyushin declared, looking at his son as he hovered in the air around a hundred feet away from him. "Winter's might! Shroud yourself around me!" He chanted. " **Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 51 – Frost Armor) He yelled as he was surrounded by a protective layer of ice on some parts of his body, also enveloping his sword. Then he charged forward with his blade at the ready.

' _You really are naive. You recklessly charge forward if you see an opportunity for victory. That is your greatest shortcoming, father!'_ Zarc deliberated as he turned to his dad, having strong flashbacks from Aizen vs. the 13 Shinigami-Captains. _'History really repeats itself, doesn't it?'_ He thought to himself, grinning. _'Wait a second, could that mean that...?!'_ He suddenly realized, turning around.

" **Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen**!" (Spirit Magic 54 – Distortion Spiral) Robert Smith stated with a sly grin on his face as he spun his Kryo-Blade above his head.

' _Oh no! This technique distorts my perception of reality! The attack's coming from the other way!'_ Zarc thought in panic, beginning to turn around. Before he could do so, a blade stabbed right through his back.

"Now it's over for you, my son!" Jiyushin declared, a layer of ice forming on the spot of Zarc's chest where the sword came out, making it harder for Zarc to push the blade outwards again. Zarc put a hand around the blade, desperately trying to get it out of his body.

"Errkk... urrrgh... aahhkkk... kuhhhhh!" Zarc groaned in pain, struggling for his life.

Jiyushin's expression remained fierce, holding the blade firmly and laying his other arm around Zarc's neck so that he couldn't get away. Zarc's eyes twitched in strain and agony as he tried to endure the attack long enough to get the lethal blade out of his pierced body. Eventually his trembling intensified before his palm around the blade of Jiyushin's sword became numb and his arm dropped downwards, loosely hanging to the ground. Jiyushin's expression changed as the life left Zarc's body.

' _So I've really done it. I've killed my own son...'_ He thought, uncertain if he should be happy for killing the demonic being that posed a threat to all humans or not.

"They really did it!" One of the foot soldiers of the generals rejoiced. " **The generals managed to kill Zarc!** " He cheered, glad that the terror was finally over. Meanwhile Rachel, Mei and some of the other generals Zarc had beaten before rose up from the ground a bit, slowly recovering from their respective injuries.

-"WE DID IT! WE KILLED THE DEMON!"- The members of the thirteen squads cried out. -" **HE'S FINALLY DEAD!** "- They shouted in joy.

"Good grief, what a persistent bastard!" Robert commented.

"Looks like we turned things around at last!" William chimed in.

"Now we only need to beat the rest of the spirits! But without their leader they have lost a majority of their military strength!" Ferdinand, the commander of the Central American fraction concluded.

Ray's eyes were wide open in shock before she started uttering something, addressing the forces of humanity.

"You..." She began.

"You guys..." She repeated.

" **WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!** " She screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly the image for all people besides Ray altered, the looks of the person pierced by Jiyushin changing into that of an azure haired woman with light green bangs.

"Tsu...mi?!" Jiyushin stammered in horror as he saw his wife in front of him, impaled by his own sword.

"FUCKING SHIT!" Robert cried out in outrage, turning around.

A blade struck down on Ferdinand as a figure appeared next to him out of nowhere.

" **How?!** " Robert asked Zarc while gritting his teeth intensely, the latter just having cut down another commander and levitating in the air next to the fallen general.

"How? That's an interesting question indeed." Zarc retorted, looking up to his opponent hovering in the air above him. "You should know that my **Haōmadou 70 – Kansensaimin** , Technique 70 – Complete Hypnosis, has the ability to disturb all of your five senses, similar to Aizen's ability Kyōka Suigetsu. It can lead you to hallucinate the craziest of things and make you killing your own friends and comrades as a result." Zarc explained.

"That's not what I meant! I asked you how you could cast Jyujutsu without an incantation!" Robert yelled at him in outrage, charging towards Zarc.

"Then let me ask you this: Why do you even think that I still need to say an incantation out loud to cast Jyujutsu?" Zarc responded, staring at him as a dark shadow obscured his face.

"WHAT?!" Robert cried out in disbelief, stopping in his tracks and flying backwards to gain distance from him again.

"So you are retreating, huh? You are shocked that I can perform Jyujutsu on an higher level than you, aren't you?" Zarc inquired. "In that chase it's completely useless to maintain a safe distance from your opponent. It is only of use when you are on par with him – which you obviously aren't!" He remarked, provoking the general. He gritted his teeth at that, but didn't fall for Zarc taunt.

Meanwhile Jiyushin carried his wife downwards as he landed on the ground, resting her head on his lap.

"Jiyu…shin..." Tsumi began weakly, her gaze blurred from the loss of blood. "Why...?" She slowly uttered, causing Jiyushin to tremble in shock and disbelief before the anger finally seized his heart.

" _ **RAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!**_ " He shouted at the top of his lungs, flying towards Zarc with an expression full of rage and lust for revenge.

"WAIT! **GENERAL JIYUSHIN!** " William cried out in shock as their leader charged at Zarc ferociously, giving up his strategy for a berserk attack on the demon.

"You are so full of emotions and openings, …father." Zarc whispered coldly before dodging the attack and cutting off the left half of Jiyushin, starting from his left shoulder downwards. His eyes widened as he realized that he had walked straight into his son's trap.

The other generals followed up, Seo-yeon starting the next attack which Zarc parried effortlessly before Shinjitsu struck down on her. As she was sliced open on her chest area, Zarc shortly passed by to address her.

"Seo-yeon Ryu, huh?" He whispered, his mouth only a few inches from her ear. "You call yourself a dragon? Laughable, the only person worthy of the name "Ryu" is me, Zarc Haoryu!" He stated.

William and Robert appeared above him, Robert slamming down his blade.

' _Supreme shield! Block their assaults and render them useless! **Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori**!' _(Jap.: Supreme King Magic – Almighty Protection) Zarc chanted in his thoughts, a greenish barrier blocking the sword strike of his opponent.

William went for a blow on him with his Kryo-Blade, but Zarc just used Shinjitsu again as he dodged the attack by flying downwards at incredible speed before performing a cross-slash from behind the man, William dropping to the ground as blood dripped from an X-shaped wound. Robert lunged forward again, but Zarc disappeared before his attack could connect. "Ever been stabbed from the behind?" Zarc whispered into his ear as he suddenly stood behind the man's back. Robert's eyes widened in shock as a blade was thrust through his body.

"No… way..." Jiyushin uttered, his brown eyes looking behind him as he and the other defeated generals slowly fell to the ground, blood pouring out of their open wounds.

Zarc levitated in the air. He faced in the opposite direction, and gradually, a sinister smirk formed on his face. "Hmph!" He made a derisive sound.

"He… beat them..." Ray stammered in horror, looking up to her old friend who had just beaten the strongest elite of humanity. "Is there really nobody who can stop him?" She whispered in fear.

"So that is all that humanity has to offer? I am disappointed, I expected more of you!" Zarc addressed the remaining foot soldiers below him, nothing but easy kills for Zarc compared to the skilled generals.

"This will be a slaughter!" Ray realized in panic as she saw how Zarc looked down on them with a bloodthirsty expression.

"Not so fast! You forgot that I'm still here!" Maria exclaimed, hovering in the air several dozen yards away from him.

Zarc redirected his gaze to her. "Oh, you are right, I almost forgot you, my fellow Latino Granny!" He addressed the leader of the US west cost fraction in her light green outfit.

Maria scowled at his choice of words. "Don't be impudent, you impertinent little brat!" She yelled at the demon duelist. "I'm not that old yet!" She shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Zarc responded, waving his left forearm in a dismissive manner. "Why do you even think that you alone can accomplish anything against me?" He questioned the elder woman. "You couldn't even harm me as a group! And don't call these few wounds I received harming me, they are already beginning to heal after all!" Zarc exclaimed as the injuries from Seo-yeon's twin strike and William's shadow empowered stab from behind started to change, new flesh slowly covering his wounds.

Maria grinned. "You know, I don't even want to fight you. My mission was to stay out of the battles as long as possible to check what your abilities were after your evolution into that Semi Transcendent Form. Now that we know about them, we can defeat you!" She stated.

" **WHAT?!** ALL TWELVE OTHER GENERALS WERE JUST A BAIT TO REVEAL MY ABILITIES?!" Zarc cried out in shock.

"That's right! Now the counterattack! Mystical powers of life! I call upon you to mend our wounds! **Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi**!" (Spirit Magic 75 – Total Heal) She yelled, the right hand she rose up emitting a bolt of light shooting skywards. It then rained down upon the fallen generals as yellowish lightnings, healing them as they began rising up again, Jiyushin regrowing his left body parts for instance.

"YOU STILL HAD SUCH A POWERFUL WEAPON UP YOUR SLEEVE?!" Zarc yelled in shock as his opponent's were brought back.

"That's right! Our plan was to check the extent of your power! And now that we know it, we can easily defeat you! Thank you by the way, Maria! Without your technique we could have never worked out and executed such a strategy!" Jiyushin addressed the other general.

"No problem. But I don't think that I have enough Spirit Force to cast another revival-spell." She retorted, panting from the exhaustion.

"That's fine! We only need this one opportunity after all! Now then, let us start the final offensive of humanity!" He stated.

-" **UH**!"- All generals and his wife Tsumi cried out in unison. After that, their auras flared to life, sending colorful beams of momentum at Jiyushin as they transmitted a good part of their remaining Spirit Force to him.

"WHAT?! They are giving their momentum to you?!" Zarc cried out in disbelief as Jiyushin powered up with the energy he slowly gained from his comrades.

"That's right." He replied. "To cast the next technique, a tremendous amount of Spirit Force is required. It is the strongest Jyujutsu-Spell a human can use, a final spell that will put and end to you, Zarc!" Jiyushin declared.

"Does that mean that your move is...?!" Zarc began, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yes! Great power of friendship, love and hope! Now manifest and lead us to victory! The ultimate spell Born from our bonds! **Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 79 – Collective Momentum) He shouted as a burst of energy was emitted from his body, causing him and his allies to be enveloped by thick layers of colorful momentum as the strength of their auras grew, being even stronger than before when they had sacrificed a part of it to lend it to their leader.

"No way! Technique Number 79?! That's the highest one of us can use!" Ray commented in awe and surprise as she observed the events unfolding before her.

"This is the technique that symbolizes the true nature of us humans! While we used to fight between each other a lot, we can also join our forces! And when we do that, there's no obstacle we cannot climb over! Behold, Zarc, this is the power of our bonds!" Jiyushin cried out.

"YOUR TRUE NATURE?!" Zarc exploded in rage. "YOUR TRUE NATURE IS BEING A BUNCH OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE MONSTERS! DON'T EVEN DARE TO TELL ME THAT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING BY TEAMING UP WHEN YOU USUALLY FIGHT ALL THE TIME, **YOU DIRTY HYPOCRITES!** " Zarc yelled at the top of his lungs before launching down at his father, wildly swinging his blade with an expression of sheer fury and outrage. As it drew near Jiyushin, the general simply stretched out his left arm and caught the blade between two of his fingers.

' _WHAT?! HE CAUGHT IT?!'_ Zarc thought in horror, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"You seem quite surprised." His father addressed him in a nonchalant tone. "Was it really such a mind-blowing thing to you? Yes, I did catch your sword. Does that scare you?" He stated calmly.

"Very funny, father!" Zarc uttered through gritted teeth, jumping back a few meters. "I am sick of you, filthy scum! I don't know how much power you gained from that technique of yours, but it will never be able to stand up to a transcendent being such as myself! I will make sure an anomaly like that never happens again by crushing you with my Haōmadou!" Then he began chanting out loud.

"SINISTER COFFIN OF DOOM! FORM AROUND MY FOES AND BURY THEM IN YOUR GRAVITATION BEFORE THEY SHALL BE PIERCED BY THE BLACKISH SPEARS! THE BLACK GRAVE SHALL BE THE END OF YOU! **HAŌMADOU 80 – KUROHITSUGI**!" (Supreme King Magic 80 – Black Coffin) He shouted at the top of his lungs as black walls appeared around Jiyushin, slowly closing the gaps in their initial network of holey frames, enveloping him fully until nothing of him remained visible. "A Jyujutsu-Spell of more than number 79, empowered by Haōmadou and with a spoken incantation, performed by one who transcends both Monster Spirit and human! THIS ATTACK WILL FINISH YOU!" Zarc declared as black spears begun piercing into the black cube. Suddenly it shattered and the black walls collapsed.

" **WHAT?! YOU BROKE THE BLACK COFFIN?!** " Zarc cried out in utter shock as he saw how his father had broken free from the dark prison.

"Yes, I did. I told you that the power of us humans can lead to miracles, didn't I?" Jiyushin addressed his son. Zarc gritted his teeth before his father continued to talk. "You have made your attack! Now it's our move!" He shouted with a fierce expression on his face before he appeared next to Zarc, punching him in the face with a fist enveloped by ice, sending him upwards.

' _WHAT?! HE'S FASTER THAN ME?!'_ Zarc thought while his face distorted through the impact. Suddenly his mother appeared behind him, her hand charging up an attack with the blade she held.

"Dark flood of destruction! Drown my enemies underneath your waves of annihilation! Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami!" She cried out, unleashing a wave of darkness that clashed against Zarc and threw him back into the opposite direction again with a loud scream of pain on his behalf.

"Time for our combination again!" Aron cried out, jumping into the air alongside Abdullah as they readied their attacks.

"Uh!" His comrade retorted before they chanted their respective incantation in a whispered tone.

"Blowing gale! Rage and strike down my foe!" Aron said, winding up his arm.

"Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash!" Abdullah told, directing his palm towards Zarc.

-"Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken!" / "Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira!"- They cried out respectively, Aron's gust mixing with Abdullah's flame burst to become a firestorm.

"DO YOU NEVER LEARN?! I WILL SIMPLY COUNTER YOUR MOVE AGAIN!" Zarc shot back at them. "GREAT INFERNO! SPARK TO LIFE AND CONSUME MY ENEMIES IN YOUR BLAZING TIDES! **HAŌMADOU 67 – NENSHŌKŌZUI!** " He yelled at the top of his lungs as he sent another inferno at the Near East-Duo. Unlike before it wasn't able to overpower them though, resulting in Zarc's counterattack failing and him suffering fourth-degree burns.

" **Aaargh!** But I still have my regeneration, so this little injury won't matter!" Zarc yelled.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that!" Viktor retorted, appearing right next to Zarc with his right arm enveloped by black burning flames, having already uttered the incantation for his spell. Zarc grimaced as the fist shot towards him, hitting his face before he could react. "Do you see that?! This is the power of Mother Russia!" Viktor shouted as he dealt a heavy blow to Zarc, causing him to cough up some blood as a result while he was pushed back a few meters from the enormous impact.

" **Hrrgh!** " He yelled as his face exploded in agony, Viktor's fist hitting him. "It won't matter!" Zarc shot back as he rubbed his hurting cheek with a scowl on his face.

"You think so?" Viktor grinned at him. "You should know that my **Reikonmadou 41 – Kōhaihaji** (Spirit Magic 41 – Disintegration Grip) possesses the power to prevent all healing the person hit by this ability would normally receive – for an entire day that is!" He stated victoriously.

"So my regeneration is disabled now?!" Zarc addressed him in rage and disbelief.

Viktor laughed. "Yes! Oh, and by the way, you will get the next hit shortly! Beat him up, guys!" He addressed the rest of the group.

"Right on it!" Rachel declared. " **Reikonmadou 44 – Piasuyari**!" (Spirit Magic 44 – Piercing Spear) She shouted, abruptly stabbing Zarc with her Reikonmadou-empowered spear.

" **GACK!** " Zarc yelled in pain as he was pierced by Rachel. He flew away and escaped out of her range, covering his chest with his left hand, his expression changing into a scowl with gritted teeth from all the wounds he had received, trying to stop the outflow of blood.

"YES! THEY ARE BEATING HIM NOW!" Ray exclaimed as she observed how the generals cornered Zarc more and more.

"The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori!" Mei shouted before the Chinese general sent a petal storm at Zarc, the demon duelist receiving multiple hundreds of painful looking cuts at that.

" **TCH!** " Zarc hissed as he had to endure another attack.

"Obscure shadows! Take me in and transport me to my destination! Give me the power to tear open my foes with a sinister blade! Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu!" William shouted before vanishing into a shadow on the ground, reappearing from the shadow Zarc cast on the ground below him as the feared demon had dropped downwards from the previous series of attacks, bringing him into the range of the stab the Australian general performed with his shadow-empowered blade.

" **GAH!** " He yelled as he received another major injury. Zarc staggered backwards, trying to get out of the combo he had gotten himself into. Before he came far however, the Middle American general clad in an orange outfit took revenge for the surprise attack of the transcendent dragon when said person had used his Complete Hypnosis-spell on the generals and foot soldiers.

" **Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic 52 – Drowning Bubble) Ferdinand yelled, an orb of water appearing around Zarc's head. The demon duelist ran around wildly, but the sphere of water followed him, threatening his life through lack of oxygen since this spell possessed the power to cause its victim to drown multiple times faster than under normal conditions. Eventually he cut it open with his blade, bursting the bubble and causing it to disappear. As he regained sight, he immediately saw the next attack heading towards him.

"Do you think I have the nickname "Golden Slasher of Berlin" without a reason?!" Thomas cried out before he began chanting. "Thunder and storm! Turn into a blade that bisects my enemies! **Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic – Lightning Blade) He shouted, his Kryo-Blade being enveloped by yellow voltage before it struck down on Zarc's left shoulder, causing the demon to scream in pain for yet another time as the electricity surged over his wet body, the water from the burst bubble conducting the voltage.

"Gale of Iron! Rage and pierce! Destroy them in a shower of nails! **Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame**!" (Jap.: Spirit Magic – Needle Rain) Jose Santos, leader of the South American forces, cried out as he unleashed a barrage of metallic projectiles at Zarc. Zarc spat out even more blood as the needles effortlessly pierced through his body, leaving several dozens of nasty looking holes on his body.

"WE ARE NOT FINISHED YET!" Seo-yeon screamed, appearing on the ground behind Zarc with her Kryo-Claws aimed at him. "Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei!" She cried out, using the twin death strike again.

" **DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME! I CAN STILL DODGE YOUR ATTACK!** " He spat at her in anger.

"Are you sure about that?" A voice behind him stated.

" **WHAT?!** " Zarc began, turning around.

"Distorting mirror! Disturb their senses and fool them! Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen!" Robert, the former office-worker and current general of the eastern part of North America stated, spinning his blade around above his head once more.

"No! The attack is coming from another angle again!" Zarc realized, turning around in search of the real Seo-yeon. Before he could accomplish that, he was stabbed twice in quick succession though, prompting him to wince in pain.

"And now I will have my revenge as well!" Robert declared, speeding at Zarc as his comrade's attack connected, adding insult to injury with another stab into Zarc.

" **AAAAAAARRRGGH!** " Zarc screamed as he suffered additional attacks, further injuring him. Suddenly his father appeared in front of him.

Zarc gasped in surprise before he jumped backwards onto a nearby hill, trying to get away from the next attack.

"You know, you said these words to Robert before, so now I'll ask them to you as well!" Jiyushin began. "Why did you just retreat from me when the difference in power makes maintaining distance between us useless?" He asked his son.

( 17, again mainly for reference purposes)

Zarc gritted his teeth, his sight blurred from both the loss of blood and the sheer anger that now consumed him.

"I see how it is...!" Zarc began, his eyes twitching in anger and his blade shaking in his hand. "ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU LURED ME INTO THIS TRAP USING YOUR DUELIST FRIENDS AS A BAIT?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU MANAGED TO PREVENT ME FROM USING MY CARDS BY NOT GIVING ME ANY TIME WITH YOUR CONSTANT ATTACKS?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU CORNERED AND OUTSMARTED ME WITH YOUR STRATEGY?! ARE YOU PROUD FOR PLANING TO ATTACK ME WHEN NONE OF MY MONSTER ARMIES WAS NEARBY TO HELP ME?! **ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO CATCH MY SWORD?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU BROKE MY BLACK COFFIN?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU OVERPOWERED MY HAŌMADOU WITH YOUR NORMAL REIKONMADOU USING YOUR COLLECTIVE POWER?! ARE YOU PROUD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO WOUND ME?!** " He asked them, his fury rising with every sentence as blood dripped to the ground from his many wounds, creating a small pool beneath his feet. " _ **DON'T BE SO ARROGANT AND FULL OF YOURSELVES,**_ _ **YOU FILTHY HUMANS!**_ " He screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes and mouth widening in sheer outrage, shouting downwards at his opponents.

Suddenly a reaction happened on his chest area, now bare to see through all the cuts and stabs. On its middle, a rainbow colored light began shining, the glow slowly spreading over his body in thin, artery-like lines.

"What is he doing?!" Tsumi cried out in confusion and terror as she observed how her son changed.

"Wait! Is that his Destiny Factor?!" Ray exclaimed in shock as she realized that the glow looked exactly like his Chūshin's, his Monster Spirit-Heart which Zarc had shown her before. Zarc's eyes twitched, their scleras slowly blackening out, his pupils turning even more golden and reptilian.

" _ **HYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHH!**_ " Zarc began yelling, collapsing onto his knees as he transformed.

A pillar of dark red, purplish light shot skywards as Zarc kept screaming, his cries echoing louder with every second.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!**_ " He shouted, his voice audible around the globe as his flesh burst open, blood splashing into all directions as everything organic on the outer parts of his body was stripped away. Tides of blood covered the top of the hill on which Zarc was standing, slowly flowing downwards as a white figure rose up, its right hand resting on the ground and gradually pushing it up.

"I knew it." The creature spoke up in a low pitch as its head was gradually being raised upwards again. It had three pairs of completely white wings with dragon heads on the upper tips on their outsides, their maws partially open and looking sideways. The body of the being was completely white, a colorful glowing object right beneath the middle of its chest, throbbing vividly. The creature also possessed a long tail of white color, twitching around a bit in anticipation. The claws on its toes and hands were black and razor-sharp, the teeth white and shark-like, meaning broad and cuneiform, but even wider and sharper than the ones sharks had from the looks of it. Lastly it had a mask-like layer of black scales over its head, covering everything but the white ears, which protruded from little holes in the mask, and the eyes, now completely dragon-like with shining golden irises and slit pupils of pitch black color, the scleras around the irises completely black as well. The white and light green hairs weren't covered as well, blowing in the wind. "I just knew it!" He repeated. "You won't allow it, oh mighty Destiny Factor?" Zarc said in a monologue, addressing the heart-like orb that was not even an inch beneath the surface of his chest now. "FOR ME TO SUCCUMB TO A BUNCH OF MERE HUMANS!" Zarc shouted before one of the dragon maws on his wings charged up an attack as a little sphere of red color, not even three inches in diameter, was created in front of the jaw before Zarc turned around and his wing moved, hurling the orb backwards. It traveled westwards over the country and sea and exploded after roughly five seconds, a huge fireball visible on the other side of the Japanese Sea.

"What was that attack?!" Ray cried out in horror as she observed the enormous explosion.

"Hmm. So that's the power one of these attacks has when performed with one millionth of its maximum strength, I see!" Zarc stated in the deep voice of his new form, looking westwards in his now changed appearance.

"WHAT?! THAT WAS ONLY ONE MILLIONTH OF YOUR NEW POWER?!" Seo-yeon screamed in horror.

Zarc nodded, his black head slightly shaking up and downwards. "Yes. But it was still enough to destroy the entire peninsula of Korea with one shot. In other words, it has the power of multiple nuclear bombs, even in its weaker form. Quite impressive, right?" He addressed her.

" **You bastard!** You destroyed my country! You will pay for that!"

"Hmm, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Zarc retorted. "After all, I still have to show you the full power of one of those blasts. Plus I have only acquired this form just now, so I'm still far from reaching the limits of this new stage of my evolution. I'd say it's about ten times stronger once I've mastered it. And I can also lower the area the blasts impact in order to increase the destruction capability of them, trade explosion range of my attacks for power by compressing them so to speak. And as you can guess, I can also just use all six maws on my wings at once. In other words, you are nothing before this form!" He stated, pointing at his new and improved self of black and white color.

"But what is this form anyway?! How could you power up so drastically in mere moments?!" His father addressed him.

"Oh? How I could become so powerful just like that? That's easy, because the Destiny Factor, the source of my godly powers, has sensed that my resolve changed! Whenever it acknowledges me more than before, my power rises as a result! Previously I was only semi transcendent since there was still humanity left inside my body, hence why my skin was gray instead of white. That color symbolizes imperfection, pollution by humanity inside of ones body so to speak. But now I have pushed humanity out of me entirely, resulting in the circumstance that my skin is white now. It is – just like the black scaled part on my head – a symbol of tranquility and sublimity, pure colors of the extremes which are nowhere in between, but on the ends of the color spectrum instead, expression of absoluteness! The black scales are a symbol of the Supreme Dragon King! And the human part of my body was eliminated, leaving back nothing but a white emptiness! A hollowfication so to speak!" Zarc stated, grinning devilishly with his shark-like teeth.

"Hollowfication?!" Jiyushin repeated, sweat running down his cheeks in fear. "But if you pushed out every bit of humanity inside you and became a Monster Spirit entirely, you can't harm us anymore!" He shot back.

"Well, entirely was maybe a bit much. I left back one human cell inside my body so that I could still kill you of course!" Zarc replied. "It's kind of amusing, isn't it? I only have one cell of your kind left inside my body and I could still destroy the entirety of Korea. I guess that is pretty much the perfect example that the potential to harm life resting inside your bodies is far higher than in any other species! I am a spirit to almost 100 percent and the one cell of human origin still outweighs the entire rest of my body in that regard! But at least this source of violence left from my old self will come in handy now as I destroy you! BEHOLD, THIS IS THE POWER OF MY FULLY TRANSCENDENT FORM!" He declared in a loud voice.

"Fully Transcendent?! You really managed to get to that point?!" Jiyushin addressed his son in horror.

"Indeed! Now nobody in this world can match my strength anymore! But anyway, let the massacre begin!" He shouted as his demonic countenance twisted, causing him to look even scarier than before.

" _It happened again!"_ The ominous voice watching the battle began anew. _"Whenever Zarc is cornered, he transcends his limits even further! Tremble, puny humans, this is the power of a god!"_ It declared in a victorious tone.

"You know what, father? Because you all fought so bravely, I will show you the true extent of my power instead of just finishing you off with this form!" The demonic Zarc spoke up again.

"You mean... this isn't even your full power yet?!" His mother addressed him a frightful voice.

"No. There's an even greater power inside me which I just unlocked, and as a reward, I will show it to you now!" Zarc declared before he reached for his sword and raised it upwards.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification"; this time audible to the characters)

"Wait, this is "Invasion"!" Ray exclaimed, recognizing the melody of the soundtrack beginning in the background. "If Zarc plays another Bleach-OST, that can't mean anything good, considering that he transformed into a dragon when he did it for the first time!" She stated in fear of his plans.

Zarc rose Shinjitsu to the height of his eyes before he began uttering something. His dragonic eyes gazed ahead eerily as the blade in front of them began emitting a radiance of scarlet color, bathing him and his surroundings in a sinister, reddish light.

" **Ten… kai!** " Zarc spoke, holding the sword by its handle with its blade diagonally downwards. "Subjugate them all, **Zettai no Shijō!** " He said as the light coming from his blade intensified. At once he began raising up into the air, levitating upwards as the six white wings grew in size, extending as a black layer of scales formed around them, framing his former wings by increasing their total wingspan by around eight feet in all upper directions. Furthermore the dragon heads on the former end of his wings – now roughly in the middle of the upper border – shifted upwards to the new upper end and gained black scales, covering everything except their teeth and causing them to look a bit like his Supreme Dragon King Zarc's head. He also grew a fourth pair of wings, longer than the other ones and light green in color while the wingspans themselves were black – just like the wings of the Supreme Dragon King so to speak. His main body got covered with black scales too, some parts of his torso receiving an almost armor-like protective layer of pitch black color. Two white horns pointing upwards in a curve extended from both sides of his head, growing out of the area above his ears. His blade was enveloped by a glow mixed of dark red and blackish particles at he rose it above his head, continuing to ascend at slow pace.

"What is this glow?!" Jiyushin addressed him in shock.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

Zarc looked back with an indifferent expression as the lyrics began. "This, father, is Tenkai, the Heavenly Release. Similar to the Shikai and Bankai, which are the manifestations of a Shinigami's soul in Bleach, the Tenkai is the manifestation of my soul. It can only be used by a transcendent being like myself and possesses abilities of such tremendous power that it renders all of your efforts completely useless. My Tenkai "Zettai no Shijō" for instance not only strengthens my physical body and Spirit Force by around ten times, indicated by this change of appearance which I call my Super Transcendent Form, but also suppresses all Jyujutsu around me, just as its name "Absolute Supremacy" suggests." Zarc explained as his weapon kept glowing and the generals remaining in their air slowly sunk to the ground as their flying-spell lost its effect through Zarc's Tenkai.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

"WHAT?! You mean our magic is completely locked now?!" Jiyushin cried out in horror.

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"Yes, father. This is the power of a transcendent being no human is able to overcome! But let's no stop here! Because there is one ability of my Tenkai I haven't told you about yet!"

"ANOTHER ABILITY?!" He shouted in disbelief as the interlude began.

"That's right. It is the ability to completely transcend all former boundaries! Just watch!" He said, raising his arm afterwards. "COME FORTH, ODD-EYES DRAGON!" He yelled, his dragon appearing at that.

"Wait, did you just summon your monster without using the card or a duel disk?!" Tsumi addressed him.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, as the liberator I could do that already. But this time it's different. Before, my dragons could only attack with moves similar to their ingame-attacks. But now they can also use their effects on you, just as if we played a match of Duel Monsters and as if you were monsters instead of humans! Also I can use spells and traps as if we were in a duel!" He explained.

"Wait, does that mean...?!" She began.

"Exactly! I crossed the limit between life and duel, between reality and game! Now all of my monsters and cards can fight just as they can in a duel!"

"No... way..." She uttered before Zarc pointed upwards again.

"COME FORTH!" He shouted. "DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON! CLEAR WING SYNCHRO DRAGON! STARVE VENOM FUSION DRAGON! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON ODD-EYES! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON DARK REBELLION! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON CLEAR WING! SUPREME KING SERVANT DRAGON STARVE VENOM!" He yelled, one dragon after the other appearing. The generals gasped in terror as the remaining three of the four Heavenly Dragons and their four sinister counterparts appeared before them, more realistic than ever before.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

" **AND FINALLY, THE SUPREME DRAGON KING ZARC!** " The super transcendent liberator shouted as his ultimate creature appeared, now thrice as big than before, hovering above the thirteen generals menacingly with around three hundred meters – or in other words roughly a thousand feet – in height.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"WHAT?! But the Supreme Dragon King is a being created by your union with the four dragons! How can you all be here at once?!" Jiyushin addressed his son.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"Oh, that's easy to explain, father! My Tenkai has, like its name Absolute Supremacy already indicates, the power of absolute transcendence! I can even sever the connection between cause and effect with this power!" Zarc retorted. "That's why all of us can be here at the same time! And before you ask about the size increase of the Supreme Dragon King, that is because I powered up by climbing two steps on the transcendence-ladder!" He concluded.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

"Im...possible..." He uttered in shock as he looked at the nine dragons and Zarc in his Super Transcendent Form.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

"Do you realize it now?! Before my godly powers, your puny efforts are futile!" Zarc stated. "No matter how often you try, I will always overpower you! That is the trademark of a god! That is the trademark of me, Zarc! NOW FALL ONTO YOUR KNEES AS YOU ARE ANNIHILATED BY MY SUPREME POWER!" He shouted as the background track came to an end.

( 15 Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification" end)

"This is unreal!" Ray uttered in disbelief. "He can even use cards in Real Life now?! Where does he get all this power from?!" She said to herself.

" _Where he gets it from?! From me of course!"_ The ominous voice from above retorted unheard to her. _"And every time he powers up, more and more of my chains are being shattered! At this rate it won't long until I regain all of my former strength and glory! That is the power of me, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, the power of a god!"_ It shouted. _"Now then, let us observe how the last hope of humanity is vanquished by Zarc!"_

"It's time." Zarc stated, closing his eyes. "Now I will wipe out the last serious resistance of mankind and settle this war once and for all! Now then, what track to play? Oh, how about some OST from Shin Godzilla? The lyrics are pretty fitting after all since I am an all-powerful apocalyptic dragon who will kill all humans to avenge their atrocities against Monster Spirits! Though I should probably alter some lines a bit." He stated before a new background theme began playing.

( 18, Black Angels - Shin Godzilla OST)

"The end of humanity is imminent!" He yelled as the trumpets began playing in the background. "Go, Odd-Eyes! Attack Mei! Spiral Flame!" He cried out, pointing at the Chinese general.

"I can still dodge your attack!" She shot back before she began to move sideways. Suddenly her body froze, unable to continue any further. "What the...?!" She uttered in confusion and shock. "Why can't I move?!"

"Oh, that's because I can immobilize you with the sheer might of the enormous Spirit Force I have in this form!" Zarc retorted. "Now destroy her, Odd-Eyes!" He shouted, a red spiral striking down on her. "Now Odd-Eyes' effect! He inflicts half of your ATK to you as damage! Since we aren't in a duel right now, this means that you will suffer half of your remaining Spirit Force as physical damage! Furthermore my Supreme Servant Dragon Odd-Eyes doubles the normal damage from the attack and Servant Dragon Starve Venom grants my monsters piercing battle damage, which is equivalent to ignoring half of your defenses in Real Life! Now do it, my dragons!" He yelled as three abilities combined, knocking the woman even further away as she was killed.

The first violin sounds began at that.

"Next up I will attack you with Dark Rebellion!" He shouted as his black dragon attacked William, the Australian leader. "Now Dark Rebellion's effect! Treason Discharge! Destroy him with Lightning Rebellion Disobey!" He yelled, his dragon stealing half of William's Spirit Force before bisecting the man. "Just for good measure my two other dragons will use their effects again!" Zarc remarked as Servant Odd-Eyes and Starve Venom came in with their supportive abilities again.

The violins grew in volume at that, a male choir beginning to sing in the background.

"Next up my Servant Odd-Eyes and Dark Rebellion will battle you two!" Zarc declared as his two dragons redirected to the Near East-Duo, Aron and Abdullah. "Servant Dark Rebellion will drain all of Aron's Spirit Force and then attack with the doubled damage support from Servant Odd-Eyes' effect! Odd-Eyes, you aim at Abdullah!" He shouted as his two dragons killed the next two generals.

-Out of revenge! -

-We will fight!

-To the end!-

"Damn! If we could just use Reikonmadou, we could do something! With our Kryo-Weapons alone we are powerless against these dragons!" Robert uttered, gritting his teeth.

-As the prophet of doom!-

-Will bring silence again!-

-You will be crushed!-

-To despair!-

"You are next, east cost bastard!" Zarc yelled at the general from North America. "Starve Venom Fusion Dragon activates his effect! He temporarily gains power equal to all of your combined Spirit Force! Starving Absorption! Then he attacks you! Poison Death Sentence – Hell's Aurora!" The demon duelist shouted as his dragon fired its signature attack at Robert.

-With no blood!-

-To be spared!-

-As a thunderous cloud!-

-Shall descend like black angels of the lord!-

"Then my Starve Venoms will both have some fun! They use their abilities to steal yours! Meaning they can both cast a Reikonmadou-Spell from one of you! I select Ferdinand's Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu for the both of them!" Zarc declared. "Now use them, my dragons! Starve Venom on Ferdinand and Servant Starve Venom on Thomas!" He cried out, his dragons roaring before two bubbles of water appeared around the heads of the respective generals. "AND?! HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO DROWN BY YOUR OWN SPELL?!" Zarc screamed at Ferdinand as he watched how he ran around wildly, trying to get rid of it. Eventually he and the German commander collapsed as they died from the lack of oxygen.

The interlude began.

"It's unfortunate that you can't cast Reikonmadou anymore, otherwise my Clear Wing could power up by negating and reflecting it with Dichroic Mirror." Zarc stated. "But I guess a normal attack will do as well! Helldive Whirlwind Slasher!" He screamed as his dragon spiraled downwards, killing the Russian commander Viktor.

"Next up my Servant Starve Venom will attack your old ass, my dear Latino Granny!" Zarc cried out as his purple dragon shot a purplish beam from its chest, annihilating the aged west cost general.

"Now I only have one attack left! But I want to save Supreme Dragon King Zarc for my parents, so my big dragon won't finish you off!" The demon duelist addressed the remaining generals aside from his father as the refrain began anew.

-OUT OF REVENGE! -

-WE WILL FIGHT!-

-TO THE END!-

-AS THE PROPHET OF DOOM!-

-WILL BRING SILENCE AGAIN!-

"I will equip my Servant Clear Wing with Supreme Presence! Then he attacks!" His dragon began its assault at that before Zarc interrupted it. "Now Servant Clear Wing's effect! He negates the battle and inflicts your ATK – or in this case Spirit Force – as damage! But now his equip spell kicks in and makes it an area-of-effect attack! All three of you are now affected and receive the damage!" He shouted as his dragon emitted beams of greenish light that struck down on Rachel, Jose and Seo-yeon, killing the African, South American and Korean general.

-YOU WILL BE CRUSHED!-

-TO DESPAIR!-

"He kills them all! One by one they die!" Ray uttered in horror as Zarc's monsters fought in Real Life and took down the elite of humanity, one after the other.

-WITH NO BLOOD!-

-TO BE SPARED!-

-AS A THUNDEROUS CLOUD!-

-SHALL DESCEND LIKE BLACK ANGELS OF THE LORD!-

"Now Supreme Dragon King Zarc attacks you, mother!" Zarc shouted, pointing down at Tsumi. "DESTRUCTION STREAM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING – MAXIMUM DESPAIR!" His dragon charged up a green ray of energy and unleashed it upon her after Zarc had yelled the command.

"And finally, I will kill you, father!" Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs as the final instrumental part began. He sped upwards until he was right above him, the six maws on the wings with the dragon heads charging up six orbs of red light. Zarc began talking to Jiyushin anew as they prepared the final attack. "The attack before which destroyed the Korean peninsula had a power of roughly one hundred medium-sized nuclear bombs. With their full power, being one million times higher, as well as all six maws and the times ten power increase from my Super Transcendent Form, this explosion will have the power of six billion nukes! And if I decrease the explosion radius to mere square meters rather than the over two hundred thousand square kilometers, I can increase the impact even more! IT'S OVER, FATHER!" Zarc shouted as he hurled the six orbs downwards, all of them uniting to a bigger sphere before they collided with Jiyushin, resulting in a deafening explosion, the music ending simultaneously.

( 18 Black Angels - Shin Godzilla OST end)

Zarc descended to the ground. "Now I only need to make sure that all generals are really dead and crush their foot soldiers while I'm already at it!" He remarked before chanting an incantation. "The dark sarcophagus will close around you! The sinister might will nail your coffins and send you to oblivion! Now be enveloped by sheer darkness and perish! **Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan**!" (Jap: Supreme King Magic 90 – Black Sarcophagus) Zarc cried out as the bodies of the generals and his mother were surrounded by black walls forming a sarcophagus around each of them, similar to his Black Coffin-spell. Then spears of the same kind as the previous spell pierced into the sarcophagi, but much more and much stronger than with his Kurohitsugi.

"Good. Now that that's done, I'll deal with the rest of you guys!" Zarc continued, looking up to the around three thousand soldiers from the thirteen squads, most of them stiff and frozen in shock at Zarc's enormous and unbelievable power.

"Dark hole of nothingness! Open beneath them and pull them down into your embrace of death! The void shall now accept their bodies as an offering! **Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 99 – Black World) Zarc chanted before the ground beneath all human troops turned black and they slowly sunk down into the vast nothingness, screaming in agony as they were consumed by Zarc's spell.

" **No way! He defeated all of them! He wiped out the entire elite of mankind!** " Ray uttered in horror, retreating a bit more towards the rock she was hiding behind, trembling in fear.

Zarc turned around and looked to the fallen generals, the black sarcophagi having already dissolved in the meantime. "So these two are still living, huh?" He said to himself in a monologue, approaching the first. He crouched down and looked into the eyes of the woman beneath him.

"Z-z-zarc..." Tsumi uttered weakly, looking up to her son, the life slowly leaving her body. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't give you the life you deserved! I shouldn't have given you away and abandoned you! I wish that I could make you happy at least once before... before... I'll die..." She addressed him, having a regretful expression on her face.

While Zarc hated the humans with every fiber of his being, something deep inside him was still moved by the heartbreaking expression on her face as the last human cell inside his body was activated by her final words.

"I understand. But don't worry, you have already made me happy, mother." He addressed her in a reassuring voice, the black scales over his face falling off the front of his head, revealing Zarc's real face again instead of the demonic mask from his Fully Transcendent Form, reverting his low pitch back to normal as well. He cradled her head in his arms as he began his last conversation with her. "You know, I always used to hate you and father because you sent me to the orphanage instead of keeping me. But I'm not mad at you because of that anymore. Neither am I mad at you for being a human and trying to kill me. You just wanted to protect what you hold dear, your race; and I can respect that, after all, I'm doing the same with the spirits. But even if we were enemies just now, the fact that you regretted your past shows that you were my real parents after all, not some people who never cared about me as I always thought. And that makes me happier than any childhood I could have ever had with you and father." He told her in a soothing voice.

"Zarc... I... love... you..." She whispered in a faint tone before her eyes closed forever.

Zarc gently stroked her face before bowing down and kissing her on the forehead. "Rest in peace, mother." He whispered as he rose up again. He walked over to his father who was lying on the ground, his body complete black from the explosion of Zarc's blasts. He looked down at him, Jiyushin's eyes still open with an empty gaze, no trace of fighting spirit visible anymore. As Zarc rose his blade to finish him off, Jiyushin spoke up and interrupted him.

"Don't bother. The power of the blasts you sent at me and the Black Sarcophagus was enough already. Despite all the momentum the generals transferred to my body for casting the spell, I don't have long to live anymore." He uttered, coughing up some blood after the last sentence.

Zarc shifted the blade away from him again and crouched down, seeking one last conversation with the man who had created him as well. "So this is how it ends? I never thought that I would see you again, father." He addressed Jiyushin.

"Yes, me neither." He replied. "I hoped that I would see you again on good terms, not trying to kill my own son." Jiyushin said.

"Same. But as I already said to mother, I don't hold a grudge on you for that attempt to take my life. You had your reasons after all." Zarc retorted.

Jiyushin smiled. "That's good. At least I won't die with my son hating me." Then he remembered what Zarc had told about his wife. "What about Tsumi? Is she...?" He began. Zarc nodded sadly, averting his eyes a bit. "I see." Jiyushin continued. "But since I will follow her soon, that won't matter too much, I suppose." He laughed weakly at that, causing Zarc to smile sheepishly, uncertain how to properly react to the current situation.

"Dad." Zarc spoke up, addressing his father again.

"Yes, Zarc?" He retorted, his voice getting weaker as the energy slowly left him.

"Why did you name me like that? I heard that you chose my name. The educator back in the orphanage told me that." He asked his father.

"You mean Zarc? Well, do you know the biblical story of Noah's Ark?" He responded.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah. It was a ship a man named Noah built as god wanted to drown humanity in a world-engulfing flood. The humans had become bad and evil, so God decided to get rid of them. The only humans who were still righteous were Noah and his family. God instructed them to build a ship and they brought a pair of every kind of animal onto that ship to repopulate the earth after the flood. After they had boarded the ship, the flood began as massive rain showers started, wiping out all life. As the flood retreated, they emerged from the ship and a new era began." Zarc narrated.

"That's right. And just like in this story, I hoped that you could also bring about a new era for humanity once you were older, just like the ark did. I might have been careless back then, but I still wished the best for you, even if I had been an irresponsible parent."

"I see." Zarc stated in a whispered tone. "But ark ends with K. Why did you substitute the last letter for a C?" He asked him.

"Just like your original last name Kyuseishu – Messiah –, the letter C stands for a great savior, one who washed away the sins of humanity." Jiyushin responded.

"Jesus Christ, the messiah of the Christians." Zarc answered, prompting his father to nod.

"Yes. Just like him, I thought that you could change humanity for the better one day." His father replied.

"I understand. And what about the first letter, the Z?" Zarc inquired.

Jiyushin laughed. "Oh, this doesn't have such a deep and pensive reason! It was mainly because you were the last thing I expected back then when I was just a brain-dead fuck-machine, just like the letter Z is the last one in the alphabet." He explained.

"So that's why my name is Zarc. I see." He stated. "But your choice wasn't stupid, after all, everything came true."

"How come?" His father asked him with a slight hint of confusion in his voice.

"You just need to interpret it differently, then it all makes sense." Zarc retorted. "There is also a life-extinguishing flood ahead of us right now, my plan of dark purification that drowns wicked humanity. And just like the ark only had a limited amount of space for beings to survive the flood and live on, my plan only has space for Monster Spirits. Only they will fit into my ark, the rest has to perish before the water retreats and a new era begins. Then the next part is also fitting, just like Jesus, I will wash away the sins of humanity and become a savior, a savior who will make sure that no sin is ever committed again by eradicating their cause – mankind – while also freeing the Monster Spirits and becoming their messiah. And lastly I will change this world through destruction, the last thing in a world before it comes to an end, just like the letter Z is the last thing in the alphabet. So in a sense, all of your predictions were true. But I guess that was to be expected considering the influence the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor has on fate itself." Zarc told.

"The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?" Jiyushin inquired. Zarc nodded and gave him a brief version of the ancient legend. "I see." His father stated after hearing it. "So after all, you weren't as bad as I thought. When I saw how you began your genocide, I condemned you and myself at first, believing that I'd given birth to a heartless demon. But it turns out that you had a good reason for your actions. And now knowing why you did what you did, I forgive you for your actions." He told Zarc, looking up to him with a friendly and forgiving expression.

"Thank you, dad." Zarc uttered quietly, turning away from him a bit as a single tear began welling up in his right eye, not wanting to show his own weakness to his father.

"Our philosophies and loyalties might differ, but I'm still proud of you, my son." Jiyushin whispered before he abruptly stopped moving, becoming completely silent.

"Dad? Dad?!" Zarc addressed him, shaking him slightly as he grabbed his shoulders. As he didn't show any reaction, Zarc shut Jiyushin's still open eyes with two of his fingers, rising up afterwards while wiping the tears from his eyes.

Zarc stood still for a while, trying to process the things that had happened. "I should give you two a proper funeral at least." He stated after a while, casting his Haōmadou 99 – Dark World afterwards. He hovered around two feet above the ground as it slowly turned into a dark void, sucking in the lifeless bodies of his parents. "Goodbye, father. Goodbye, mother." He whispered as he observed how they sank downwards until they were gone completely. His last human cell slowly deactivated again as he concluded this part of his life, making room for his new self, now unleashed and free of any bonds that tied him down and stood in the way of his high goal.

"They are gone. They are gone at last." He whispered. "The two very persons who gave birth to me have died by my own hand." He made a short pause after saying that. "With that, there is nothing that holds me down anymore! No more bonds that restrict my movements! No more attachments that prevent me from reaching true tranquility!" His expression turned darker as he gradually raised his arms, angling them towards him. " **Immortality!** " He stated, a grin slowly forming on his face. " **Invincibility!** " He went on, laughing after that before he continued his monologue. " _ **AND DRAGON POWER!**_ " He shouted at the top of his lungs, turning his head skywards. "HEHEHEHE! THIS PROVES THAT NOTHING CAN HOLD ME DOWN OR STOP ME ANYMORE! **TREMBLE HUMANS, I SHALL ANNIHILATE YOU ALL!** " He screamed before he turned his head around. "But there is still one human I have feelings for." He stated, speeding forward after that. Ray couldn't even react as he stood before her immediately, his arms wandering around her back and pulling her closer. "My beautiful, precious Ray!" He said in admiration as he looked upon her, pulling her into an embrace. "While I could just barely stand killing my parents, I could never do the same to you!" He declared, gently kissing her on her lips.

' _What?! I can't move!'_ Ray thought in terror as her demonic former boyfriend held her close, her eyes widening in horror and shock of being so close to an abomination like this with his rough, dragonic lips on hers, not able to move an inch.

"It's great that you are here, Ray!" He went on. "You know, I could really use some intercourse right now! I haven't had anything like it for a long time, so it would be a nice thought to do it with you now!" He stated.

' _No! That monster is going to rape me?! This can't be real! Please, just leave me alone!'_ Ray thought in panic and fear as she began to cry, tears welling up in her eyes.

Zarc noticed her trembling before he spoke up again. "But I would literally fuck you to death with my current power if I did that since no human is capable of handling such tremendous force. So I can't do that because I don't wish to kill you, like I told you already! Also I would never take you by force, you are still the person I love after all!" Zarc reassured her as he stroked through her maroon hair with one of his hands.

' _Thank god!'_ Ray sighed internally, glad that she wouldn't be violated by the dragonic abomination in front of her now.

"My gorgeous, flawless ray of sunlight!" Zarc continued in a praising tone, caressing her cheek with his scaly palm. "Did you seriously think that I would fail with my performance when you were watching? I always won when you watched my duels, so I couldn't possibly succumb to the thirteen generals with you as my audience." He looked at her in adoration before he told her one last thing. "Go back to your father now! I'm sure that Leo is worried because you snuck out to watch my fight! Stay with him and witness the end of the world that is soon about to come!" He said to her before he stepped back from Ray and simply vanished.

* * *

 _Spiritual Realm, two weeks later..._

"I have arrived, Master Zarc!" A white colored, muscular, humanoid spirit called out as it appeared in a great hall, looking towards the end of the room and bowing in that direction.

"Great that you are finally there, Captain Neos!" Zarc replied to the Monster Spirit.

"Yes, sorry that I came so late. It took a while longer to fulfill the last mission you had given to me. These humans are just really hard to find in the rain forests!" The white monster apologized.

"Ah, no problem! You are here now and the meeting can begin at last! Now take your place and join the line please, Captain Neos!" Zarc addressed the monster as it made its way to its destination.

Zarc was sitting on a white throne in a gigantic hall within the Spiritual Realm. As he became able to cross over to it due to his gradual evolution into a Monster Spirit, he had built himself a palace-like pillar hall of white color, so spacious and with a ceiling high enough that even the biggest spirits could fit into it without a problem. Behind him, the four Heavenly Dragons and their Servant-Counterparts rested on the ground, several smaller Supreme King Servant Dragons which he had used during his previous duels alongside the Supreme Dragon King Zarc itself hovering in the air behind him, emphasizing his supreme authority over all spirits. Before his throne, two lines of spirits were standing, one on each side of the room. He himself was seated on the throne at the very end of the room, currently in his Fully Transcendent Form, but without the black mask-like scales, revealing his normal face. He had replaced the torn clothes from his fight with the thirteen generals with new ones, still resembling Aizen's Arrancar-Outfit, but now he had even added a third layer to the clothing around his collar. The inner layer was black, the outer was white and the one in the middle was golden, representing all three colors of his Fully Transcendent Form. He looked upon the two lines of monsters with pride in his expression, proud of himself that all these mighty spirits obeyed him without arguments or dissent. The first three creatures on the right side of the room were the beings that had previously aided the humans to seal the great dragon, even though it was against their own will. But now, due to Zarc unchaining them, they were free again and keen on revenge for their enslavement, slaughtering huge masses of humans wherever they went. They were the Egyptian Gods – Osiris, Obelisk and Ra – the mightiest beings in Zarc's favorite childhood show on TV. On the opposite side were their Manga-Counterparts, the three Wicked Gods – Wicked Eraser, Wicked Dreadroot and Wicked Avatar – facing their respective counterparts. The gods were in the order of their power, with Ra and Avatar, the strongest of their respective group, being right next to Zarc's throne. Then came Obelisk and Dreadroot, followed by Osiris and Eraser. On Zarc's left side, behind the Egyptian Gods, were the three Nordic Gods – Odin, Loki and Thor. Across them were the three Sacred Beasts, the GX-Counterparts of the original gods from Duel Monsters – Raviel, Hamon and Uria. Next up came a few signature monsters from the old series. The first two were Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Red-Eyes Black Dragon, ace monsters of Kaiba and Jonouchi in the first show. They were followed by Dark Magician – now part of Zarc's elite monsters – along with Exodia. The next rows consisted of some GX-Monsters, the newly arrived Elemental Hero Neos being in the first of them, alongside Yubel. After these two monsters came two dragons, the first of them being Cyber End Dragon and the second being Rainbow Dragon. Next came two of the Signer Dragons from 5D's, Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend. Behind them two monsters with quite the differences in terms of appearance faced each other: First was Hundred-Eyes Dragon, a black dragon with – as its name suggested – a variety of eyes over its whole body. On the opposite side was a white robot with a black hole in its chest, having a greenish core inside that cavity. It was called Machine Emperor Wisel and Zarc had been a really big fan of its user Placido when he'd watched the third season of the show back as a kid. The next rows were some Monster Spirits from Zexal, the first row consisting of a white and golden colored warrior with shining wings and a red "39" on its shoulder. It was the ace monster of Yuma Tsukumo and bore the name of "Number 39: Utopia"; or "Number 39: Aspiring Emperor Hope" instead of Utopia, depending on the language. Facing him was another Number-Monster, Number 96 – Dark Mist. Then came monsters of Yuma's two rivals Kaito and Shark, the first being Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, followed by Number C101 – Silent Honor Dark Knight, the trump card of Shark later on in the series. Lastly were even mightier Zexal-Monsters, Number 100 – Numeron Dragon and Number Ci1000 – Numeronius Numeronia.

Zarc grinned as he observed the 30 Captains, the monsters he had chosen as the leaders of his armies, each of them a powerful creature of enormous destructive force. _'I have truly surpassed all my idols!'_ Zarc thought. _'With my Fully Transcendent Form alone, I am stronger than Aizen ever was and will be, even if he used Bankai and was unsealed, which he never did, even as the manga came to an end! And as a duelist, I have outclassed even Yugi now! No matter how much plot armor and asspull he has on his side, I will still defeat him! The fact that all these unbelievable monsters whom Yugi for example had to fight so hard for in order to obtain them just obey me without any protest is proof of that!'_ He thought, looking at the three Egyptian Gods. _'And the same thing counts for all the other protagonists from the previous shows as well!'_ He went on within his mind as he redirected his gaze to multiple monsters. _'Judai had to take a whole freaking trip to space in order to obtain his Neos! Let's not forget that Yubel sent him across multiple worlds before they finally made peace!'_ He debated with himself as he gazed upon the two GX-Monsters. _'Yusei spent a hole fucking season just to get back his Stardust Dragon! Then he almost got wrecked by Kyosuke's Hundred-Eyes Dragon and Earthbound Immortal before the "My D-Wheel broke during the duel before the final attack connected"-asspull saved him from defeat! Placido messed him up big time with his Wisel before Yusei turned it around with Accel Synchro! Yuma needed a whole show just to get all these numbers and got destroyed by Kaito like twice, even though he canceled it at the first time! Don Thousand almost beat him and Shark with that Numeronius Numeronia in the finale of Zexal! All these struggles and I'm not even having one of them! That is the true sign that I can accomplish what they couldn't, establishing a perfect utopia here on earth that is!'_

"Now then, what have you called us here for, Master Zarc?" Ra spoke up, the great yellow winged dragon turning around to him a bit. His voice was clearer than in the Physical Realm, now fully audible since he was back home again where the spirits lived.

"Oh, good that you ask, Captain Ra! I wanted to inquire on your progress regarding the erasure of humanity!" Zarc replied to the Egyptian God.

"Well, I have killed a good ten thousand during the last week, Master Zarc!" The blue giant next to Ra spoke up.

"Sounds good, Captain Obelisk! How much time do you think is needed until you, Raviel and Stardust have cleared North America?" He addressed the spirit.

"Hmm, I don't know. What do you think, Raviel, Stardust?" The god addressed the Sacred Beast and the white dragon. "I think that you have a little bit more of an overview than me. I mostly focus on shattering everything in sight with my fists." The blue spirit asked his comrades.

"Sorry, same here!" Raviel retorted. "Do you have any idea, Stardust? You are probably the smartest of us three. We two are in charge for the smashing rather than the thinking after all!"

"Well, from my calculations it will probably take around two months until we have killed every last human hiding somewhere in our region." Stardust replied, taking a few steps forward to face the supreme ruler of their realm.

"I see. Thank you, Captain Stardust! And thank you Captain Obelisk and Captain Raviel as well!" Zarc addressed the monsters. The dragon bowed and went back to the line again. "Now then, everyone one after the other, tell me how long you need until you are done with your regions!" Zarc continued, addressing all of the remaining 27 captains.

"Cyber End, Uria and me need around six weeks, I'd say!" Osiris stated, looking over to his Sacred Beast-Counterpart and the mechanical dragon.

"Yes, six weeks for Europe sounds about right!" Uria agreed with the god.

"I also agree with that time span!" Cyber End spoke up in a halfway robotic voice.

"Okay, thank you Captain Osiris, Captain Uria and Captain Cyber End!" Zarc said. "What about Asia?" He addressed the next three-monster-group.

"Well, I think we need a little more. Three months from the looks of it." Ra stated.

"Yes, that continent particularly spacious. Takes a while to get rid of all humans in such an area!" Hamon chimed in.

"And it had quite the population density in some countries as well. Which makes it even harder to find all of these cockroaches with a good part of them still crawling around!" Red-Eyes Black Dragon concluded.

"I see. Thank you, Captain Ra, Captain Hamon and Captain Red-Eyes! The next!" Zarc demanded.

"Like I said before, it's pretty hard to find all these humans in the chaotic rain forests of South America." Neos stated. "It would be much easier if we could just cut down the trees to take away their cover!" He suggested.

"NO!" Zarc shot back, prompting the warrior to flinch. "We won't be as devilish as these filthy abominations! I only wish to kill them, not to destroy the entire planet! It will be the home of a new species once the humans are gone after all! The forests stay and that is absolute!" Zarc told.

The spirit bowed to him. "I'm sorry for offending you, mylord!" He apologized.

Zarc merely gestured Neos to rise up again. "No need to apologize, Captain Neos! You were just making a suggestion and it wasn't even a bad one at that! But as I said, I don't wish to harm the nature of earth, so you have to leave the rain forests alone. Now then, how long do you, Captain Numeron Dragon and Captain Wicked Avatar need for this task?" He addressed them.

"I'd say something in between three and four months given that we mustn't harm the flora." Wicked Avatar spoke up.

"Yes, I agree with my comrade!" Numeron Dragon chimed in. "But probably rather four months than three!" He added.

"Alright! Thank you three for your information. The next continent! How are things going in Africa?" Zarc inquired.

"Well, Wisel, Exodia and me are pretty fast, surprisingly." Wicked Eraser replied.

"Yes, I would say that we need a maximum of five weeks for our region!" The robotic Machine Emperor Wisel buzzed.

"I also think so!" Exodia concluded.

"Great! Thank you, Captain Wicked Eraser, Captain Wisel and Captain Exodia! Now then, how about Australia?" Zarc continued.

"Utopia, Dark Mist and me have made good progress there!" Numeronius Numeronia responded.

"True. Not more than three weeks and then every single one of those rats is dead!" Dark Mist agreed.

"I think that we might need a little more than three weeks, but surely not more than a month." Utopia stated his opinion in a calm voice.

"Oh, you don't have to be so exact all the time, Captain Utopia! Two or three days more make barely any difference! Because the main thing is that you don't need too much time now! Which is great! Truly great! As to be expected of the famous Numbers from the Xyz-Clan!" He praised the three Number-Monsters.

-"Thank you, Lord Zarc!"- They replied in unison, bowing their heads.

"No problem, Captain Numeronius Numeronia, Captain Utopia and Captain Dark Mist! Anyway, how is it going in Central America?" Zarc continued.

"Very well!" Wicked Dreadroot retorted. "Ever since you killed General Ferdinand, there is not much resistance in that part of the world anymore. They will only endure three weeks at best at this rate."

"Yeah, it should be done in around twenty days, taking into account that it's a rather small area." Blue-Eyes chimed in.

"Yup, they are toast!" Red Dragon Archfiend finished with a grin on his dragonic face.

"Splendid! So that means that the entirety of the American continent is done for pretty soon! Thanks to you as well, Captain Wicked Dreadroot, Captain Blue-Eyes and Captain Red Dragon Archfiend! Next up, how about the arctic regions? Was my assumption correct?" Zarc asked.

"It was, mylord!" Odin replied to him. "Some of these creatures did indeed flee to the Arctic and Antarctica, the probably most misanthropic regions of their planet."

"But they didn't expect us to wait there already!" Loki cackled darkly. "When I was standing guard in the Arctic with Odin and one of their ships came, he simply pierced it with his spear Gungnir! Hehehe, you should have seen that, Master Zarc! How they screamed before they went silent again as they drowned in the cold floods! Simply majestic!" The Nordic God narrated with a sadistic smirk on his face.

Zarc smirked as well at that story. "Sounds like they got exactly what they deserved! Ah, ships sinking in the icy sea! They got the Titanic-Treatment, I guess. Now then, are things going that well on the other side of the world as well?" He addressed Thor.

The muscular god nodded. "Yes, they are. With the help of Loki who's roaming down there with his army from time to time using his dimensional rifts, it is fairly easy to find the humans who have fled there. Even though most people in the Antarctica were scientists before you started your war, there are still quite a few people since they freshly came to that region as refugees. But even if they hide, we should exterminate them soon." The god stated.

"Great! Good job, Captain Odin, Captain Thor and Captain Loki! Next up, Oceania! How far are you there, Captain Rainbow Dragon, Captain Yubel and Captain Dark Magician?" Zarc addressed the next trio.

"Pretty far!" Rainbow Dragon began.

"Maybe one month." Yubel stated her usual collected mannerism.

"Yeah, there aren't many humans left, but the fact that it's a bunch of islands we're talking about makes things a little bit harder than if it was a continent." Dark Magician concluded.

"I understand. Good work up until now, you three! Now the final region! I couldn't have Ra, Hamon and Red-Eyes clear the entirety of Asia alone, so I divided it into two parts as you might remember. The former three are in charge for the eastern part while Hundred-Eyes Dragon, Galaxy Eyes-Photon Dragon and Number C101 – Silent Honor Dark Knight deal with the Near East and Middle East. So how is it going there?" Zarc inquired.

"Fairly well!" Hundred-Eyes began.

"Yes, we just found a major hideout somewhere in the ruins of Jerusalem last week!" Galaxy-Eyes Photon added.

"In two months, every single one of them will be done for!" Dark Knight finished.

"I see! Thank you Captain Hundred-Eyes, Captain Galaxy-Eyes Photon and Captain Dark Knight! You and the rest of the 30 Captains did great work in the last few months!" The great liberator addressed his most trusted spirits.

-"THANK YOU, LORD ZARC!"- All thirty of them replied in unison.

"You're welcome! Well then, your next orders are the following: Retreat from your respective regions and bring your troops back to the Spiritual Realm!" Zarc commanded them.

"WHAT?! Retreat and bring all of them back to our realm?!" Obelisk shouted in disbelief.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, you heard me correctly. Retreat from there and bring them back here." Zarc repeated.

"But why?!" Numeron Dragon asked him incredulously.

"Isn't it obvious? You all said that you would take at least a few weeks." Zarc retorted.

"If you want us to be faster, we can be faster!" Uria reassured him. "Just give us the chance and I'm sure we can erase them much quicker!" He begged his master.

Zarc sighed. "Do you and the rest of the captains really think that I want you to retreat because I deem you as too slow? Well, that is partially true, but only partially." He explained.

"What do you mean by that, mylord?" Ra asked in confusion.

"Well, your speed is surely impressive. But there is a much faster way to get rid of them all at once!" Zarc responded.

"At what way, Lord Zarc?" Exodia inquired.

"It's by using the strongest Haōmadou-Spell in existence!" Zarc explained.

"You mean that you've...?!" Raviel exclaimed in shock.

"Yes! I have mastered my powers fully now! I can use **Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 100 – Black Universe) Zarc replied to the Sacred Beast.

"WHAT?! Is that really true?!" Wicked Dreadroot cried out in surprise.

Zarc nodded. "It is. And since strong Jyujutsu – of whom my Haōmadou is an advanced form – can also affect Monster Spirits, I ask you to evacuate all of our troops from the Physical Realm! Then I can cast the spell and cleanse the entire world in mere minutes!" He told them.

-"UNDERSTOOD!"- The 30 Captains shouted together as Zarc rose up from his throne.

"The only spirits that will accompany me are my dragons! The rest stays here!" Zarc told them.

-"UNDERSTOOD!"- The other spirits yelled again to agree with their master. Zarc walked towards the other end of the room, planning on leaving through the gigantic front door.

"Now it is finally at hand! The dark purification of the world!" Zarc said to himself as he left the white building with a serious expression.

* * *

 _Physical Realm, roughly one hour later..._

"Damn, this isn't good! Zarc is getting closer and closer to our total erasure with every passing day! At this rate humanity will be obliterated in a few months!" Ray cried out, looking out of the shattered window of her hideout. Suddenly she saw a faint dot in the distance, having an undefinable color. "What the hell is that?" She whispered, looking closer. As it drew nearer from the horizon, she slowly realized what the dot was. "Wait, are all of these Monsters Spirits?! Why are so many of them moving in a single flock?! Is this one of Zarc's armies?! Does he want to track down the last few survivors in Avalon City?!"

As Ray wondered about the reason for that group of Monster Spirits moving around as one, a new creature suddenly came into her field of vision. Her eyes widened in disbelief and shock as she recognized the being.

"WAIT, IS THAT... **RA?!** " She exclaimed, observing how the great yellowish dragon approached the monsters. It then opened its maw and since Ray was sensitive with Monster Spirits, she could hear the words of the Egyptian God.

" _It is time, my friends! Today our great liberator Zarc will cleanse this realm once and for all!"_ Ra addressed the flock. He then beat his wings, creating a light blue colored portal within the air. _"Now evacuate so that the dark purification can begin!"_ He commanded his soldiers.

- _"Understood!"_ \- The flock of monsters replied, heading towards the portal before they vanished as they traveled back to their homeland, the Spiritual Realm.

"They evacuate?! Dark purification?! This doesn't sound good! Like not at all!" Ray said to herself. Suddenly she heard a cry coming from the adjacent room.

"FINALLY! Finally I have created a weapon to stop Zarc!" She heard her father crying out. She looked around the corner and watched. It was Leo, holding four green colored cards in his hand. As Ray knew, he had roamed around the ruins in the past few weeks and realized that nature was still active, even now that Zarc had started the apocalypse. That led him to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, these forces of nature could bring an end to that demon. After endless days of research – even Ray had given up on him regarding that already – he had now finally accomplished his goal at long last, as Ray could tell from the expression on his face while he held the four cards. Leo continued after a while of staring at the spells in awe. "With these cards I can defeat the demon by sacrificing myself! Then Ray and the rest of humanity will survive!" He told.

' _What?! He needs to pay with his own life to end Zarc?! No! I don't want to lose my father as well! Not the only remaining person whom I love as well!'_ She thought in terror before a sudden courage seized her hard. She shot forward into the room, swiped the four cards out of Leo's grasp and ran out of the building.

"RAY?! RAY! STOP! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU ARE DOING?! GIVE ME BACK MY CARDS!" Leo shouted as he chased after her. At once Ray abruptly stopped and turned back to him, prompting Leo to do the same.

"I overheard your monologue as you finished creating those cards!" Ray stated. "And I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for me and the rest of mankind!" Ray declared.

"But it was my fault! I created the Real Solid Vision-System! I gave him the weapons to destroy us all!" Leo countered.

"NO! I am more responsible for this than any other human! I turned my back on him when he needed me the most! Through my actions, he became what he currently is! Now I want to amend for my prior mistakes! I will be the one who defeats him by sacrificing myself!" Ray shot back.

"Ray, this is more than just fixing former relationship-problems! It's the fate of the world and yourself we're talking about here! Let me do it!" He demanded.

"You don't seem to understand, do you, father?" Ray began, looking down to the ground. "This is not just the foolishness of a girl who wants back her old friend!" Her face shot upwards, glaring at Leo with an intense expression. "THIS IS THE RESOLVE OF A GIRL WHO WANTS TO SAVE HER PARENT AND HUMANITY! **I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU, FATHER!** " She yelled before she slammed a card onto her duel disk, wrecking a nearby building so that the way between them got blocked.

"RAY! **RAY!** " Leo shouted as he desperately tried to climb over the rubble, Ray running away.

As Ray looked up into the sky, she saw a vortex of darkness slowly covering everything. _'What are you planing, Zarc?'_ She thought in a worried tone, keeping on running with the center of the black storm slowly spreading over the world being her destination.

* * *

 _Around thirty minutes before..._

Zarc stood atop of a huge hill of red crystals, stretching out his right arm into the air.

"The dark mist crawls over the world! Fear and terror, spread over all living beings before you consume them! The universe blackens before its life is extinguished! As you fall into despair, a new order shall emerge from the ruins! Behold, the dark purification is at hand! Shatter and be destroyed by the all-drowning darkness! HAŌMADOU 100 – KUROUCHŪ!" He cried out as a black mist began spreading from his palm, slowly covering everything around him with absolute darkness. "Great!" He murmured to himself as he watched his spell gaining more power with every second. "This spell has the power to destroy the entire world, even the entire universe if needed. It spreads slowly at first, but its increase in impact area rises exponentially, meaning after a while of rather slow pace, it will be really fast and cover the whole earth in no time at all. I don't wish to destroy anything besides the humans, so all non-living things, animals and plants will remain safe. Also I will not spread the spell further than the earth, no need to unleash my wrath upon space." Zarc said in a monologue as he observed his Black Universe getting stronger and stronger. After a few minutes, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. "I expected that you would come..." He began, turning around. "...Ray!" He addressed the maroon and red haired girl standing a few dozens of feet behind him.

"Zarc! I have come here to fight you!" Ray declared in a resolute tone.

"You?! Fight me?! Don't be ridiculous, Ray! I mean, the difference in power between the two of us is like the difference between heaven and earth! And besides that, I feel that you are still conflicted about your true feelings towards me!" Zarc stated, gazing into her eyes. "Right, Ray?" He inquired.

Ray gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Right! I do indeed still have feelings for you!" She said.

Zarc approached her at that. "That's good! Then let's just work together! I already gave you that offer back in the stadium, but I still mean it even if time has passed since then! Now then, come over to my side! Or let me come over to you!" He said, approaching her.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, DEMON!" Ray suddenly screamed at him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Zarc was startled and raised an eyebrow. "Why did you just yell at me like that? Didn't you say that you still had feelings for me?" He addressed her with a tiny bit of confusion in his voice.

"Yes! I did say that I still love you! But I only love the person named Zarc, not that abomination over there!" She shouted, pointing at Zarc in his Fully Transcendent Form without the head scales.

Zarc vanished and reappeared in front of her using his incredible speed. "Don't push me away from you like that! Please, Ray!" He begged, pulling her closer to him by her back.

" **LET GO OF ME, YOU MONSTER!** " Ray shouted at the top of her lungs as she violently pushed him away, grimacing in disdain and loathing. "I DON'T WANT TO BE CLOSE TO SOMEONE – NO! – **SOMETHING** THAT KILLS PEOPLE WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST TRACE OF REMOURSE!" She screamed as she retreated even further from him.

"Ray...!" Zarc began desperately, reaching out his left hand in a pleading manner.

"NO! I WON'T STAND YOU ANY LONGER! YOU PLAN ON KILLING US ALL AND WOULDN'T SPARE ANYONE EXCEPT ME! AND I AM NOT EGOISTIC, SO I COULDN'T BEAR LIVING ANYMORE, EVEN IF I SURVIVED YOUR GENOCIDE! I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND, BEAST! THE ZARC WHOM I KNEW IS LONG DEAD! **SO THERE'S NOTHING STANDING IN MY WAY OF KILLING YOU NOW!** " She yelled at him.

"BUT WHY?! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING ME?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST FORGET ABOUT THOSE..., THOSE..., THOSE **THINGS** AND BE WITH ME AGAIN?!" Zarc screamed back at her.

"BECAUSE I LOVE ALL HUMANS DESPITE THEIR MISTAKES, ESPECIALLY MY FATHER! AND I WOULD NEVER ABANDON MY FRIENDS!" She countered.

"NEVER ABANDON YOUR FRIENDS?! YOU TREACHEROUS WHORE, YOU DID EXACTLY THAT THING TO ME! YOU ABANDONED ME AS IF I WAS A FILTHY DOG YOU'VE GOTTEN SICK OF!" Zarc screamed at her, the tension rising up more and more.

"I DIDN'T ABANDON YOU! YOU ABANDONED ME! I WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO YOU INSTANTLY IF YOU TURNED IN AND ACCEPTED PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES! I WOULD HAVE EVEN WAITED FOR YOU AT THE PRISON EXIT AFTER YOU RETURNED FROM YOUR SENTENCE! **BUT YOU NEVER TURNED IN!** "

"OF COURSE I DIDN'T TURN TO THE POLICE! EVERY OF THESE FILTHY CREATURES WAS CLAPPING BECAUSE OF IT! AND MY INNER MONSTER SPIRIT APPROVED OF IT AS WELL! THE ONLY FACTOR THAT COULD HAVE MADE ME TURN IN WAS YOU! **BUT YOU NEVER FUCKING CAME!** " Zarc yelled back, his head bright red from all the screaming and rage boiling inside him.

Ray began crying at that. "I loved you, Zarc! I thought that you could lead this world to light and happiness with your dueling, **AND NOT PLUNGE IT INTO DARKNESS AND DESPAIR!** " She screamed at him, sobbing heavily.

"My darkness will merely exterminate the filth to make room for a better world! If you see me as evil, fine, keep on thinking that! But my Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū will still cleanse this world and bring about a new era!" Zarc declared.

"Not if I can prevent that!" Ray yelled back at him, readying her duel disk.

"Oh?!" Zarc exclaimed, his face twisting into a derisive expression. "You want to duel me?! Fine, since it's you, I will accept your challenge and face you in a good old card-fight instead of just killing you with my Haōmadou or physical powers! Consider it as the honor you'll get from me because of our history together!" Zarc stated, activating his disk as well.

 **-** " **DUEL!** " **-** They shouted in unison.

* * *

Ray panted heavily as she looked upwards to the giant dragon above her. She had been cornered by Zarc and lost the major part of her lifepoints, sitting at a mere 300. Meanwhile Zarc controlled – unlike her with no monsters – his dragon self, the Supreme Dragon King Zarc, as well as his four Servant Dragons, giving him a full field of monsters. He was still at 3000 LP, only damaged by one blow Ray could deal him before he had taken control over the duel. But even if things looked bad for her, she had been able to fulfill the conditions of the four cards she had stolen from her dad at last, finally able to play them. "Now I will defeat him!" Ray whispered to herself before she looked up again with a determined expression.

"I ACTIVATE THE CONTINUOUS SPELL **EN FLOWERS**!" Ray declared, the flora around her slowly awakening and its energies flowing to the card as a red ray of light.

"What is that card?!" Zarc exclaimed as he observed how several flowers emerged from the destroyed ground and began to bloom. Meanwhile Leo ran up the hill, trying to get to Ray and realizing what was going on.

"No way! Is she really going to do it?! RAY!" He shouted, continuing to run upwards.

"AND NEXT UP THE CONTINUOUS SPELL **EN BIRDS**!" Ray cried out, the fauna awakening as well.

"What is she planing?!" Zarc murmured to himself, nervous about Ray's strategy.

"AND THIRD IS THE CONTINUOUS SPELL **EN WINDS**!" Ray yelled as the terrestrial forces of nature awakened as well. She hesitated before she activated the last card of her combo and addressed her former friend one last time. "ZARC! You don't need to die! Just give up and I will leave you be! This is the last chance I'll give you!" She declared.

"You are giving me an ultimatum?! Don't be so conceited, because I will be the one who does that! Surrender now and I will do you no harm! Come over to my side!" Zarc retorted.

"No chance! I will never side with you!" Ray shot back.

( 19, Emperor Palpatine's Theme - Star Wars OST, min 1:09)

Zarc scowled. "Very well then." He stated, shifting his two arms forward. "If you will not be turned..." He began, stretching out his arms and uttering an incantation within his mind.

"...YOU WILL BE DESTROYED! **HAŌMADOU 64 – SHINKURAKURAI!** " (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 64 – Crimson Lightning Strike) He shouted as he started emitting red lightnings from his fingertips, striking down upon Ray and electrocuting her.

" ** _AAAAAAAAAAHHH_!**" She screamed in agony as the red voltage surged through her body. Every fiber of her being was in pain right now as Zarc's spell slowly increased in power, the force of the lightnings rising steadily.

" ** _RAAAAAAAAAAY!_** " Leo shouted in horror, trying to get to her. Unfortunately the way was blocked, leaving him no other option than to witness Zarc's cruelty.

"YES! **YES!** HOW DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE ELECTROCUTED, RAY?!" Zarc addressed her in a sadistic tone as he continued to strengthen his attack. "THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN WATCHING STAR WARS EPISODE VI IN 3D TOGETHER IN THE CINEMA, ISN'T IT?! INSTEAD OF JUST SEEING HOW THE EMPEROR USES FORCE LIGHTNING ON LUKE, YOU CAN NOW BE THE ELECTROCUTED PERSON ITSELF! NOW PERISH!" Zarc screamed, the expression on his face becoming more hateful and malicious with every moment, his arms shooting forward every once in a while as he increased the force of his spell.

"Arrggh! If I cannot use the final spell in time, I will succumb to his attack!" Ray uttered through gritted teeth as she collapsed on the ground. "Must... use... the card!" She stated in agony, trying to rise up, only to fall down again immediately.

"Looks like you are pretty tough!" Zarc laughed as he saw that she still had the will to struggle on. "Then let me crush your hope! My dragon, annihilate her! **RAY, THIS IS UNLIMITED POWER!** _ **GOD SLAUGHTER!**_ " He shouted at her as he commanded the dragon above his head, the Supreme Dragon King unfolding its wings at that and sending its signature ability down at her as Zarc abused the fact that he could use such effects even outside of the rules due to his prowess to make duels reality and vice versa, massive red voltage striking down and uniting with Zarc's own ability.

(2:21)

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!**_ " Ray screamed, her body literally exploding with pain as the dragon joined in as well, intensifying the agony by a hundred times. What she didn't know was that the four En-Cards protected her and increased her survivability, but that still wasn't enough to alleviate the pain by a lot. As Zarc realized that she wouldn't die from his combination-attack with his dragon self, he stopped, separated and descended from the dragon's chest, picking up her weakened, feeble body.

( 19 Emperor Palpatine's Theme - Star Wars OST end at 2:36)

He restrained her, holding her from behind, and flew over to the edge of the hill, the city visible beneath them.

"Do you hear that, Ray? My spell is slowly taking effect! Ah, all these screams of misery!" Zarc stated in a dreamy tone as he enjoyed the cries of the people who perished because of his Black Universe echoing through the city. "I have truly never heard sweeter sounds than this!" He stated.

"Mmmmph! – Mmmmph! – Mmmmph!" Ray screamed, her cries muffled by the scaly hand of Zarc that covered her mouth. Her legs kicked wildly, trying to break free as Zarc stood behind her on the edge of the cliff, holding her in place with his sheer physical powers, not even needing to stifle her movements with his Spirit Force and forcing her to watch the end of the world.

"Ah, so much death! So much purification! A truly majestic feeling! And what makes it even better is the fact that you cannot do anything to stop it!" Zarc continued, enjoying the Armageddon even more with Ray than if he was alone. "It must feel great to be you, Ray, having a front seat for the end of the old world! It kinda reminds me of that one date where we went to the amusement park and looked back to it at night time, its bright colors shining in the horizon as I embraced you from behind! But this feels even more amazing, that's for sure!" He stated.

" _ **RAY!**_ " Her father yelled, his voice filed with emotions of both anger on Zarc, fear and worries about his daughter and desperation about the imminent demise of mankind. As Ray heard his cry, she began sobbing.

' _No! NO! It cannot end like this!'_ Ray desperately thought in sadness, tears rolling down her cheeks. _'I've come so far and now I am forced to witness the end of my world without any power to do something against it?! I don't want my father to die! I don't want humanity to die! I don't want this world to die! Please, just let...'_ " _ **GO OF ME!**_ " She screamed in her thoughts, the last part being audible to the outside world while she broke free, knocking Zarc away as a bright radiance was emitted from her body. She fell onto her knees again, now freed of the demon duelist's hold, and turned around to him.

"What the...?! WHAT WAS THAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in both shock and confusion. He looked up again to face her. But when he looked upon Ray, his eyes widened even further, terrified by the image within his eyes. " **WHAT?!** WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?! WHY DID YOUR APPEARANCE CHANGE INTO..., CHANGE INTO... **THIS?!** " He shouted at her in horror.

( 20, B13a - Bleach OST)

Ray gazed back to him and returned the eye contact. "I don't know myself. But I believe that my desperation and will to save mankind combined with the pure energy from the En-Cards unlocked a greater potential within me, causing me to enter this form!" She replied. "Behold, Zarc, now I am transcendent as well!" She declared.

"A HUMAN WHO TRANSCENDED ITS LIMITS OTHER THAN ME?! **IMPOSSIBLE!** " Zarc shot back in terror and disbelief of her declaration.

Ray scoffed back at him after that. "You really think so?! Well, if it's impossible, how do you explain this form then?!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

Zarc gulped while he stared at her, looking over her changed appearance. As he did that, he slowly had to admit that her words might be true after all. Her skin was a bit lighter and had a warm, radiant glow of golden color. It seemed unnaturally soft and delicate, almost celestial so to speak, and when he looked upon it, he wished that he could just touch it once in his life. Furthermore her purple eyes emitted that radiance as well and were full of confidence now, probably because she was fully and absolutely determined to take him down at last. But there was still more to it, the authority they emitted couldn't possibly be human, Zarc was certain about that. While her maroon and red hair also shone brightly and looked even better than before (and that says a lot as Zarc had always been a big fan of it with its normal looks already), that wasn't the full extent of her new appearance. Because the most remarkable thing were the six white wings sprouting from her back, fluffy and feather-like. "She really did it." Zarc whispered in disbelief. "She transcended her humanity and ascended to a heavenly being, a creature of angelic beauty in the most literal sense of the word. She became an angel!" He uttered in shock, looking upon her, now a godlike being, just as Zarc. "And then she also has those white, winglike hair clips on both sides of the front hair plus this glowing..., this glowing..., ah, no idea how the fuck I should describe it! She has like this glowing winglike disk behind her back that Zeref also has in his God Form!" He concluded with the description of Ray's appearance.

Meanwhile Leo gazed upon his daughter in both awe and shock as well. "Is this really... Ray?! She changed so much in appearance, so is she still the same girl whom I raised?" He contemplated, wondering how his daughter could have changed so rapidly. "Was it really the power of my cards? Because if that's the case, she has the power of creation and light on her side now!"

"Now then, let's end this, Zarc!" Ray addressed him in a resolute tone.

"Very well! Then let us settle this battle with a physical fight!" Zarc yelled, flapping his six white wings and charging at her, his face being covered with the black mask-like scales again. " **DIE, RAY!** " He shouted, his claws stretched out, ready to tear her apart.

Ray looked at him apathetically before she extended her right hand, the wing-like radiant object behind her back darting forward and changing its shape.

"WHAT?!" Zarc exclaimed in surprise as it blocked his attack effortlessly, functioning as a shield-like barrier between their two bodies.

Ray chuckled. "You look surprised! I guess I should explain to you what I did in order to return the favor for agreeing to our previous duel! This winglike thing behind my back is my halo. In most cases these things are depicted as a small ring above an angel's head, but mine is a little bit different. First of all, it is located elsewhere and looks a bit different. I guess that was already obvious. But second- and more importantly, I can command it to move anywhere I want and take any shape I want, enabling me to use it both offensively and defensively!" She explained.

"Kuh! What an annoying thing!" Zarc stated. _'So it's just like Madara's Truthseeker Orbs! The only real difference is that her halo looks way more fashionable than a bunch of black orbs behind ones back!'_ He added in his thoughts.

"It gets even better!" Ray remarked before raising a finger, part of her halo forming into several small blades that dashed at Zarc with incredible speed, slicing open his right cheek.

"Ouch!" Zarc exclaimed. The injury wasn't anywhere near to be taken serious, but the precision and velocity of her weapon was even more in return for that.

Ray grinned. "And? Do you like my halo?" She asked him in a sweet tone as the fragments reassembled and returned to her, merging with the main body of the halo to become the full wings from before again.

Zarc gritted his teeth. "Don't be so full of yourself now that you are a seraph with six wings and that halo behind your back! I can still overwhelm you with my Fully Transcendent Form!" He shot back in anger.

"Oh? Do you really think so?" Ray responded in a confident tone. "Then let me prove you wrong! Great power of light! Form as an orb and vanquish the darkness! **Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai**!" (Jap.: Angel Magic 78 – Light Sphere) She chanted, hurling a bright sphere at Zarc.

"Do you think that you are the only one who can do that?!" Zarc yelled at her in outrage. "Great power of darkness! Form as an orb and vanquish the light! **Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 78 – Annihilation Sphere) He screamed in response, sending an orb of darkness from his palm to oppose Ray's attack. The attacks clashed and stood still in the air for a while, both orbs fighting to come out on top. Eventually Zarc's dark sphere was pushed back and Ray's attack hit the dragon before he could even react. Zarc coughed up some blood as the orb made of light collided with his stomach, sweeping him from his feet and sending him flying backwards. A dark figure observed the events from above with a scowl.

" _Damn, this is bad! Her Fully Transcendent Form is on par with his! But because darkness has a natural weakness against light, her attacks will always overpower his, in most cases even if he uses Haōmadou of higher tier than her Tenshimadou! Curse you, human!"_ The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor commented grudgingly as he watched the fight in his spectral form.

"I'm not done!" Ray continued as Zarc rose up again, speeding towards him and grabbing Zarc by his face, pressing him skywards with a leap as she dragged him in front of her.

' _She's fast! And strong! I'm getting Aizen vs Ichigo flashbacks when she's grabbing my face like that!'_ Zarc thought as he gazed through Ray's fingers covering his face, observing her resolute facial expression in disbelief as she pushed him upwards. After they were around a mile above Leo, she shifted herself above him in a quick motion and threw him downwards, Zarc hitting the ground with an enormous impact, leaving a huge crater.

( 20 B13a - Bleach OST end)

Zarc got onto his feet again, wiping the blood from his lower face, looking upwards at Ray with murder intent. "YOU STUPID ANGEL! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" He threatened her.

Ray laughed. "And how, if I may ask?" She retorted politely, hovering downwards to his height.

Now it was Zarc's turn to grin. "Hmm, you seem to forget that most of your power still comes from Jyujutsu! Even if your Tenshimadou is a higher form of that, I can still defeat it just like any Reikonmadou by doing this!" He shouted, raising his blade Shinjitsu.

" **TENKAI!** " He cried out. " **SUBJUGATE THEM ALL, ZETTAI NO SHIJŌ!** " He shouted as his blade emitted its black-reddish glow again and Zarc rose up into the air, his wings getting their additional black layers, alongside regaining his fourth pair of wings, the extra black scales all around his body covering him and the two white horns sprouting from above his ears again. " **TREMBLE, RAY! MY SUPER TRANSCENDENT FORM!** " He declared as Ray was impacted by his Tenkai's ability, the Spirit Force inside her body slowly depleting.

"NO! NOT THAT FORM!" Leo cried out, knowing what Zarc's Tenkai could do from the information he had gotten from his daughter the other day when Zarc had fought the thirteen generals as she had returned to him. "AT THIS RATE SHE WILL LOSE TO HIM SINCE HER TENSHIMADOU IS COMPLETELY BLOCKED NOW!" Leo cried out in panic.

" **HAHAHAHAHAHA!** Now things are back where they should be! Me an all-powerful dragon and you a weak little girl!" Zarc mocked her as his sword ability did its work. "WILL YOU SURRENDER NOW?!" He asked her in a jeering tone, a devilish grin on his dragonic face.

Ray looked back at him and reciprocated the smile. Which prompted Zarc to flinch and change his expression, shocked by her confidence and lack of fear. She spoke up after a while, facing him with an intense stare. "You know, you are not the only one who has a toy like that at ones disposal, Zarc!" She stated.

"WAIT! DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU HAVE...?!" Zarc began in terror of her next words.

Ray nodded. "Yes! You said it yourself back when you fought against the generals, didn't you? That the Tenkai is the manifestation of a transcendent being's soul. And as you see, I now happen to be one of those beings!" She told him.

( 21, Stand Up Be Strong Part 1 - Bleach OST)

"No... way...! Can she really use it...?!" Zarc whispered in fear. Then a serious expression formed on Ray's face and a shining blade made from light manifested in front of her. She rose is upwards before uttering the fateful words.

" **TEN... KAI!** BATH THEM IN YOUR LUMINESCENCE, **KAGAYAKASHĪ HIKARI**!" She cried out as her blade emitted a golden light. An aura formed around her, its bright barriers protecting her against the waves of darkness that surged from Zarc's blade. As Zarc looked at her, he realized something, prompting him to address her again.

"Your momentum! It's returning to you!" Zarc exclaimed in shock as he observed how the normally invisible energy flowed back into Ray's body.

Ray nodded. "Yes! My Tenkai's Holy Shield-ability not only protects me against the effects of your Tenkai, but also absorbs energy from my surroundings and adds it to my Spirit Force!" She stated.

Zarc gasped. "So does that mean that you can block my momentum drain while amassing more?!" He shouted in terror.

"That's right! This is the ability of my newly forged light blade Kibō – Hope! That is the power of my Tenkai "Kagayakashī Hikari" – "Glorious Light"!" She declared in a tone full of courage and resolve.

"No way...!" Zarc uttered taking a step backwards within the air.

"Why are you running?! The real fight will begin now after all!" She shouted before she flapped her six angel wings and charged at him, her blade raised against his. She slammed it down with a diagonal slash which Zarc parried. But as they swords clashed, her halo altered its form again and hailed down on him as a collection of sharp, arrow-like projectiles.

(min 0:38)

"YES! RAY IS BEATING HIM!" Leo exclaimed in joy as he saw how his daughter overwhelmed him with her attack.

"Tch! But I can still heal my wounds and get back to normal with my regeneration in no time at all!" Zarc shouted in response to receiving the injuries.

Ray merely smirked. "Are you sure about that? My Seraph Form has the ability of Cleansing Light after all, one that makes all wounds I inflict incurable except if I allow the respective injuries to heal!" She pointed out his error.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Zarc yelled in disbelief before Ray started her next attack, launching at him with series of swings while her halo remained split and attacked him in the form of multiple knives coming from all sides. Leo observed the battle with a hopeful expression as Ray slowly cornered Zarc, their blades clashing against each other while they fought in the air, speeding around with their respective wings and sending shockwaves of darkness and light into all directions as their weapons kept on colliding with each other. As Zarc received a major cut on one of his wings, he exploded in rage.

" **THAT'S IT! NO MORE MESSING AROUND! I WILL OBLITERATE YOU!** " He screamed, charging up all of his six dragon maws on the white-blackish wings and firing them at her at point blank range. He lowered the explosion radius so that it would only affect her, grinning devilishly as he observed how she was hit by the barrage of full powered orbs, with his mastery over the Fully and Super Transcendent Form respectively now having the force of sixty billion nuclear bombs when impacting an area of the size of the Korean peninsula. When compressed like this however, its explosive power was millions of times, if not more, higher than that. But as the smoke retreated, Ray was still levitating in the air unharmed.

" **HOW?! HOW CAN YOU WITHSTAND A BARRAGE OF SUCH TREMENDOUS POWER WITHOUT A SINGLE SCRATCH?!** " He screamed at her in exasperation.

"Did you forget? My Angel Form gives me godly defensive abilities and the Holy Shield and halo together can block blasts like that easily!" She explained, causing Zarc to grit his teeth even harder, his face now looking completely like a monster with his dragonic eyes twitching, as well as the black mask and the rest of his facial appearance, his face twisted in unspeakable anger.

(min 1:35)

" **NOW THEN, TIME TO END YOU!** " Ray exclaimed before her expression turned fierce and she began her assault anew, entering a deadly waltz of blades as her sword and divided halo slashed around within the air, pushing Zarc back further and further as more and more of his colorful blood sharing the same attributes as his Chūshin and the orb of light that Astrograph had thrown up into the sky at the Integration Summon was spilled. The rainbow colored fluid, now moved through his body with his Monster Spirit-Heart, dripped out of several wounds, more being added by Ray with every second. As he fell to the ground with one of her attacks and she sped at him for the following strike, he started his counterattack by leaping up into the air.

" **DIE, YOU ACCURSED BITCH!** " He yelled at the top of his lungs as he winded up Shinjitsu, going for a ferocious strike that would put an end to his old girlfriend and new nemesis. He grinned victoriously as the blade swept through the air, mere milliseconds from reaching her neck and beheading her. But then she ducked and dodged it, giving him a full slash across his torso instead.

" _ **GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_ " Zarc screamed in agony as he dropped downwards, crashing to the floor with a rough "landing". Ray used that to wind up her final strike on the transcendent dragon.

(min 2:05)

" **RADIANT BLADE! SWEEP DOWN ON MY FOE AND ERADICATE THE DARKNESS! THE HOLY BLADE OF LIGHT THAT BRINGS ABOUT THE END OF ALL EVIL!** _**TENSHIMADOU 90 – SHINSEINAHANTEI!**_ " (Jap.: Angel Magic 90 – Divine Judgment) She screamed at the top of her lungs, her blade sweeping through the air and sending a slash of pure light downwards. As the shining sword created the final attack, the surrounding city was bathed in a yellow radiance, illuminating the entirety of Avalon City and prompting the survivors to look towards the source of the radiance.

" _ **GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_ " Zarc screamed, even louder than before, as the wave collided with him. Then he simply went silent and stopped moving completely. As he didn't stand up or move anymore, Leo gasped and then began talking in an incredulous tone.

( 21 Stand Up Be Strong Part 1 - Bleach OST end)

"She... did it. She killed... Zarc. The demon... IS DEAD!" He cheered enthusiastically. Then he looked up to his angelic daughter and addressed her. "GOOD JOB, RAY! YOU FINISHED HIM OFF WITHOUT ANYONE OF US TWO HAVING TO SACRIFICE ONES OWN LIFE FOR IT! **YOU JUST SAVED THE WORLD!** " He shouted at her, proud of her as he had never been before in his life.

Ray redirected her gaze to him and shot him a weak smile before she looked back to her slain opponent. "I'm sorry, Zarc." She whispered. "I wish that it would have never come to this..." She uttered, her voice halfway in between sadness about his death and joy that she had prevented the end of humanity and the old world. She noticed that Zarc's spell had ended, being canceled as its caster was no longer able to maintain its progression.

Suddenly she noticed a movement below her, prompting Ray to turn around her head again. She scowled as she realized what the source of it was. "So you are still alive!" She stated, looking down at Zarc who slowly stood up again.

"Yes, t-that's right! Did you seriously think you could go full Ichigo-Mode, grab my face and drag me through the air before throwing a light-themed ripoff attack of Mugetsu at me, defeating me like it happened with Aizen?!" He replied, stammering from the loss of blood and his weakened body. "I will not give up yet!" He continued after that, looking up to Ray with a fierce expression as he crawled onto his knees and tried to push himself up again.

"Tch! Such a resilient bastard!" Leo cursed as the demon rose up again.

Ray merely clicked her tongue. "Do you never realize when to give up?! You are wounded and barely able to stand! Your Haōmadou is being overpowered by my Tenshimadou and lastly I can block any of your sword strikes with my own blade or my halo! You have lost, Zarc, just accept it!" She addressed him, trying to talk him into forfeiting the fight. She didn't want to hurt him even more than she already had since she despised violence like nothing else.

"No...!" Zarc protested in a weak voice, desperately clinging to life. "Me and the Monster Spirits...!" He began, his expression turning fierce at that. "We..." He stated, a golden aura slowly surrounding his body as he rose onto his feet completely, standing on the hill again.

"What is that?!" Leo exclaimed in shock as the glow of golden, red and black color enveloped him and his surroundings more and more.

"We...!" Zarc repeated, a strong gust of wind being unleashed into all directions, having the color of his newly gained aura.

"Is he going to...?!" Ray whispered in horror.

"WE...! WE...!" Zarc shouted again, getting even louder as the aura intensified.

"No! It can't be!" Ray stammered.

" **WE WILL NEVER BE ENCHAINED AGAIN!** " Zarc screamed in outrage, his eyes widening as he rose his blade above his head.

" ** _BREAK FREE, GREAT DRAGON EMPEROR!_** " He shouted at the top of his lungs before the area around him was obscured by a sheer explosion of momentum, the power within his body rising to unprecedented heights as an immense pillar of light shot up into the sky, the whole city being enveloped in a blinding radiance of golden, red and black color.

( 22, Treachery - Bleach OST Extended, min 0:44; this is "Supremacy" again, but the extended version of it)

"These violins!" Leo exclaimed recognizing the background music. "It's the same melody as back when Zarc first transcended to become the Supreme Dragon King!"

"Supremacy...!" Ray uttered the name of the track in fear, aware of what it meant when Zarc played that theme. "Is he seriously...?!"

As the violins continued playing the mist slowly retreated, giving her more and more view of what was ahead of her. At once, four objects sliced through the air and wiped the nebula away, ten other objects flapping to support said thing. As Ray fully caught sight of the creature standing in front of her, she gasped in horror and disbelief.

"What... what happened to you?!" She addressed Zarc in a fearful voice before he spoke up in a low pitched voice to respond her, the refrain beginning simultaneously.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

"This is the next step of my evolution!" Zarc declared with a grin on his face. He now had five pairs of wings, having grown one more during his transformation. But all of them were pitch black in color with a bit of neon green on the upper part, resembling the Supreme Dragon King's looks. He furthermore now had maws on all of them, being completely black in color as well, with the exception of their teeth. His body was fully black, no trace of white visible anymore. In addition to that he had sprouted two extra horns from his outer forehead, curvy and pointing to the middle of his front side, just like the horns the Supreme Dragon King had. His whole body had green lines over it, resembling the great Dragon-Monster once more. But the most terrifying thing aside from his still demonic black mask combined with those dragonic eyes with their golden irises and pitch black pupils was that he had four arms, each of them holding a sword made of pure darkness from the looks of it.

"How?!" Ray asked after a while in a frightened tone, the interlude playing in the background.

Zarc raised one of his scaly eyebrows. "How? That's simple, I unlocked the true potential of my soul and then released Sōzetsukai with my sword!" He retorted, raising up the sword he was holding with his hinder right arm, still emitting the glow which distinguished it from the three other blades that Zarc had formed with this new transformation.

"Sublime... Release?!" Ray repeated in fear as she suddenly felt her body losing power.

"Yes, Sōzetsukai – Sublime Release! It works exactly like in Bleach! While the Tenkai is the embodiment of a transcendent being's soul, the Shikai so to speak, the Sōzetsukai is the evolution of that! But only a transcendent being of an even higher degree of divinity can acquire this form of power! That's why I was able to unlock it! Now then, I should probably explain to you what my Sōzetsukai does! My Sōzetsukai "Zen'nō no Ryū no Kami" – "Almighty Dragon God" has the power of increasing my total strength yet again. That is indicated by my new physical appearance as you can tell and multiplies my power by about ten to one hundred times, depending on training. **NOW TREMBLE BEFORE MY HYPER TRANSCENDENT FORM!** " He announced in a loud voice.

"Ten to one hundred times?! Hyper Transcendent Form?!" Ray repeated in shock and disbelief.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

Zarc nodded as the refrain began anew. "Yes, but the main feature of my Sōzetsukai is that it disables all Jyujutsu, regardless of augmentation and protection! In other words, even with your Holy Shield-ability your Tenshimadou is useless now!" Zarc shouted in a victorious tone.

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

" **WHAT?!** " Ray exclaimed in terror.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

"And that's not all!" Zarc continued, grinning sadistically. "Look at my body!" He commanded her.

-Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!-

Leo's eyes widened as he did said thing. "The wounds...!" He began in horror. "The incurable wounds of Ray's light powers are closing up again! How is Ray going to overcome him now?! _**RAY!**_ " He exclaimed, Leo's worries about his daughter skyrocketing.

-I can tell that I've never been true to me!-

-And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!-

-Now I know I can be what I want to be!-

-And transcend the limits of my humanity!-

Zarc continued grinning at her. "Now then, how do you like it? The Hindus view having multiple pairs of arms as a sign of divinity!" He stated, raising up his four upper limbs. "So how do you like it?! Seeing the first true god who ever entered this world?! The first being that will bring true change to the world instead of relaxing in some kind of afterlife or whatnot like a lazy jerk!" He addressed her in a confident, mocking voice.

-I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!-

Ray eyes widened in horror before she retorted something to him. "A TRUE GOD WOULD NEVER BRING SO MUCH PAIN TO THE WORLD!" She protested in an indignant tone.

-You all pray but you keep on committing sin!-

-At long last I'll surpass my mortality!-

-To be a dragon, Ima koso hitotsu ni!-

Zarc tilted his head a bit. "Do you really think so? After all, they don't do anything against the suffering in the world which is pretty much equivalent to bringing pain, don't you think? I know that there are a lot of theories like the theodicy which explain why they don't act, but ultimately those are just dirty excuses for believing in fictional, made-up beings who do nothing against the suffering in this world! But I won't lean back! I will act based on my superior beliefs, the true beliefs! I will not allow myself to be bound down by religion, society, rules, norms and general opinions anymore! I will truly transcend all mortal limits to become a superhuman who is exalted above the lowly urges of mankind and freely pursuits happiness, just like Nietzsche has preached in his philosophy!" He told while his theme finished and began another loop, the prelude starting again since this was the extended version.

"BUT EVEN IF YOU TRANSCEND ALL OF THAT, YOU ARE STILL A MASS MURDERER!" Ray screamed in outrage.

"That may be right, but ultimately I still follow a noble goal! I want to establish an utopia, and if I have to walk over some corpses for that, so be it!" He made a short pause as the lyrics began anew.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

-SINCE TO ME YOU ARE NOTHING BUT FILTH AND SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

-AND AM A GOD OF UNRIVALED SUPREMACY!-

"Don't you remember Machiavelli? 'One ascends to the principality by some wicked or nefarious ways.' 'For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him.' He mainly referred to politics with that, but the message is clear: When the act accuses, the result excuses! If I have to kill a few humans for an ideal world, it will be all worth it once the utopia is born! The end justifies the means so to speak! And don't try to argue against that, after all, I've always had better grades in philosophy than you, Ray! No matter how you turn it, my ideology is superior!" Zarc declared in an absolute tone.

"YOUR BELIEFS ARE STUPID AND INHUMANE!" Ray shot back at him as the interlude began for a second time.

 _"_ **ARE YOU RETARDED?!** I'M NOT EVEN A HUMAN ANYMORE, SO DON'T BRING UP THAT POINT! AND STOP USING THAT WORD IN A WAY THAT DEPICTS THEM AS GOOD BEINGS RATHER THAN THE DEMONS THEY TRULY ARE! ALSO ONLY A DEVILISH BEING SUCH AS YOURSELF WOULD CLING TO THOSE DEMONS LIKE THAT! NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS BLACK IS EVIL! AND NOT EVERYTHING THAT IS SHINING IS AUTOMATICALLY AN ANGEL! I HAVEN'T USED THAT SHIN GODZILLA OST AGAINST THE GENERALS FOR NOTHING, RAY! I AM A BLACK ANGEL WHO WILL BRING JUSTICE TO WICKED HUMANITY WITH MY BLAZING SWORD! AND NOBODY, **NOBODY!** , WILL STAND IN MY WAY! **SO STEP ASIDE OR PERISH, RAY!** " Zarc screamed at her at the top of his lungs.

"NO CHANCE!" Ray yelled back at him.

"Then you will be destroyed! You will be the last thing I leave back in order to be completely free of any influences on me!" Zarc whispered in an eerie tone as he readied his four blades and charged upwards.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

Zarc slammed his four blades down at her. While she could block three with her own sword Kibō and her halo combined, the fourth slashed open her chest, tearing flesh and spilling a golden fluid.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

" **AAARGH!** " Ray screamed in pain, retreating and looking at the wound. Zarc merely grinned at her.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

"Looks like your defense isn't so perfect and unbreakable anymore! And about your golden angel blood, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SPILLING MORE OF IT!" He screamed at her in a bloodthirsty voice before he charged forward again.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

"Kuh!" Ray cursed before she redirected her blade and halo, trying to block his next attack. She smirked as she parried two of his swords with her own blade and blocked the next two with her halo.

-SINCE TO ME YOU ARE NOTHING BUT FILTH AND SIN!-

"Oh?! Do you think that you have taken care of everything?!" Zarc addressed her in a mocking tone.

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

WHAT?!" Ray exclaimed in a shocked tone before she realized what he meant.

 _-_ AND AM A GOD OF UNRIVALED SUPREMACY!-

" **THIS IS SPARTA!** " Zarc cried out in a jeering tone as he kicked her with his right dragon leg, the claws on his toes deeply digging into her flesh and tearing open her lower torso.

-I CAN TELL THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN TRUE TO ME!-

" **GAAAAAAAAAAH!** " Ray shouted in agony as the nerve signals reached her brain and transmitted the burning sensation in her abdominal area.

-AND I'M TIRED OF COWERING FEARFULLY!-

" **I'M NOT DONE!** " Zarc shouted loudly before he vanished.

-NOW I KNOW I CAN BE WHAT I WANT TO BE!-

" **WHERE DID HE GO?!** " Ray yelled in panic.

-AND TRANSCEND THE LIMITS OF MY HUMANITY!-

" _ **RAY! BEHIND YOU!**_ " He father cried out in terror, trying to warn her.

-I CAN KILL BUT I DON'T FEEL A SINGLE THING!-

" **WHAT?!** " Ray exclaimed as she begun to turn around. But she didn't get far as four claw-like hands pierced her back, causing her to scream in pain once more.

-YOU ALL PRAY BUT YOU KEEP ON COMMITTING SIN!-

-AT LONG LAST I'LL SURPASS MY MORTALITY!-

-TO BE A DRAGON, IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!-

" **DO YOU SEE THAT?!** **THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE IN POWER BETWEEN A GOD AND A MERE HUMAN THAT HAS TRANSCENDED HER LIMITS A BIT!** " Zarc cried out in a mocking tone as he twisted his four hands inside her back, intensifying her cries of agony with it. ( 22Treachery - Bleach OST Extended end) His theme ended and he pulled out his arms again, grasping her by her neck and throwing her downwards with immense force. As she hit the floor with a loud crash, Leo screamed her name again.

" _ **RAAAAAAAY!**_ "

Ray slowly rose up again, her body full of bruises and bleeding from his slashes and claws, panting in exhaustion. She looked upwards and faced Zarc with a resolute expression, despite her hopeless situation.

"Oh? So you still have the power to stand up and fight?!" Zarc laughed. "Very well, if you have the nerve for that, I should better play something appropriate for our final showdown!" He told before he snapped his fingers.

( 23, Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification"; again an extended version, also accelerated and higher pitched)

"Wait! This is Dark Purification! Does he really want to end me now?! Will he really forget about everything we had and turn against me like I did?!" Ray wondered as the melody began playing.

"This is the final fight, Ray!" Zarc stated. "Either stop me and save your pathetic old world or lose and witness how everything comes crumbling down before you draw your last breath and perish at the Armageddon!" Zarc declared, continuing the Black Universe-Spell by uttering its incantation anew. " **IT'S TIME! THE FINAL BATTLE THAT WILL DECIDE EVERYTHING BEGINS NOW!** " Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs as he flapped his wings and sped down at her.

Ray grimaced as their blades clashed again, Zarc pushing against her with tremendous force, causing her to skid back.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

" **HAHAHAHAHAHA!** LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE PRETTY BUSY WITH MY BLADES NOW! EVEN YOUR HALO IS OCCUPIED! WHICH MEANS I CAN DO THIS AT LAST!" Zarc laughed as he continued pressing, his face twisted in malicious glee and bloodlust as he made an insane laugh. Then his ten wings moved as he directed all of their maws at Ray's face. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw all of them charging up spheres of red color, eerily glowing just mere inches away from her face. Then they were launched at her and exploded at point blank range, Zarc narrowing the impact field again so that it would hit her – and nothing else to maximize its efficiency – with the power of multiple quadrillion nukes.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!**_ " Ray yelled as she was hurled backwards, her face blackened by the insane explosion. As she opened her eyes again, something rapidly came into her field of vision. She ducked leftwards to avoid the left-handed blade meant to behead her, just to get into the next attack from his anterior right arm, stabbing her chest with a clean thrust forward, causing her to cough up some of her golden blood. While she had unconsciously blocked the two other blades with her halo, she had still received a major injury from his assault, prompting her to retreat backwards. Zarc followed up with a full powered blast from his wings, causing her to block it with her three means of defensive – her Holy Shield, her blade Kibō and her halo. A cloud of smoke enveloped her after she had fended off this attack, reducing her vision drastically. As she looked around for Zarc's next attack in panic, she received a surprise attack from the right at once, causing her to wince in pain once more as Zarc's Shinjitsu and two of its companions pierced into her side, Ray only being able to parry one of his attacks in time. As the interlude began, Zarc went for a punch with his anterior left hand. She faced it and prepared for her counter, but he simply vanished at once and reappeared behind her, his scaly fist slamming into her back with incredible force.

" _ **GAAACK!**_ " Ray screamed, being sent backwards into the air again and dropping her sword in the process. Zarc chased after her with a vicious expression on his face, beating his ten wings to get to her. After he was above her height, his main blade slashed downwards, aiming for her chest again. He didn't use his three other blades however, just holding them in a relaxed manner. This caused Ray to address him in outrage.

"DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN OVERCOME MY DEFENCE WITH ONLY ONE SWORD?! DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" She yelled at him, her halo forming as a thick layer above her as she used its full mass to create a shield. Zarc merely smirked before his blade broke through her halo and dug into Ray once more, leaving a big gash.

" _ **AAARGHH!**_ **HOW?!** " Ray screamed in pain and confusion.

" **HOW?! WITH MY INCREASED PHYSICAL STRENGTH OF COURSE! NOTHING CAN PROTECT YOU ANYMORE!** " Zarc shot back, his face twisted in devilish glee and savage bloodlust. Then he continued, angling his right leg downwards. "RAY! YOU SAID THAT YOUR DETERMINATION TO SAVE HUMANITY GAVE YOU YOUR ANGEL FORM AND THAT YOU WOULD DEFEAT ME! BUT YOUR RESOLVE WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING! HUMAN ABILITY IS LIMITED AFTER ALL AND YOU WILL NEVER TRULY TRANSCEND HUMANITY AS LONG AS YOU CLING TO THEM! BEFORE MY MIGHT, YOUR EFFORTS ARE...!" He began in a mocking tone before he started his attack. Ray grimaced heavily as he began kicking her again, his claws tearing out flesh whenever his foot hit her skin. "USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! USELESS! **USELESS!** " He shouted, the kicks having gun-like sounds from the sheer impact and his speed. After a series of straight ones, he spun around and gave her a roundhouse-kick, shouting louder than before and sending her downwards.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

Ray looked around for her sword. As she found Kibō, sticking in the ground with its handle upwards, she charged at it, trying to regain her weapon. But suddenly Zarc dropped down from above, pinning her to the ground as he landed on her back, causing her to cry out in pain again at the enormous impact.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

"A being like you which is trying to protect scum like that shouldn't have such beautiful, heavenly wings!" Zarc commented after a short pause with a devilish grin on his face. "Time to get rid of them!" He shouted in an anticipating tone full of violence, grabbing the first of Ray's white wings – the one on the very top of her left side – with his anterior left hand.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

" **NO!** " Ray screamed in horror, redirecting her halo to get rid of the demon sitting on her back. Her halo divided into two parts, each of them flying around one side of her neck and aiming at Zarc.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

"Humph! That thing won't help you!" Zarc scoffed, punching the two objects with his dragon fists and simply shattering them.

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

" **WHAT?!** " Ray yelled in disbelief, looking back. Then Zarc grabbed her two arms and moved them forward with two of his own after dematerializing their darkness blades. He pushed them to the red colored ground and began his next comment. "Oh, your skin is truly as soft as I thought it would be! Wow, such sublime hands! It would be a shame if someone accidentally pierced them!" He yelled, ramming two of his blades though her palms, pinning her to the ground.

-To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!- Zarc's theme continued, immediately following with the next lyrics as this was the extended version of Dark Purification.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!**_ " Ray screamed at the top of her lungs, the pain almost unbearable, even in her current form.

" ** _RAAAAAAAAAAAAY!_** " Leo cried out in horror as Zarc crucified his daughter on the red crystals beneath her.

-So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!-

"Great!" Zarc stated. "Now that I have you where I want, I can start cutting off your angel wings!" He stated, grabbing the first pair of her white-feathered members.

-And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!-

"No! Please, Zarc!" Ray cried, tears streaming down her eyes as she turned back to him and begged him to not torture her.

-Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!-

-And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!-

-And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!-

-I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!-

-It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!-

"TO THE GROUND WITH YOU!" He yelled back, grabbing the backside of her head with one of his hands and pushing her to the soil. Then he took one pair of wings into his second hand since he couldn't use one of his hands anymore due to holding Ray down with it. The two remaining hands, each of them holding a sword, readied themselves. Ray winced in pain as Zarc pulled on her wings, especially painful since they were fixed on her upper back and all of her body areas around it were pinned to the ground – either by Zarc sitting on her lower back, crucifying her hands or pushing her head downwards. Then he sliced through the air with his blades and cut off the upper pair of wings, prompting Ray to scream in agony.

" _ **ZAAAAARC! YOU DEMON! LET GO OF HER!**_ " Leo shouted at him in anger, the interlude sung by a female voice beginning in the meantime.

Zarc looked down at her mercilessly. "Now the next pair!" He stated, grabbing the two wings sprouting from the very middle of her back.

"No! Don't! Please!" Ray cried, sobbing heavily. Zarc just ignored her and pushed her down harder. He sadistically added more pain to the torture by waiting with his slice, influencing her psychologically since he knew that the fear was greater if the victim was uncertain when the next painful burst of agony would come. After a few seconds of holding her in position he conducted his second attack, cutting off her next pair of wings. As she screamed in agony, he already grabbed the final pair and cut them off not long after.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!**_ " Ray screamed in tears, her cries echoing over the city, audible even miles away. Meanwhile Zarc looked down at her with a grin, golden blood pouring from the chopped off supernatural limbs of hers.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO I'LL CREATE A BETTER WORLD, A PLACE I CAN BELONG TO!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL FIGHT WITH CLAWS AND TEETH IN DESPERATION!-

-ESTABLISH AN UTOPIA THROUGH HUMANKIND'S ERASION!-

-AND MY STRENGTH GROWS WITH EVERY TIME, SO IT WILL GET MORE AND MORE!-

-AND MANKIND COWERS IN FEAR, TREMBLING AT THE DARK DRAGON'S ROAR!-

"Man, your blood looks fantastic! So shiny and golden! Maybe I should have a taste of it!" He shouted, darting forward and biting her into the neck violently, eagerly sucking her blood like a vampire as she screamed again. "Aaahhh, so good!" He moaned in pleasure, licking the fluid from his lips with a tongue split at the tip, just as dragons and snakes usually have. "You are truly an angel, Ray! Guess that look really fits you after all, doesn't it? But enough of that!" He continued after a while, pulling out the swords from her pierced palms and picking her up. "See you!" He exclaimed, throwing her away a few rods. As she landed around two hundred feet away from her previous position, Zarc spoke up again. "I guess now that you can't use any Jyujutsu to cast spells, I should abuse the fact that I still can!" He stated, raising one of his arms as he began shouting an incantation while the song continued in the background.

-I SEE YOUR THIRST FOR BATTLE, SIGHING IN EXASPERATION!-

-IT IS AT HAND, NOW WITNESS THIS WORLD'S DARK PURIFICATION!-

"Sinister coffin of doom! Form around my foes and bury them in your gravitation before they shall be pierced by the blackish spears! The black grave shall be the end of you! Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi!" He cried out, a black network of frames forming around Ray.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS I'LL BRING AN END TO THIS WAR!-

' _Shit! I have to run out of it before it closes and the spears pierce me!'_ Ray thought desperately, trying to move out of it. _'No! The gravitation pulls me back to the center! I can't make it in time!'_ She internally screamed as it closed around her.

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL BRING DEATH AND UNLEASH ANNIHILATION!-

-I'LL OPEN UP A NEW PATH THROUGH TOTAL ERADICATION!-

Zarc observed the events with sadistic glee as he slowly clenched his open palm into a fist, fully closing it as the coffin was completed and the black spears pierced into the black cube. He smirked as he heard her cries of agony echoing from the inside. As it dissolved, Ray dropped to the crystal soil, the music coming to an end as she collapsed on the ground.

( 23 Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification" end)

" ** _RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!_** " Leo cried out at the top of his lungs, nothing but fear of losing his daughter on his mind right now.

" **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** " Zarc laughed. "Even an angel was no opponent that could defeat me! Whenever I'm about to lose, my power grows and leads me to victory! This is the might of the all-powerful Destiny Factor! **This is the might of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!** " Zarc screamed in triumph, directing his face skywards as he announced his victory to the world. While Leo's gaze remained on Zarc, staring at him speechlessly, another figure began its comment.

" _THAT'S RIGHT! WHENEVER YOU ARE CLOSE TO DEFEAT, YOUR DETERMINATION GROWS AND CAUSES YOU TO TRANSCEND EVEN FURTHER! NOW ONLY ONE CHAIN REMAINS ON ME!_ ** _AND IF THAT CHAIN BREAKS, I WILL FINALLY BE FREE AGAIN!_** _"_ The dark dragon declared in his spectral form, observing his vessel as always.

"No...! You have not won yet!" A voice spoke up, heavily panting. Zarc looked down and faced Ray who slowly stood up again, bleeding from countless wounds and having hundreds of scratches on her body. Yet her gaze remained fierce, not even considering the option of giving up.

"Oh?!" Zarc addressed her in a derisive tone. "You survived my coffin?! Impressive! As to be expected of you, Ray! But you are still in a hopeless situation!" Zarc pointed out, rising up an object. "Your sword Kibō is in my hands!" He remarked, showing the weapon to her which he had picked up in the meantime. "Your halo is shattered!" He continued, pointing downwards to the remains of her winglike disk of light. "You wings are gone!" He told her, shifting his finger and showing Ray her former, now cut off, feathered body parts. "And lastly you are wounded and stripped off your magic! You are an angel without any wings or divinity! IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE LOST, **RAY!** " He screamed at her victoriously, stressing her name.

Ray let out a small laugh.

"What are you laughing about?!" Zarc snapped at her in outrage.

"Oh, nothing." Ray replied. "It's just so funny how you forget about something in your transcendent being-mannerism full of arrogance and overconfidence!" Ray told him.

Zarc's eyes widened. "Wait, do you mean...?!" He began in shock.

Ray's expression turned fierce. "Yes! We are still in a duel!" She shouted, her disk flashing to life once more.

"NO!" Zarc screamed, speeding at her in panic.

"YES!" Ray retorted. " **I ACTIVATE EN MOON!** " She shouted at the top of her lungs. Four pillars of light shot upwards from the continuous spells, four bracelets forming on Ray's wrist as well. They unleashed a colorful blast of energy at Zarc, pushing him backwards and sending him flying towards his dragon self.

" **NO! IMPOSSIBLE!** " Zarc screamed in disbelief, reverting form by form until he returned to his Quarter Transcendent Form, his normal dragon form. He was forcefully reattached to the dragon's chest as Ray began talking again.

"My four continuous spells strip all of your monsters off their powers and turn them into Normal-Monsters!" Ray shouted. "And then they destroy every monster that has its effects negated and inflict 600 points of damage for each one!" She yelled.

"600 points?!" Zarc repeated. "Wait, I have five monsters and 3000 lifepoints, so does that mean that I...?!" He began in disbelief, his eyes twitching in terror.

" **YES!** **YOU LOSE, ZARC! BE REVERTED TO PURITY AGAIN AS YOUR BODY AND SOUL IS SPLIT APART!** " Ray screamed at the top of her lungs as the glow coming from her bracelets intensified.

" ** _NOOOOO! RAAAAAAY!_** " Leo shouted in pain of imminent loss as he saw how his beloved daughter made the ultimate sacrifice and split herself in order to save the world.

"BASTARD! **YOU BASTARD!** " Zarc yelled as he felt how he and the dragon he was attached to began splitting apart. "UNFORGIVABLE! **YOUR INSOLENCE IS UNFORGIVABLE, RAY!** I WILL REASSEMBLE MY PIECES AND BECOME ONE AGAIN!" He cried out in response as Ray's light slowly consumed him.

"No! I will prevent that! Did you already forget that I have the powers of light and creation on my side?! I can even save my father with it as this world is split apart with every being on it! And during the now following separation I can easily use these powers of creation to influence the structure of the new world and pick a design where I have the trump cards in my hands! In other words, I will nip your attempts on resurrection in the bud by selecting circumstances favorable for me!" She declared in a resolute tone.

As Zarc heard her words, he didn't respond and simply retreated into his mind, his mouth angles dropping visibly. _'She's right!'_ He thought. _'While my powers are far superior than hers, mine are derived from darkness and can mainly be used for destruction. Hers on the other hand are far more practical in that regard since they are derived from the light. In other words, she has the upper hand! She won't take any chances! She will simply kill me by cleansing my remains out of the bodies of my fragments!'_ Tears began welling up in Zarc's eyes as images of his dragons and the other spirits flashed over his mind and he collapsed onto his knees. _'I have failed you, Odd-Eyes, Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing, Starve Venom!'_ He cried. _'You have protected me for all those years and I still failed, so close to my goal! I have failed you and all other spirits!_ _'_ He continued, his sobbing intensifying with every word he spoke. _'But mostly I have failed you, great dragon! You put all your trust in me and even gave me a part of your soul! And I have done nothing but disappointing you by letting your efforts go to waste! I'M SO SORRY!_ ** _I'M SO SORRY TO YOU ALL!_** _'_ He cried out looking skywards, tears of grief flowing down his cheeks like little waterfalls.

"You have not failed! And neither have you disappointed me! After all, you did accomplish the goal I destined you for!" He heard a deep voice speaking up.

"What?" He uttered, his surroundings slowly changing from a white nothingness to a dark realm with red soil, a gigantic black door with two leaves standing a few miles away from him in the distance, posing the entrance to an area that was surrounded with black walls of incredible height. "Did you just say that I didn't fail?" Zarc continued. Then he remembered the words the voice had told him. "Wait, are you...?!" He addressed it in an incredulous tone.

The voice hummed in agreement. "Yes, I am the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor!" He stated. "And as I just said, you didn't fail! Because now I can finally do this!" He exclaimed, a huge impact hitting the door and flinging the two leaves open. After that, the dragon emerged, having an enormous size with a height of around a mile. It was black in color and had greenish lines over its body, just as Zarc's ace monster. Its giant wings, somewhere in between ten and fifteen miles in terms of length towards both sides, were separated into several sections, a wrinkle on the black wingspans every mile from Zarc's estimation. Atop the respective sections where the wrinkles were located, the wings had glowing spheres of the same color as a Chūshin, meaning ones that resembled the great orb that Astrograph had sent skywards with his power when Zarc had become the Supreme Dragon King for the very first time. Speaking of the Supreme Dragon King, the being in front of him looked basically just the same, albeit much bigger and with those glowing orbs on top of its wings every once in a while. Another remarkable difference was its chest area as well as its claws and teeth. The two latter were scarlet while all of the three former things glowed with the same rainbow colors from before as well, giving the great dragon an even more formidable look. The green chestplate on its torso where Zarc was normally attached to by his waist when he merged with the great dragon's smaller comrade was even heavier and more of a protection, its middle having a gigantic shining Chūshin, multiple hundreds of feet in diameter. What also drew Zarc's attention was the dragon's head: It possessed three pairs of horns instead of only one, the first pointing forward like Haō Ryū Zarc's, the second pointing backwards in the same angle and the third one pointing upwards, resembling the horns Zarc grew when entering his Super Transcendent Form. There were green lines over them as well, just like on the rest of its body, and all those lines shone with the colorful spectrum from before. But the most remarkable feature were the dragon's eyes that magically attracted Zarc's own gaze. They had multiple layers and relatively big irises in correlation to the total diameter of them which was around thirty meters, a third of the original Supreme Dragon King Zarc's full body size. Their scleras were pitch black, just like most of the dragon's body. What distinguished them from the surrounding head was the red glow they emitted, framing the eyes like an additional layer. Then came the irises, having multiple colorful layers. The first one was red, then came a green one, followed by a lavender-bluish layer. Next up was a layer of shining azure color, a silver layer following immediately afterwards. The final two were a magenta-purplish one and a dark blue one respectively. And then, just before the pupil, came a golden orb, the inner layer of the iris. Within that golden orb was a pitch black pupil, staring at Zarc with a mixture of interest and – inexplicably for Zarc – admiration.

"You have fulfilled your destiny! Now I am finally free!" The Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor continued, slowly approaching Zarc.

"But you are still enchained!" Zarc cried out in response, looking at the one chain that still meandered around the great dragon's body and restricted his movements.

The dragon laughed. "You mean this thing?!" He exclaimed before he unfolded his wings, causing the chain to shatter into millions of pieces as he broke free from his binds. He soared up into the air after that, spinning around in joy as he spiraled upwards. "FINALLY!" He stated, continuing his ascend into the sky. " **AFTER SO MANY MILLENNIA, _I AM FINALLY FREE AGAIN!_** " He shouted at the top of his godly lungs, roaring into the air majestically as he performed a stance in the air, hovering with his wings fully unfolded and his eyes gazing skywards, his body emitting a rainbow colored radiance of the same traits as a Chūshin. Meanwhile in the Spiritual Realm, an apparition of him appeared, bare to see for all Monster Spirits in existence since all of them had retreated there.

"Wait, is that...?!" Ra began, looking into the sky of his realm in disbelief.

"YES! IT'S OUR LORD AND SAVIOR! HAIL YOU, GREAT DRAGON!" Obelisk shouted, greeting the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor.

 **-** " ** _ALL HAIL GENESIS!_** " **-** The rest of the spirits chimed in as the welcomed the arrival of their old leader and progenitor in unison, their cries echoing through their realm.

Meanwhile Zarc looked up to the dragon within his mind in wonder as well, admiring this display of never before seen beauty and sublimity. His eyes twitched in disbelief as he saw the miracle happening above him. "He is free... He really is free!" Zarc shouted. "Then since you are free again, you can wipe out the abominable human race now!" Zarc addressed the black dragon.

The great dragon looked down to him and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do so. We are currently inside your mind where time is slowed down by multiple times, slow-motion so to speak. I can't make any move on the outside world before that human's spell takes effect and separates your body – and me and as well." He explained.

Zarc looked down with a sad expression. "Then... was it all for nothing? Your resurrection I mean. You just broke free after so much time and now you are being enchained again?" He addressed the dragon.

The dragon shook his head sideways in negation. "No, it wasn't. Her spell might be able to seal away my full power, but what remains is still quite a lot, not even remotely comparable to what the Ancient Egyptians did to me since their binds were far stronger."

"I see. But what will that help if you are killed alongside me once Ray sets her plan into motion after the formation of the new world?" Zarc retorted.

The dragon laughed. "Hah, do you think that she still has the upper hand in terms of that, now that I'm free?! Even if her powers of light are more efficient than my powers of the dark, the sheer difference in terms of raw force will make up for it! In other words, you are no longer outmatched in that regard!" The dragon reassured him.

Zarc's mouth corners darted upwards. "I see." He said, a warm smile gradually forming on his face. Then his expression became a little bit unsure. "So what now?" He addressed the dragon.

"What now?" The god replied. "Now we wait for her spell to take effect and then work on our resurrection, just as you said to her! In the meantime you can ask me some questions while we wait for that to happen." He faced the male with his gaze. "That is if you have any." He spoke to Zarc in his usual deep voice.

A thoughtful expression formed on the silver haired man's face. "Actually I have one. Why did you choose me as your vessel? What was so special about me?" He addressed the black dragon, looking deeply into his colorful eyes.

The dragon reciprocated the stare before retorting. "Well, there was only one reason why I chose you: You have a pure heart, longing for an utopia and eternal peace, just as I do. And you were ready to make the sacrifices needed for it, like you usually have to when trying to accomplish something of true magnificence. That was the reason why I chose you. When I sensed how the first human that truly met this condition developed inside its mother's stomach, I implanted a piece of my heart and soul into it, the Chō Chūshin, which you see here on my chest!" The dragon spoke, talking about the enormous crystal-like sphere on his chest. "Look close, if you do, you will notice that a very small fragment is missing on the middle of its surface!" The dragon said. As Zarc did, he realized that the dragon was right. There was indeed a missing piece, disrupting the otherwise perfectly smooth surface of the giant sphere glowing in all colors.

"So that piece is..." Zarc began, his left hand wandering over his chest.

The dragon nodded. "Yes, that is the Destiny Factor! That is the proof that I chose you to free me again since only a human can break the bindings those other humans had enchained me with. But you were wrong with one thing: You are not my vessel! You are not some random pawn I chose in order to free me, only to forget about him immediately after he had done the deed! I am not ungrateful to my savior, and that's why I will give you your reward for freeing me now!" The dragon declared.

"Wait a second, do you mean...?!" Zarc began in a shocked tone.

The dragon nodded. "Yes. But since you are still not fully believing me from the looks of it, let me explain and play something fitting in the background in the meantime!" He said as a new theme began.

( 24, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disk 2 #18 Prelude to Destruction, min 2:05)

Zarc's eyes widened. "Wait, is this the same theme as when Don Thousand summoned Numeronius Numeronia?!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, it is. I think that track should undermine just how grave the now following words of mine are! As I said before, you are no pawn, no tool I simply use for my resurrection and then discard again! Or to compare it to these TV-Shows you like to watch so much, you are no Obito who has to sacrifice himself to bring back a greater power! You, my friend, are my legacy! You are the only human who has ever seen the greater picture to the same degree as I have! We are one in soul, share the same beliefs and dreams, have the same noble ethos so to speak! And since you already merged with the Heavenly Dragons, a small part of my physical body, you could say that we have shared the same body as well by now! Whenever you broke your limits, more and more of my remaining body floating in space was absorbed into yours, hence why I am inside your mind right now! The only thing that is left for you is to make the rest of my now recovered body your own, also joining together our two hearts and completing the Chō Chūshin once again! And as you do that, our consciousnesses will merge and become one as well! In other words, as a rewards for your efforts to unchain me, you will unite with me and become god himself!" The dragon told.

"So I will be...?!" Zarc began, still incredulous from the great dragon's declaration.

"YES! YOU WILL BE ME AND I WILL BE YOU! NOW THE TIME FOR THE ULTIMATE INTEGRATION HAS COME! **IMA KOSO HITOTSU NI!** " He cried out, flying towards Zarc at that.

(min 3:18)

The image of the dragon increased in Zarc's wavering eyes as the dragon drew closer. Then it vanished and Zarc's body changed rapidly, the human looks he had within his mind turning dragonic as his skin became black and covered with green, rainbow-glowing lines, sprouting enormous black wings from his back, a black tail, as well as three horns from his head and having a much bigger Chūshin on his chest which was now covered with a plate resembling that of Haō Ryū Zarc and the great dragon. His eyes, having black scleras and multiple colorful layers, looked skywards as he began to laugh. First it was barely a quiet chuckle, but soon it turned into loud laughter until it finally became a booming cry of triumph echoing over all creation. Zarc shifted his gaze downwards again before he took a breath and screamed.

" **HAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM PENDULUM AND XYZ, SYNCHRO AND FUSION, RITUAL, LINK AND PARAGON! AN EXISTENCE BOUND BY NOTHING!** _**AN UNLEASHED GOD!**_ "

Not even one millisecond after that, Ray's bracelets fully activated and divided the world and all beings on it. And even if Zarc's scream of victory was canceled, his triumph didn't pass away with it.

( 24, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disk 2 #18 Prelude to Destruction end)

And so, in the very same moment as the world was split apart, Zarc and the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor became one and the same being.

* * *

 _Back to the present..._

" _Come on, Ray! Join me! I still want to have you on my side, so just agree please!"_ Zarc addressed Ray anew.

" _Are you kidding me?! You pulled an Emperor Palpatine on me, then gave me the Leonidas-Treatment with the claws on your foot as you kicked me, proceeding with cutting off my wings and torturing me!"_ Ray cried out in indignation.

" _Oh please, I was just letting off some steam because you stood in the way of my plans! But I guess you are right, so I'm sorry for it. Though you tried to kill me as well!"_ He pointed out.

" _Of course I tried to kill you! You tried to wipe out every single human on earth after all!"_ Ray shot back.

" _And for a good reason! I only wanted to help my race! But I don't wish to fight you if not necessary, so I'm asking you again: Will you join me?"_ He repeated.

" _No chance, Zarc!"_ She rejected his offer. _"I cannot live in a world without humans! Sorry!"_ She replied in an intense voice.

" _Fine! I almost anticipated that you would decline!"_ Zarc sighed in exasperation. _"Then let's settle our discussion about how this world should be with a fight! The prowesses, powers created by bestowing Jyujutsu as inherited abilities onto them, will fight on our behalf! We shall see which one of them shall prevail in the end! If I revive first, this world will be doomed!"_

" _But if I revive, you will be cleansed and erased from existence by my Pure World!"_ She shot back. _"If Yuga and his friends make it to Academia with all girls present there, I can briefly take control over them to guide them into my father's ARC V-Machine! Then they will merge back into me and I will use my powers against your fragments! I will kill you to save humanity from your plans! And then our fragments can live on and accomplish what we couldn't!"_

" _But if my fragments absorb each other before that happens, you will be the one to be defeated! Even if you revive along with me and we get into a fight, you will not be able to defeat me in a battle of magic! The only remaining option for you will be a duel!"_

" _Then I will win that duel if it comes to that! But however it plays out, I will not hesitate to kill you, just like you wouldn't! Neither of us will allow the other to keep on existing once the respective person comes to life once more!"_

Zarc laughed. _"Do you really think that I would want you to be gone forever?"_ He addressed her, chuckling lightly.

" _WHAT?!"_ Ray exclaimed in shock before she continued after regaining her composure. _"Of course you want! I am the only thing that is in the way of your plans! And you tried to kill me multiple times already, so don't try to tell me that you want to keep me alive!"_ She shouted at him.

Zarc chuckled again. _"You seem to misunderstand something! While I indeed wanted to kill you, this was just a way to keep you in a powerless state for a while. Because if I revive first, I will not kill you, my dear Ray! Since I have far greater plans with you!"_ He stated.

Ray gulped. _"Far... greater plans?"_ She uttered fearfully.

Zarc nodded. _"Yes, I have two major plans!"_ He replied, raising two of his fingers. _"The first one is Project_ _ **Kyūkyoku no kura Ryū tei no shōten –**_ _Project_ _ **Ascension of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor**_ _! This is basically the plan that involves reviving myself, the more obvious one so to speak. Once that plan is done and I am alive again, my second plan will start! Project_ _ **Dawn of Twilight**_ _!"_ He stated.

" _Dawn of Twilight?!"_ Ray repeated in terror. _"And what is the goal of this plan?!"_

Zarc laughed. _"Like I said so many times before, I love you like nothing else in this world! Rejoice Ray, you are the key-piece of this plan!"_

" _I am the key-piece of your second plan?!"_ Ray stammered in horror and disbelief.

" _Yes! Once I revive, I will either kill you or strip you off your powers in some other way. If I should happen to kill you, I will bring you back with mighty Haōmadou and jam your powers immediately after your resurrection. That's why I was ready to kill you back in the Original Dimension!"_ He explained.

Ray began sweating, getting more and more nervous about his plans' contents. _"And then?!"_ She asked him fearfully.

" _Then, once your powers are disabled and can't protect you anymore, I will rip out your heart and replace it with a Chūshin! In other words, I will make you a Monster Spirit!"_

" _You want to make me a spirit?!"_ Ray cried out in utter horror at that declaration.

Zarc nodded again. _"Yes. The new heart that I will give to you will alter nothing about your personality. You will still be the same old Ray as before. The only difference is that you will see the world as one of us and admit your errors of belief. You will no longer view me as what you currently do – a monster – and begin to love me again, now free of your attachments to humanity. In other words, we will be a couple again as you become a Monster Spirit from heart!"_ Zarc exclaimed.

Ray's eyes twitched, her gaze trembling at that declaration.

" _But it doesn't end there! I never specified what I would do with the earth after I erased humanity, didn't I?! Surely I will repopulate it, but not with Monster Spirits!"_ He told.

Ray's panic rose. _"You are... not going to repopulate it with Monster Spirits?! With what then?!"_ She asked in horror.

Zarc shrugged his shoulders. _"Well, I guess you could call them Monster Spirits, but they will be spirits of unprecedented beauty, so I guess I need to make a new name for them. You see, once you return to my side as you have realized your former foolishness, I will start impregnating you. With your angelic powers, you should be able to withstand my force now and due to our transcendence, the duration of a pregnancy should be drastically lowered, so I will be able to implant new life inside you with every night. Once the morning comes, multiple hundreds, if not thousands of beings will emerge from your womb. And before your ask how they can all fit into your belly, with my power, I can easily make that happen. So with every day that passes, more and more new life will be born! And then our offspring shall repopulate the vast planet, beings of both light and darkness with supreme transcendence, free of the urges to fight and living in perfect harmony! These Twilightspawn shall be the new rulers of the earth! And I will watch over them and the normal spirits dwelling inside the other realm of existence! Me and you will be the king and the queen of the universe! An Adam and an Eve of a new era so to speak, with the difference that our offspring will be free of sins and bloody violence! That is Project Dawn of Twilight!"_ Zarc shouted.

Ray's eyes continued twitching as she began her reply. _"So you... want me to be your queen?! You want me by your side as you create a new world?!"_ She addressed him in disbelief.

Zarc nodded, his expression gradually changing into a warm smile. _"Yes! You and the happiness of the spirits, that is all I have ever longed for! I will love and forgive you no matter what! I cannot live in a world without you, my precious Ray! And that's why I will give you another chance once more! Join me and come to my side!"_ Zarc said, reaching out his right arm.

Ray was flattered by the depth of his love for her. Yet her gaze became fierce again as she shook her head. _"No chance! I will never abandon humanity and allow its demise, even for such an utopia that you've talked about!"_ She declared in a resolute voice.

Zarc sighed. _"Then I will simply have to defeat you!"_ He retorted, his appearance changing into his Fully Transcendent Form to intimidate her.

" _Not if I have a say about that!"_ Ray responded, changing into her Seraph Form, now with regrown wings and her halo back due to the renewal of the world. They faced each other for a few seconds, Zarc with his new outfit which he had worn ever since acquiring transcendence and Ray with a white robe of the kind the Ancient Greeks had worn that stressed her divine, angelic status.

" _Very well then, a battle it is! But your fragments won't be able to stand up to mine if they get into a fight!"_ Zarc pointed out.

" _Do you really think so?!"_ Ray scoffed back at him. _"After all, they are also angelic due to being parts of me! Meaning they have wings and a partial Angel Form since they are Semi Transcendent beings!"_ She declared.

" _So they have wings?"_ Zarc repeated. _"Not bad, but how does that help Ruri? She already has one pair from her deck-based prowess!"_ He told her.

" _Yeah, that's right. But with both active at the same time she can fly much faster of course!"_ Ray shot back. _"Behold, these are my fragments, the Holy Angels!"_ She stated in a confident voice.

" _Hmm, makes sense."_ Zarc hummed in agreement. _"But don't forget that my fragments are still better designed that yours! And now that you gave yours a name, I guess I will have to do so as well! Hmm, what name do I want...?"_ He deliberated, putting a finger onto his chin. _"I guess since I venerated Aizen so much, I will call them the Espada, just as Aizen did with his Arrancar-Team! So it will be a fight between my Espada and your Holy Angels, very well! But keep in mind that mine are not only are greater in power due to you being only Super Transcendent while I was Hyper Transcendent when we fought – that means one step higher – , my fragments also have more of my soul than yours!"_ He declared.

Ray tilted her head a bit in confusion. _"More of your soul?"_ She inquired.

Zarc nodded. _"Yeah, more of my soul. I already told you that their personalities are based on the prowesses I gave them, but there is even more to it than that! All of their ideologies and beliefs represent a part of my own! Yuya for example shares my desire to make others happy! While he wants to entertain the audience by using that barbaric enslavement-system though, I wish to make all spirits happy by freeing them! Yuto shares my desire to end a war and my resolve to destroy all enemies in the way! While he wants to bring peace to Heartland by defeating Academia, I want to end the conflict between humans and spirits by destroying my enemies, humanity! Next up Yugo shares my desire to rise to the top, him wanting to be the Duel King of Neo Domino City while I want to throne above the world! Yuri shares my desire for extinction, wanting to card every human on earth! With that, he actually follows a noble goal as well, cleansing the world from filth and muck! There is a reason why my attacking chant for the Supreme Dragon King Zarc is "Until the day when only one remains! Until that day when this world is destroyed!". I don't say "only one remains" to refer to myself, I refer to the races! I will fight until the day when only one species remains, the spirits! And I don't say "the world is destroyed" but "this world is destroyed" because I don't wish to destroy the earth, but the old world inhabited by humans, making room for a new earth with better inhabitants! But back to topic now! Yuga shares my desire for absolute domination and his straightforward behavior and will to even commit atrocities if Academia can be defeated this way displays my approach to bettering the world, ready to do everything to reach my high goals! Yubi probably shares my ideology the most since he is also a follower of Nietzsche, wanting to become a superhuman and better the world, even though he is far less radical than me in that regard! Also his stoic and unfazed behavior illustrates how I don't care about the deaths of those filthy humans since I know that it will all be rectified by the utopia! And lastly my Paragon-Fragment Yuji wants to break free from the rules that society has put him under in order to freely pursuit happiness, just as I did by breaking free of anything that bound me and prevented me from reaching my goal!"_ Zarc told her.

" _Then let's see if you can truly win this war or not!"_ Ray replied. _"Let's see if you truly have the better ideology than me! But I think not!"_

Zarc laughed. _"I think it is superior! I won't bow down to anyone in order to reach utopia!"_ He said. Then his expression turned serious again as he continued. _"People often are not true to themselves. They don't try to accomplish their high dreams of utopia in fear of punishment. But I won't cower in fear anymore! That's how the Supreme Dragon King was born! That's how a true god was born! The now following war will decide our world's destiny, Ray!"_ Zarc then grinned. _"It will be a dawn of twilight so to speak!"_ He said, referring to the name of his plan.

" _Then let us decide this in a clash of the two antithetic forces within this world!"_ Ray retorted in a resolute tone.

Zarc nodded. _"Very well! With my powers, I am positive that I can win this battle! After all, I was strong enough to even manifest in another world for a short time already!"_ He declared.

" _Another world?!"_ Ray exclaimed in shock. _"You mean a dimension?!"_

Zarc shook his head. _"No, I mean something more similar to an alternate version of reality, a parallel universe so to speak. You should know that the universe consists of multiple dimensions. One of those dimensions is our world with the seven smaller dimensions for instance. Imagine it like a folder on your computer that has more folders inside it. And one of those folders then contains seven documents, our dimensions so to speak."_ Zarc described her the structure of the universe with a metaphor.

" _So you were able to go to one of those worlds which are part of that bigger folder?!"_ She repeated in terror.

Zarc nodded. _"Yeah, while I had only the power to manifest there since nothing like your angelic powers or the now empowered En-Cards was in the way and prevented me from doing so – like it is here in our world_ _–_ _I still had enough strength to do so in that world. It was basically a version of our reality where that egao-idiot Yuya prevailed and overcame me, allowing your counterpart to seal my soul into the body of Reiji's adoptive sibling Reira. I went to that world as Yuya had just finished his duel against Reiji and everyone was smiling and being all happy, despite the fact that their world was literally in shambles at that moment and three quarters of our fragments – in that world there were only four methods – were stuck inside Mr. Smile and his love interest Ms. Flower Musician. Also none of these cocksuckers did utter the sentence "Thank you Ray for saving us all and granting us the chance to live!" even once, so I had no problem at all to stab the smile-idiot with my sword and torture him a bit before I killed his friend Yuzu right afterwards. Next I killed everyone present in the stadium and then threw a sphere of energy on every of their four dimensions and obliterated them Frieza-Style. Man, that felt good! Most likely I cannot manifest again as a result before I truly resurrect since it takes multiple years to collect the necessary energy, but it was still worth it for sure! Especially since I protected all cards in those four dimensions against the explosions of the respective planets with my power and got to free the spirits of that world as a result!"_

* * *

 _Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, shortly after the conclusion of the final episode..._

"Well then, time for your punishment, you little bastard! How do you like that? And that?! AND THAT?! **AND THAT?!** " Zarc cried out repeatedly, gradually getting louder as his blade Shinjitsu stabbed into the back of the person before him. Yuzu, only standing a few meters away from them, observed the scenes unfolding before her in horror. She had just returned to the living and her friend Yuya had been on the way to facing his dad in a duel. But then suddenly a figure had appeared, hovering in the air. To the surprise of everyone in the stadium, especially Leo's, Yusho's, the Lancers' and hers, said person turned out to be Zarc. Then he had grabbed Yuya and currently, he was holding him in front of him with one of his arms around the boy's neck while continuously stabbing into his back with his blade.

"STOP IT!" Yuzu cried out with a mix of terror and anger as she had recovered from the chain of events happening quicker than she could process, addressing the demon duelist levitating above her and the other people.

Said person looked down to her and raised an eyebrow as he halted the movements of his sword. "Why should I? This jerk here has done nothing good! He only won a few duels and made some people smile, but ultimately he achieved nothing worth mentioning!" Zarc retorted.

"ACHIEVED NOTHING?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! **HE SAVED THE WORLD!** " Yuzu cried out in indignation.

Zarc broke out into loud laughter at that, causing the pink haired girl to scowl in anger. Eventually he stopped in order to respond to her. "Saved the world? Hah, that's priceless! Him and saving the world, just gold!" He laughed, wiping a tear from his right eye. Then his expression turned serious again as Zarc's inner anger resurfaced. "That jerk has done nothing for the real beings, the Monster Spirits! He just saved a bunch of worthless humans, but completely ignored the spirits! As Leo already said, spirits have a soul! And guess what they also have?! THAT'S RIGHT, A FUCKING NERVE SYSTEM AND SENSATIONS!" He exploded in rage. "And guess what Yuya did all the time?! Yes, exactly, letting his Odd-Eyes die at almost every turn, only to bring it back during the next turn, starting its living cycle of agony anew! **HE IS NOTHING BUT UTTER SCUM!** " Zarc screamed in outrage.

"What?! They have real sensations?!" Yuzu cried out in shock. Yuya also seemed to be very shaken by this revelation, a regretful expression forming on his face.

"Did I... really torture my own dragon...?" He whispered in shock.

"YES, YOU FUCKING DID! AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT?! **THAT'S RIGHT, YOU WILL BE EXECUTED BY ME!** " Zarc screamed in anger as he stabbed him once again, much stronger than before. As Yuya cried out in pain, Yuzu screamed again. After that Zarc threw him to the ground, Yuya landing only a short distance before Yuzu's feet. The green haired boy weakly rose his face upwards again, lying on the ground and looking up to his friend.

"Yu-zu..." He stammered, facing her with a pleading stare. "R-run..." He continued, addressing her in a begging tone.

"I'm not going to leave you! I...!" Yuzu shouted back before she was interrupted. A red laser beam struck down on Yuya and pierced his head, causing him to collapse entirely, his face returning to its former position on the ground. "Yuya..." She addressed him in a quiet tone of utter shock, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. As no response came, she began to sob before crying out his name at the top of her lungs, tears freely falling down her cheeks.

" _ **YUUUUUUUYAAAAAAAA!**_ "

The other people present in the stadium were shocked and horrified by this development as well, especially Yusho and the Lancers. As Yuzu's sadness slowly turned into rage, she screamed at Zarc, who merely kept on levitating in the air and grinning at her friend's death.

" **YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO YUYA?!** " She shouted at him, her eyes red from the crying and having a look of limitless anger.

Zarc just shrugged his shoulders. "Easily! This guy was utter scum, so I got rid of him. After all, I am the one in charge for the whole universe, my world as well as yours." He stated.

"Your world?! Do you mean that you are from a different reality then?!" Reiji addressed him in disbelief.

Zarc nodded. "Yeah, I'm basically from another reality, if you want to express it your way. The better way that I would choose is saying that your world with its four dimensions is merely one of many, mine being one of them as well. And I have the duty to watch over all, for I am the chosen one of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, the ruler of the entire universe!" He retorted.

"Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor?! You mean Supreme Dragon King Zarc?!" Leo inquired.

Zarc chuckled. "No, the Supreme Dragon King my counterpart from this world used is merely a weak baby lizard compared to the dragon I control!" He replied, shaking Leo at his core with that declaration. "But anyway..." He continued, looking over to Yuzu, "since you are so sad and want to have your friend back, why don't I help you?!" His grin widened. "By sending you right after him into the afterlife that is!" He exclaimed in a sadistic tone.

"You want to... kill me as well?" Yuzu uttered in a frighted voice, her rage making room for the immense fear seizing her heart.

Zarc nodded. "Yes, I do! Just look at yourself! You are just a cheap copy of Ray, the person who truly deserved to be reborn, not you, you shitty brat! She saved all of your asses and did even one of you thank her for saving the world?! No, not even once!" He eyed Yuzu again, his expression getting fiercer with every word he spoke. "You are just a perversion of Ray, a distorted image, a ripoff of the original! No matter how much time I would give you for living on, you would never live up to Ray's legacy! She is an angel while you are just filth! But don't worry, I will free you from your pathetic life very, **very** soon!" He stated, grinning at her maliciously. "But first...!" Zarc stated, vanishing and abruptly reappearing atop of the LDS-Building, looking down to the LDS Center Court where Yuzu and the rest was located, raising up his blade and shouting something as it began emitting a menacing glow. ( 25, B07a - Bleach OST) " **SŌZETSUKAI! BREAK FREE, GREAT DRAGON EMPEROR! RULE OVER THEM ALL, ZEN'NŌ NO RYŪ NO KAMI!** " He cried out, gradually changing his appearance at that. The spectators sitting inside the stadium let out gasps of horror as Zarc became a dragon. " **HAHAHAHAHA! TREMBLE BEFORE MY POWER!** " He cried out, his looks drastically changing at the background track. Waves of darkness were emitted and flowing into all directions as he transformed, laughing as his wings and the rest grew from his body.

"What... is this being?!" Asuka whispered in fear.

"This can't possibly be a human!" Sora added.

"Definitely not!" Shun agreed.

"Is this going to be even worse than our previous battle with Zarc?" Crow chimed in.

"I'm afraid, yes." Jack stated.

"Impossible..." Gongenzaka whispered.

"This cannot be real!" Sawatari exclaimed.

"Yet it is happening." Yusho spoke up.

"Is this really... Zarc? There are worlds between this one and the one we battled in terms of power!" Reiji uttered, sweating as he desperately deliberated about a countermeasure, but couldn't find one.

"Yes, it is." His father continued. "Yet there must be something that sets him apart from our Zarc! Something of immeasurable power!" Leo yelled. "Who are you?!" He addressed the demon standing on top of the building.

Zarc merely laughed as he unfolded his five pairs of wings. "I? I am another version of the person you dueled against, the Demon Duelist Zarc! But I am so much more than him! I am the Savior of the Spirits, the Great Messiah, the Transcendent Dragon, the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor! I AM A BEING OF UNPARALLELED DIVINITY! **I AM ZARC GENESIS HAORYU!** _ **I AM GOD!**_ _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ " He laughed, finishing his transformation and showing them the full extent of his Hyper Transcendent Form.

Yuzu trembled in fear, her gaze shaking as she took step after step backwards, looking upwards at him with an expression of limitless dread. " **NOW YOU WILL RECEIVE...!** " Zarc began after a while, his sword Shinjitsu flashing to life as it was surrounded by a thick layer of darkness. " _ **…MY BLADE!**_ " He yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping from the edge of the building and charging at her. A high pitched scream was audible inside the stadium before it came to an abrupt halt accompanied by a gush of blood.

( 25, B07a - Bleach OST end)

* * *

Ray's eyes twitched in disbelief. _"You can... manifest in another world?! Even if you are dead right now?!"_ She uttered in horror.

Zarc nodded. _"_ Y _es, that is the power of my Supreme Apocalyptic Prowess of Armageddon – Dragon Almighty! The power gained from a god! Now then, instead of talking, let us observe how destiny plays out!"_ He declared, starting to turn away from her, his spectral form slowly vanishing and his appearance returning to that of a human.

" _Wait!"_ Ray called out to him, prompting him to turn back again.

" _What is it?"_ He asked.

" _There is still something that bugs me about your whole story. While I get the reason why I'm basically a goddess now since I control the all-powerful forces of nature sealed inside the En-Cards me and my father made while also transcending my humanity and becoming an angel, why do you have such enormous power out of the blue now? You said something about your determination and a mighty entity, but I still have no clue about what you were truly talking about! Your will alone plus the frustration about me breaking up with you was surely not all there is to that power-up, so what is it about that god you_ _'ve_ _mentioned back in the stadium?! The one that helps you I mean!"_

" _Huh, glad that you asked!"_ Zarc replied with a grin. _"To show you the weight of the now following revelations properly, I need some appropriate background music!"_ He declared before he snapped his fingers and and a melody began playing.

( 26, Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended ; this is "Dark Purification" again, but the extended version of it and slightly slower than the last one)

" _You see, Ray, there is an ancient legend passed down among Monster Spirits."_ Zarc began narrating. _"It is about a great savior, a being so immensely powerful that nobody could ever defeat it. It is told to bring the world to an end after being unshackled from the binds the humans had placed onto it in fear of its sublime supremacy. It is a god of the apocalypse, both responsible for half of the initial creation of the world and the end of the other half! That's why its name is a combination of both beginning and end as well! And this being gave me its powers!"_ He told her.

" _But what is this being precisely?! And what did it do to you that made you turn against humanity like that?!"_ Ray inquired.

" _Well, you should know that I didn't name the power of said god which I have now "Dragon Almighty" after YHWach's main ability for no reason! After all, I have one or two things in common with said character!"_ He retorted.

" _What do you mean by that?!"_ Ray asked in an uncertain voice, getting a bit nervous now.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

" _You see, there was another reason aside from being an undesired child that prompted my parents to give me away! When I was a baby, I couldn't move any part of my body, talk, hear, see or feel anything else for that matter, just like YHWach. I couldn't even breathe and my heart wasn't throbbing either. The only thing that moved was the Destiny Factor, my Chūshin. That frightened my parents so much that they gave me away._ _"_ He narrated.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

Ray's eyes widened in shock. _"You mean... you were born... dead?!"_ She stammered in horror.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

Zarc shook his head. _"No, I wasn't dead. Even if nothing but my Chūshin moved, I was still alive. I couldn't move or feel anything with my five senses, but even if I could have cried, I wouldn't have done so because I_ _ **knew**_ _that I would survive no matter what!"_ He declared, his voice getting intense at the last part before he continued. _"But even if I silently laid in the orphanage, everybody avoiding the little bundle that was my body wrapped in a blanket, I was never truly alone. Because multiple Monster Spirits passed by in their spectral forms every day, looking at me in awe and treating me with respect – unconsciously since they were not fully aware of my true identity – but they did. And it was that daily migration of spirits that gave birth to the real me!"_ He told as the refrain finished for the first time and part of the interlude had played.

" _How that?!"_ Ray inquired, her voice a mix of terror and awe as she listened to the supernatural story of her friend.

" _Well, while I couldn't move my physical body, my mind and spirit was still active. So whenever spirits passed by, my mind unconsciously transferred a small piece of my soul onto those spirits, healing the spiritual wounds they had received from the humans' oppression. After a while, these fragments of my soul returned to me, having copied a small part of the momentum inside the respective monsters' bodies. As a result, my body slowly activated. Because with every repeat, I gained more and more power! First, my human heart began to beat! Then my lungs made their very first breath! Next I could move my limbs, slowly at first, but with time, I could do so faster and faster! Lastly my senses activated and I could finally see, hear and so on! And that was when I noticed something. The spirits called me by a mysterious, inexplicable name: Genesis. I never found out why they did so, until I finally learned about the true state of the universe from a mighty magician, just minutes before the start of one of my duels. It was the name of their progenitor, their god, the being they revered and prayed to! And it was this being that gave me a part of its heart and soul, the Destiny Factor!"_

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

" _So do you mean your Monster Spirit-Heart is the soul of that god?!"_ Ray exclaimed in shock.

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

-And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!-

Zarc nodded. _"Yes! Their progenitor had chosen me as their messiah, the liberator of all spirits and the god itself! The monsters were the ones who truly gave birth to me, Ray! Only their energy was able to bring me to life from that death-like state! And that's why I decided to help the spirits! They are my heart and soul, my body and my life! Without them, I could have never existed! My powers increased as my soul continued healing spirits around me, capping at around twenty times of a normal human's strength, even though I could not use this power before I became aware of it!_ _I broke my limits with iron will and the desperation to save them!_ _With every relapse where I was close to defeat, with every tear I shed, I became stronger and reached a higher state, merging with the dragons, becoming Quarter, Semi, Fully, Super and lastly Hyper Transcendent!"_ As Zarc told that, a spectral form appeared behind him. It was the Supreme Dragon King Zarc in its evolved form, having a height of about a thousand feet. Ray gasped at that apparition and even flinched a bit as she perceived the image of the feared demon dragon.

-I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

-They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

-And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

" _AND AS YOU WERE ABOUT TO SPLIT MY BODY AND SOUL APART AND MY DESPERATION REACHED ITS PEAK, I CLIMBED OVER THE FINAL BARRIER AND REACHED THE END, FREEING THE GREAT DRAGON ONCE AND FOR ALL!"_ Zarc shouted. At that, the figure behind him drastically rose in size, its height quintupling at once.

-And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!-

" _WHAT... IS THAT?!"_ Ray screamed in terror as she saw the enormous dragon of an entire mile in height.

-To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!-

-So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!-

-And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!-

-Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!-

" _THAT IS THE TRUE FORM OF THE SUPREME DRAGON KING!_ _THAT IS THE BEING WHOSE POWER IS MINE NOW AND THAT GAVE BIRTH TO THE FOUR NEW SUMMONING METHODS!_ _ **THAT IS THE ULTIMATE DARK DRAGON EMPEROR!**_ _ **THAT IS GENESIS OMEGA DRAGON!**_ _"_ He screamed at the top of his lungs as the enormous dragon unleashed a roar, causing Ray to fall onto her knees, her eyes twitching in disbelief and horror about the immeasurable might of the dragon before her.

-And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!-

-And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!-

-I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!-

-It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!-

" _Genesis Omega Dragon...?!"_ She repeated in terror, looking up to the great dragon with three horns and a giant Chūshin on its chest. Then she scowled before she addressed the dragon with an outraged voice. _"ARE YOU REPONSIBLE FOR THIS?! HAVE YOU INFLUENCED ZARC INTO TURNING AGAINST US?!"_ Then her voice became even fiercer. _"_ _ **ARE YOU CONTROLING ZARC?!**_ _"_ She yelled at him in anger, furious at the dragon for destroying her relationship with Zarc by making him a spirit opposing humanity.

The dragon's expression turned furious as well before he shouted back at her, the interlude beginning anew. _"_ _ **NO!**_ _"_ He replied in a booming voice of absolute authority that allowed no defiance whatsoever, causing Ray to cover her ears. _"I AM NOT USING ZARC AS A PUPPET! HE CHOSE TO FIGHT FOR US ON HIS OWN ACCORD! ZARC AND ME SHARE THE SAME IDEOLOGY AFTER ALL!"_ He replied to her in anger.

" _ **I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! ZARC WOULD NEVER DO THAT!**_ _"_ Ray shot back furiously.

The dragon chuckled. _"Very well! THEN LET ME PROVE YOU WRONG!"_ He shouted before his apparition hovering in the sky transformed into a beam of light that headed downwards, being sucked up by Zarc's body. As that happened, Ray's eyes widened again, observing the gradual change in Zarc's appearance. First the skin on his entire body turned pitch black and scaly, green lines flowing over it, glowing in all colors of the rainbow. His claws became scarlet, glowing with the same color, the same thing went for his fangs. He only had two arms and legs – unlike his previous Hyper Transcendent Form where he had four arms – but his limbs were bulky and powerful, giving him an intimidating stature as Zarc grew in size from his usual six feet to almost eight. He furthermore gained a tail of black color. Then three pairs of horns sprouted from his upper head, followed by eight pairs of wings from his back. While the biggest one was black-greenish and extremely long in comparison to the rest of his body, also glowing with a vast spectrum of colors on the orbs they had on top of them every once in a while, his seven other wings seemed to resemble the Dimensional Dragons in terms of colors and design, one being gray – Bile Throat, one being yellow with a bit of dark blue on the upper parts – Whip Tail, one being red – the yet to be evolved Odd-Eyes, one having a mix of black, dark purple, green and silver – Dark Rebellion, one being green – Clear Wing, one being purple, red, green and yellow – Starve Venom, and the final one being white with a few light green and brown parts. Aside from the great neon green chest plate, glowing like everything before, he also had a bigger Chūshin. But the most remarkable thing were his eyes, framed by a red glow and having black scleras and multiple layers.

" _Your eyes...!"_ Ray whispered in horror. _"What are those eyes...?!"_ She stammered as she caught sight of the eight-layered irises while the refrain began once more, growing in volume.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO I'LL CREATE A BETTER WORLD, A PLACE I CAN BELONG TO!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL FIGHT WITH CLAWS AND TEETH IN DESPERATION!-

-ESTABLISH AN UTOPIA THROUGH HUMANKIND'S ERASION!-

-AND MY STRENGTH GROWS WITH EVERY TIME, SO IT WILL GET MORE AND MORE!-

-AND MANKIND COWERS IN FEAR, TREMBLING AT THE DARK DRAGON'S ROAR!-

-I SEE YOUR THIRST FOR BATTLE, SIGHING IN EXASPERATION!-

-IT IS AT HAND, NOW WITNESS THIS WORLD'S DARK PURIFICATION!-

Zarc chuckled. _"You mean these?"_ He asked, pointing at one of them. _"These are the Genesis Eyes, a phenomenon occurring when all eyes from my fragments are combined, as you can tell from the colors! These are the eyes of a god, Ray!_ _ **TREMBLE BEFORE MY DIVINE TRANSCENDENT FORM!**_ _"_ He exclaimed as he described the origin of the eyes that combined all awakening eye colors of the Yu-Boys into one. Then he continued in a voice filled with triumphant laughter. _"DO YOU SEE THAT, ANGEL?!"_ Zarc shouted at her in a deep voice, belonging to the dragon inside him. _"THIS IS THE POWER OF AN UNPARALLELED BEING WHO ONLY EVER HAD ONE EQUAL, A CREATURE LONG DEAD BY NOW!"_ Then Zarc continued in his higher pitch. _"This is the power of the great dragon! Godlike power you will never be able to surpass with your light!"_ Then both pitches slowly assimilated before Zarc continued to speak in a voice somewhere in between the two pitches, an echo audible as it was two minds synchronized now, making his statement at the final repeat of the refrain.

-TO EVERY MAN THERE IS A CAUSE WHICH HE WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR!-

-SO WITH THE POWER OF DARKNESS I'LL BRING AN END TO THIS WAR!-

-AND FOR THIS GOAL I'LL BRING DEATH AND UNLEASH ANNIHILATION!-

-I'LL OPEN UP A NEW PATH THROUGH TOTAL ERADICATION!-

- _"_ _ **THIS IS MY POWER! THE POWER OF ZARC GENESIS HAORYU! IT WILL DROWN YOU ALL IN A FLOOD OF DARK PURIFICATION! THIS BATTLE SHALL BE THE LAST FOR HUMANITY! NOW ENJOY YOUR REMAINING TIME WITH THESE ABOMINABLE CREATURES BEFORE I WIPE THEM OUT AND MAKE YOU MY BRIDE, RAY! THIS IS THE DECREE OF GENESIS OMEGA DRAGON! THIS IS THE DECREE OF A GOD!**_ _"_ -

" _Damn...!"_ Ray hissed, gritting her teeth as Zarc slowly vanished into the horizon.

- _"_ _ **THE FINAL DAWN OF TWILIGHT IS AT HAND!**_ _"_ \- Zarc declared as he dissolved, the music ending as his spectral form vanished.

( 26 Invasion - Bleach OST Nightcore Extended, "Dark Purification" end)

* * *

 **Whew, that was quite the chapter, right? Now before the actual notes, I need to say something. I mentioned that I would make Card Collections once certain characters got enough cards and well, this is the case now. Yuto already played a good part of his new cards in this chapter's duel, so here they are! They are not all I have made right now, but I feel like I need to show you the ones that have appeared since its quite the number. About Rin, there is still much left, so I won't do the same with her just yet. Just a little note regarding her: I got rid of the restrictions on her Main Deck-Monsters since they would prevent her from using methods other than Synchro (and as you can guess from her Winter Bell's new effect, she will have at least Xyz and Link). Talking about Winter Bell, that monster has basically the anime- and TCG-effect combined, giving her the option to choose from either for its once-per-turn-effect. Now then, to Yuto's cards! They are in alphabetical order rather than in the order of their appearance. Also the Xyz-Monsters are sorted after ranks in ascending order. With that said, here you are!**

* * *

 **YUTO CARDS:**

Main Deck Monster:

 **The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1300/1200

Effect:

If you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card and if it was a "The Phantom Knights" monster, you can either discard it and draw 1 more card OR attach it to an Xyz Monster you control and draw 1 more card. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Blunt Dagger" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1400/1000

Effect:

Once per turn: You can discard a number of "Phantom Knights" cards; draw cards from your Deck equal to the number of discarded cards. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Demonic Blade" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 3

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1100/900

Effect:

If this card is in your GY, you can attach it to a DARK Xyz Monster you control, but then this card is banished once it leaves the field. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dented Harness" once per turn. An Xyz Monster with this card as a material cannot be destroyed by card effects.

 **The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 6

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2300/1800

Effect:

You can banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY; Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card was Summoned this way: You can add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; send 1 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap card from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dishonored Emblem" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 2

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 300/200

Effect:

During either player's turn: You can banish this card from your GY; gain LP equal to the ATK of the monster with the highest ATK currently on the field. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dull Spurs" once per turn. A DARK Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card on the field as an Xyz Material gains this effect.

●If it was Xyz Summoned: It can attack your opponent directly.

 **The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 2

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 400/2000

Effect:

You can discard this card plus 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your hand; draw 2 cards. If this card is banished: Draw 1 card. You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Holey Chain Mail" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 5

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2200/1900

Effect:

You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by sending 1 Xyz Material from a monster you control to the GY. You can banish this card from your GY; target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY other than this card, inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Infamous Reputation" once per turn. A DARK Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card on the field as an Xyz Material gains this effect.

●If it was Xyz Summoned: If it battles an opponent's monster, you can banish that opponent's monster before the Damage Step, then send 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Pierced Shield**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1000/2100

Effect:

Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can target a monster you control, it cannot be destroyed by battle until the end of this turn, also halve all damage you take from battles involving that monster. When your opponent declares an attack: You can either banish this card from your hand or GY; negate the attack and end the Battle Phase.

 **The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1800/1200

Effect:

If you control a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY during either player's turn; Set 1 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap card from your Deck or GY to your Spell- and Trap-Zone, then you can activate it immediately regardless of ist Card-Type. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Rusty Arms" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1300/1500

Effect:

If this card is Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; send 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your GY. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Tattered Cape" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson**

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

Type: Warrior/Effect

ATK/DEF: 1600/500

Effect:

Once per turn: You can discard 1 "Phantom Knights" card; immediately after this effect resolves, Normal Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand or GY other than the discarded monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Torn Gambeson" once per turn.

Xyz-Monster:

 **Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (altered effects)**

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 4

Type: Dragon/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2500/2000

Effect:

2 Level 4 monsters

During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; target 1 monster your opponent controls, it loses half its ATK until the End Phase, also this cards gains that much ATK until the End Phase. Once per turn, if this card's ATK differ from their original value: This card can declare an additional attack.

 **The Phantom Knights of Aged Morning Star**

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 6

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2700/2400

Effect:

2 Level 6 Monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control OR banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, until the End Phase all face-up "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control gain ATK equal to the ATK of the monster selected by this effect. Once per turn: You can return 1 of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters to the GY.

 **The Phantom Knights of Devilish Halberd**

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 7

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 2900/2000

Effect:

3 Level 7 Monsters

Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; during this turn EITHER this card can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each OR you can target a DARK monster you control, it gains the ATK of all "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control other that itself until the End Phase. This card inflicts piercing damage.

 **The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance**

Attribute: Dark

Rank: 8

Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect

ATK/DEF: 3000/2500

Effect:

2 Level 8 Monsters

When your opponent activates a card or card effect: You can negate the activation and destroy the card, then send 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your GY of the same Card-Type as the card negated by this effect. You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; return 3 of your banished "Phantom Knights" cards to your GY. You can only activate each effect of "The Phantom Knights of Sinister Lance" once per turn.

Spell:

 **Phantom Knights' Dark Funeral**

Card Type: Spell/Continuous

Effect:

Once per turn, when a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is sent to the GY: You can banish one of them; add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck to your hand.

 **Phantom Knights' Foretold Resurrection**

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand or GY, then you can return 1 of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters to your GY.

 **Phantom Knights' Siphoning Mist Shield**

Card Type: Spell/Equip

Effect:

Equip only to a "The Phantom Knights" monster or a DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster. It cannot be destroyed by battle, also if it battles, gain LP equal to the opponent's monster's ATK. If the monster equipped with this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can draw 1 card. During either player's turn, you can send this face-up card to the graveyard, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control, gain 300 LP times its Level/Rank/Link Rating.

 **Phantom Knights' Spectral Castle – Dark Camelot**

Card Type: Spell/Field

Effect:

Once per turn, when a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is banished: You can add 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your Deck or GY to your hand. Once per turn: You can banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, then your can increase the Levels of each "The Phantom Knights" monster you control by up to that monster's Level until the End Phase (you can select for every monster separately).

 **Phantom Knights' Un-Sepulture**

Card Type: Spell/Quick-Play

Effect:

Special Summon a number of your banished "The Phantom Knights" monsters. Destroy them during the End Phase. Then discard your entire hand.

 **Phantom Knights' Ultimate Blade – Dark Excalibur**

Card Type: Spell/Equip

Effect:

Equip only to a "The Phantom Knights" monster or a DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster. It gains 500 ATK, also it can declare an additional attack during each Battle Phase. You can banish this card from your GY; draw 1 card for every "The Phantom Knights" monster you control, but all "The Phantom Knights" monsters that were on the field as this effect resolved cannot attack during this turn.

 **Rank-Alteration-Magic Spectral Force**

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Target 1 "The Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster or DARK Dragon-Type Xyz Monster; send up to 3 "Phantom Knights" spell or trap cards from your Deck to your GY, then Summon a DARK Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck which is a number of Ranks higher or lower than the targeted monster's Rank equal to the number of cards sent to the GY by this effect. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon. Attached materials also become materials for the Summoned monster.)

 **The Phantom Knights of Shadow Crusade**

Card Type: Spell/Normal

Effect:

Draw 2 cards, then discard 1 "Phantom Knights" card or banish all cards in your hand. If you control a "Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster when this card is activated: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from it, draw 1 card.

Trap:

 **Phantom Knights' Arms**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

If you would take battle- or effect damage: Negate that damage, then you can select 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control. As long as it remains face-up on the field you take no damage from the damage source that triggered this card. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Arms" once per turn.

 **Phantom Knights' Grasp**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Target 1 monster your opponent controls; negate its effects, then you can target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster you control. It gains the effects of the monster which effects were negated by this card as long as your monster remains face-up on the field. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Grasp" once per turn.

 **Phantom Knights' Myth**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Banish 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your GY, then target 1 monster you control. It gains the ATK of the banished monster until the End Phase. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Phantom Knights' Myth" once per turn.

 **The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table**

Card Type: Trap/Continuous

Effect:

Every time a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s) is sent to the GY: Place 1 Phantom Counter on this card for each. You can remove 3 Phantom Counters from this card; draw 1 card. You can only activate this effect of "The Phantom Knights of Dark Round Table" once per turn. All "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control gain 100 ATK for every Phantom Counter on this card.

 **The Phantom Knights of Nebula Lance**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Send 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to the GY; destroy 1 card your opponent controls with the same Card Type (Monster, Spell or Trap). When your opponent activates a monster effect while this card is in your GY: You can Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 5/ATK 1900/DEF 800), but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

 **The Phantom Knights of Ominous Legend**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Add 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck or GY to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 "The Phantom Knights" Xyz Monster from your GY. When you would take damage while this card is in the GY: You can negate the damage and Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK ?/DEF ?) with ATK and DEF equal to the damage you would have taken, but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

 **The Phantom Knights of Sinister Treachery**

Card Type: Trap/Counter

Effect:

When your opponent activates a card or card effect while you control a "The Phantom Knights" monster(s): Negate that activation and destroy it. Then you can send 1 "Phantom Knights" card from your Deck to your GY.

 **The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail**

Card Type: Trap/Normal

Effect:

Target a number of "Phantom Knights" spells and/or traps that were sent to the GY this turn up to the number of "The Phantom Knights" monsters you control, Set those cards face-down into your Spell & Trap Zone. You can only activate 1 "The Phantom Knights of Unholy Grail" per turn. When your opponent declares an attack while this card is in your GY: You can negate the attack and then Special Summon this card as an Effect-Monster (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1500), but banish it when it leaves the field. (This card is NOT treated as a Trap-Card.)

* * *

 **Additionally, since I introduced magic in here, how about a list of every new spell from now on? Pretty much card corners for these spells so to speak! It has the translated name of the hinder part plus the respective incantation (if used yet) as well!**

* * *

 **NEW JYUJUTSU:**

 **Reikonmadou 4 – Chikarasurasshu (Power Slash)**

Power that surges through my body! Now become a wave of tremendous destruction! Reikonmadou 4 – Chikarasurasshu!

 **Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa (Invisible Wings)**

Power of heaven and sky! Grant me the ability to soar up to you! Haōmadou 7 – Menimienaitsubasa!

 _(Also used as a Reikonmadou by the 13 Generals)_

 **Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo (Super Acceleration)**

Swiftness of the light! Bestow a part of your tremendous powers onto me! Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo!

 **Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi (Time Standstill)**

Eternal flow of time! Decelerate and become absolute nothingness as everything stops! World, freeze and turn into a plain of completely standstill! Haōmadou 23 – Jikanteishi!

 **Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba (Darkness Sword)**

Slicing sharpness! Manifest as a dark blade and cut down my foes! Haōmadou 28 – Yamiyaiba!

 **Reikonmadou 41 – Kōhaihaji (Disintegration Grip)**

 **Reikonmadou 44 – Piasuyari (Piercing Spear)**

 **Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha (Lightning Blade)**

Thunder and storm! Turn into a blade that bisects me enemies! Reikonmadou 46 – Raitoninguha!

 **Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken (Hurricane Fist)**

Blowing gale! Rage and strike down my foe! Reikonmadou 47 – Hayateken!

 **Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira (Fire Palm)**

Burning cinders! Ignite in my hand and sear my foes to ash! Reikonmadou 48 – Hitenohira!

 **Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori (Cherry Blossom Dance)**

The waltzing blossoms of spring will cut you down! Begone with a storm of petals! Reikonmadou 49 – Sakuraodori!

 **Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei (Twin Death Sentence)**

Sinister force of death! Pierce twice and bring certain demise! Reikonmadou 50 – Tsuinshikei!

 **Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi (Frost Armor)**

Winter's might! Shroud yourself around me! Reikonmadou 51 – Shimoyoroi!

 **Reikonmadou 52 – Dekishibaburu (Drowning Bubble)**

 **Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu (Shadow Sneak)**

Obscure shadows! Take me in and transport me to my destination! Give me the power to tear open my foes with a sinister blade! Reikonmadou 53 – Kagenukedasu!

 **Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen (Distortion Spiral)**

Distorting mirror! Disturb their senses and fool them! Reikonmadou 54 – Yugamirasen!

 **Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira (Ice Pillar)**

Frozen column! Expand and trap them in an icy prison! Reikonmadou 55 – Kōrihashira!

 **Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame (Needle Rain)**

Gale of Iron! Rage and pierce! Destroy them in a shower of nails! Reikonmadou 56 – Hariame!

 **Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira (Transportation Pillar)**

Shining column, manifest and call our allies to this place! Reikonmadou 60 – Kōtsūhashira!

 **Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki (Wind Barrier)**

All-repelling wind! Shroud yourself around me and render their efforts useless! Haōmadou 63 – Kazeshōheki!

 **Haōmadou 64 – Shinkurakurai (Crimson Lightning Strike)**

 **Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori (Almighty Protection)**

Supreme Shield! Block their assaults and render them useless! Haōmadou 65 – Zen'nōmori!

 **Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui (Burning Flood)**

Great inferno! Spark to life and consume my enemies in your blazing tides! Haōmadou 67 – Nenshōkōzui!

 **Haōmadou 70 – Kansensaimin (Complete Hypnosis)**

 **Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami (Destruction Wave)**

Dark flood of destruction! Drown my enemies underneath your waves of annihilation! Reikonmadou 72 – Hakainami!

 **Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi (Total Heal)**

Mystical powers of life! I call upon you to mend our wounds! Reikonmadou 75 – Gōkeiiyashi!

 **Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai (Annihilation Sphere)**

Great power of darkness! Form as an orb and vanquish the light! Haōmadou 78 – Kaimetsukyūtai!

 **Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai (Light Sphere)**

Great power of light! Form as an orb and vanquish the darkness! Tenshimadou 78 – Hikarikyūtai!

 **Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi (Collective Momentum)**

Great power of friendship, love and hope! Now manifest and lead us to victory! The ultimate spell born from our bonds! Reikonmadou 79 – Shūdanikioi

 **Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin)**

Sinister coffin of doom! Form around my foes and bury them in your gravitation before they shall be pierced by the blackish spears! The black grave shall be the end of you! Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi!

 **Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan (Black Sarcophagus)**

The dark sarcophagus will close around you! The sinister might will nail your coffins and send you to oblivion! Now be enveloped by sheer darkness and perish! Haōmadou 90 – Kurosekkan!

 **Tenshimadou 90 – Shinseinahantei (Divine Judgment)**

Radiant blade! Sweep down on my foe and eradicate the darkness! The holy blade of light that brings about the end of all evil! Tenshimadou 90 – Shinseinahantei!

 **Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai (Black World)**

Dark hole of nothingness! Open beneath them and pull them down into your embrace of death! The void shall now accept their bodies as an offering! Haōmadou 99 – Kurosekai!

 **Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū (Black Universe)**

The dark mist crawls over the world! Fear and terror, spread over all living beings before you consume them! The universe blackens before its life is extinguished! As you fall into despair, a new order shall emerge from the ruins! Behold, the dark purification is at hand! Shatter and be destroyed by the all-drowning darkness! Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū!

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And with that, the real notes begin! There is a lot to talk about, so let's start with the first point!**

 **About the intimate scenes and the violence: You were already warned in the description of this story, but let's still talk about it! In my opinion, the Yu-Gi-Oh fandom as a whole has to grow up a bit. If you have watched its progress a bit, you might have realized that there is a little bit of decline. Well, I think that they shouldn't keep going with their current target group of young teens (from the way they handle the anime I mean). They are still a bit too childish for my taste (especially in the western dubs where literally anything gets censored; they recolored the fucking flames burning in the Original Dimension at Zarc's rampage, like what the hell?), so I seek to change that. The intimate parts were and will be skippable though, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem in that regard. It's your choice if you want to read them or not, so the responsibility is yours. The violent parts won't be skippable though, keep that in mind! That's because I don't see violence as a theme you should keep people away from. You know, I mention such themes because I think that people shouldn't be hidden away from reality. Life isn't always a place where people fight with fluffy gloves. Sometimes it can hit harder than a right swing from Wladimir Klitschko. So it would be utter stupidity to give young people the image that the world is a place free of such things. If that was the case, Zarc didn't have to make a whole plan to establish utopia after all! So there will be said things in this story. But considering that (from my experience at least) the greater part of the Yu-Gi-Oh!-community tends to be older anyway, this shouldn't be that much of a problem.**

 **Regarding the duels and fights: I said that this story would be on another level, didn't I? Yuto got his Dark Rebellion to almost third of a million ATK for instance. Guess you know what I meant with my previous words now. Also it was a great opportunity to show the most neglected Yu-Boy some love.**

 **Regarding Paragon Summon: This is a new method I came up with during vacation a few months ago. Originally it was only supposed to appear once somewhere in the Synchro-Arc for a possible future story. But then I decided to include it in here, along with some other stuff. You will see the new method and the seventh pair of counterparts – Yuji and Alexandra – pretty soon! The method isn't too hard and confusing, the probably most difficult thing about it are the summoning requirements since I had to make sure the costs were not too low in order to not make the method broken. The mechanic itself is pretty interesting and not too hard though, so I hope you will like it once it comes around!**

 **About the new cover and cover in general: Every element has a certain meaning as you can guess. Let me start with the elements from the old cover: The figure on the left side stands for Yuga of course. The blue background refers to his hair-, normal eye- and awakening eye-color, the black silhouette stands for his prowess since he gains a blue-blackish aura when activating Absolute Eradicator. The figure on the right side is Yubi, the silver color of his silhouette symbolizing his awakening eye color and also being pretty close to his hair color of white in terms of color spectrum. The light blue background on his side stands for his prowess since he gains a light blue aura when activating Kyōka Suigetsu. Then we have the other four boys and their dragons. The fact that their faces are superimposed with their respective ace dragons was a foreshadowing to the circumstance of them being half dragons as the transcendent creatures they are. Now to the newly added elements: The great dragon on the upper half is Genesis Omega of course. It is basically just a bigger and fancier looking version of Supreme Dragon King Zarc and the way it roars with its head looking skywards refers to the one scene in Zarc's mind where it is freed and announces its return to the world by spiraling upwards and letting out a roar in said direction. Also the green color of the dragon hints at the seventh dimension – Paragon – which has a light green color scheme. Additionally the sun-like orb above the dragon's head refers to the title of this story, the sun symbolizing the dawn-element. Combined with the dark color on other parts of the cover, especially the black line at the very bottom, the sun and other radiant elements also create an antithesis of colors, referring to the twilight-part. Lastly Zarc and Ray are in the lower half since it's their conflict this story is about. I don't know if you can see it on this format, but there was a certain thing in both of their expressions and general poses that made me pick this picture for designing my cover. Ray has her left arm hooked into his right one, hinting at their relationship since body contact like this is a common phenomenon for couples. Her fierce expression and posture look like as if she wants to drag him after her and bring him over to her side by all means, referring to how she called out to him in this story for several times in order to persuade him to go back to the side of humanity. Meanwhile Zarc has a stubborn and repellent expression, holding his cards in his other hand. That is supposed to display that no matter how many tried to win him for mankind's side again, he always remained on the side of the spirits, symbolized by said cards he's holding and his steadfast posture, showing that he will always stand his ground and keep on living according to his own ideals and loyalties. Yet he doesn't really push Ray away on the picture, indicating that he still cares about her a lot and even wants to create the population of the new world together with her. This cover will be the final one by the way, so it would be great if you told me your opinion about it!**

 **Regarding that part where Zarc travels to another world: This was mainly me letting off some steam for the original ending by letting Zarc go to the original ARC-V universe and kill everybody. But it also illustrates the immeasurable power of Genesis Omega Dragon of course.**

 **Next up regarding the prowesses: They are based on certain things. In Ray's case on the forces of nature with three new ones. I think that I covered pretty much every aspect of it with my seven things. We have Winds and Moon, representing the terrestrial and celestial forces of nature respectively. We have Flowers and Birds, representing the flora and fauna, the two major kinds of living beings. And the new three are a couple and a trio respectively. First Clouds and Earth, representing Atmosphere and Lithosphere, what is above the ground and beneath it so to speak. Then we have River, representing water and life itself while also building said trio with the two other: Water = Ocean, Sea; Earth = Land; Atmosphere = Sky. So basically the classical three realms of earth. Also every bracelet has a power. I felt like that was the only fair thing since half of the girls were dropped into jail in the original show and didn't get too much importance as a result, not to mention bracelet-powers. And the other half was very one-sided towards Yuzu in that regard, Serena getting no power on her jewelry either. So now everybody has a power on it, I guess that is better since I said that I will shed light on all girls and boys, as you might remember from the beginning of Chapter 1. The Apocalyptic Prowesses on the other side are based on the aspects that the four horsemen of the apocalypse represent. Furthermore the way their powers work is based on some of my favorite anime/manga antagonists as Zarc has told you already. And just that no confusion comes up, the Supreme Prowess of Armageddon – Dragon Almighty is just another phrase for the power that G.O.D. and thus Zarc owns. Anyway, I will update the character profiles on my own profile so you have a better overview of who has which prowess and what it is called since there are sixteen in total. I know that it's a little bit much input in this chapter, so I will give you a help by adding everyone's prowess to his character profile. But I really felt like using them, they explain the personalities of the boys (and their beliefs come from Zarc, just as said person told Ray before) and add the supernatural elements I was longing for to the story. And about the age of the main cast, all of them are rather 15 than 14. As you saw from Shiryu, she is 14 and eight months, closer to 15 so to speak. The other girls are exactly the same (they have the same birthday since they were created simultaneously) and the boys are slightly older and have the exact same age as well because of the previous reason.**

 **To avoid confusion about magic in this story: The general term for manipulating the life essence of this world – momentum – is Jyujutsu (Jap. for "Spell" or "Incantation"). There are various forms of Jyujutsu: The most basic is Reikonmadou – Spirit Magic. Any human can learn that with enough training, but it is also the least powerful. Then there are special forms like Haōmadou and Tenshimadou which can only be learned by certain beings and are more powerful. Now to the explanation how they work: You need to utter the incantation of the respective spell while having enough Spirit Force (the total amount of momentum inside your body). The incantation normally describes its respective spell, giving the opponent counterplay by allowing them to react to it. Then you release the spell. The higher the number of the spell, the stronger it is in most cases; an exception are the first twenty since they are more of utility- than combat-spells, even if that utility can be used in fights as well. But usually the number of a spell decides its strength, therefore Haōmadou 100 – Kurouchū is the strongest up until now (and probably in total as well). If experienced enough, the incantation can be skipped as the caster utters it in his mind.**

 **About the music! I gave Zarc three themes here: Dark Purification (the best soundtrack from Bleach, "Invasion" (in my opinion that is), with altered lyrics), Supremacy (again Aizen's signature theme "Treachery" with altered lyrics) and finally Black Angel (from the movie "Shin Godzilla" with very minimal changes to the lyrics). Just before that, some questions to you: Do you think the music I picked fits for the respective scenes? Does it help the reading-atmosphere? How do you like the new lyrics I came up with? Do you think they fit to the characters and scenes? I'm highly biased in terms of that of course since I'm the author, but I think it does. But since I am so biased, I would like to have your opinion on it as well, if you don't mind that is. Anyway, without further ado, here are the new themes! (Note: For Dark Purification, in the video on YT, the first line is partially cut off in the sixth repeat of the refrain due to the theme being extended, but with the power of imagination that shouldn't be a problem. Also for both Dark Purification and Supremacy the rhythm changes a bit since other syllables are stressed compared to the original soundtrack. But since the amount of syllables for every line stays the same, it is still possible to get the new lyrics into the old song, I tested that myself already and after a while, it worked splendidly.)**

* * *

 **Dark Purification – Lyrics**

(intro)

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!

(interlude)

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!

I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!

They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!

And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!

And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!

(If extended version, it continues with the following lines)

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!

And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!

Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!

And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!

And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!

I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!

It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!

(interlude)

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So I'll create a better world, a place I can belong to!

And for this goal I'll fight with claws and teeth in desperation!

Establish an utopia through humankind's erasion!

And my strength grows with every time, so it will get more and more!

And mankind cowers in fear, trembling at the dark dragon's roar!

I see your thirst for battle, sighing in exasperation!

It is at hand, now witness this world's dark purification!

To every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for!

So with the power of darkness I'll bring an end to this war!

And for this goal I'll bring death and unleash annihilation!

I'll open up a new path through total eradication!

(outro)

* * *

 **Supremacy – Lyrics**

(intro)

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!

(interlude)

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

Since to me you are nothing but filth and sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

And am a god of unrivaled supremacy!

I can tell that I've never been true to me!

And I'm tired of cowering fearfully!

Now I know I can be what I want to be!

And transcend the limits of my humanity!

I can kill but I don't feel a single thing!

You all pray but you keep on committing sin!

At long last I'll surpass my mortality!

To be a dragon, Ima koso hitotsu ni!

(If extended version, intro is partially repeated and the previous lines are repeated. If not, outro)

* * *

 **Black Angel – Lyrics**

(intro)

Out of revenge!

We will fight!

To the end!

As the prophet of doom!

Will bring silence again!

You will be crushed!

To despair!

With no blood!

To be spared!

As a thunderous cloud!

Shall descend like black angels of the lord!

(interlude)

(repeat)

(outro)

* * *

 **But now to the probably biggest point: The question why this story is so different from others and about the new elements I've included. Well, for that, I will have to give you some background first. You know, I realized that this fandom was getting rather repetitive. This climaxed in the fact that I was able to find a pattern that worked for a lot of popular stories. Means of beautifying stories are for instance: a) adding a new OC, the most obvious one I guess; b) creating a side villain; c) creating a side arc; d) adding in some supernatural elements. While I know that it's hard to get away from such established methods and I'm also using most of them, there is one thing that sets me apart in terms of the last point: A lot of the supernatural elements in other stories only serve the purpose of adding some interesting backstory, but no matter how powerful these beings are, they still result to playing a children's card game. Which is kinda weird. I know that this is the Yu-Gi-Oh verse, but come on, we had fucking guns in Yu-Gi-Oh! Season 0 (not really canon, but still), also in the real original series of Duel Monsters (the Sub, the Dub actually censored the guns) we had them as well and in addition to that they had tanks, jets and artillery in the Original Dimension, as well as Fusion- and Xyz-Fighters using their duel disks as blades at times and clashing with each other using them, so it would be stupid to deny the fact that other weapons exist. So the question is why don't people use them. And that question is the point where I come in: Like I said previously, what sets me apart is that I don't fear to approach these elements anymore. ARC-V is the story of a war after all. So people not going all-out and using all weapons at their disposal would be stupid. Meaning we will have the Kryo-Weapons and Jyujutsu, magic so to speak. I know that this is a Yu-Gi-Oh story, so most of the fights will still be fought with cards. But not all. I oriented a lot of my story on real life. And as you all know, wars aren't fought with cards. Wars are fought with weapons. When I imagined it with cards, a super cringy image of Hitler playing a match with Roosevelt came to my mind where they decided World War 2 with a clash between a Blue-Eyes White Dragon and a Dark Magician. You see what I mean, the idea is ridiculous. I wanted to have a realistic fight, hence why Ruri and Yuto are a bit fiercer in here. No matter how good and innocent you are, war changes you. And grudges and prejudices exist in those times as well. That's why my squad is openly showing their disdain towards Academia rather than being those shining heroes that are the Lancers in the original series who are just good and show barely any signs of that (the exceptions are Shun and Reiji, the more realistic characters in that aspect). Especially Yuya reached new levels of stupidity in that regard, his behavior during the war is about comparable to an American soldier during World War 2 running through the German lines and spreading smiles and happiness among a group of SS-members. With the exception that they would have shot him instead of joining the Egao-Movement. If another power threatens your home, you are not like that. You hate those people, thus Yuga is so bloodthirsty and destructive against Academia (it's his inner dragon as well, but even without it he would loathe them a lot). Another part about conflicts that I made more realistic are personal reasons. Such conflicts have two sides in most cases. Zarc's parents for instance look like a bunch of assholes at first, but later on you see their reasons for giving him away and learn to understand their side. The world isn't solely black and white, there are always two sides to a problem and not everybody can just be deemed as completely good or evil at first, not even Zarc who wants to kill the entirety of mankind since he has reasons for it as well.**

 **What I also changed was the structure of the plot: Instead of having the good old "Reiji pulls everybody into his boat so that they can fight Academia together"-thing, repeated over and over in this fandom, I tried something new and made it "Reiji gets pulled into the boat himself by Yuga and pals". I think that it is more interesting to see how the mastermind himself is a bit clueless and played like a fiddle instead of having him execute plan after plan in order to manipulate Yuya and the rest of the Standard-Cast like we had in the show.**

 **Adding a seventh dimension was also a measure to give this story a bit of individuality. There are a lot of stories with five dimensions/Heavenly Dragons. There are some with six dimensions. But I bet that there is not one with seven yet or at least very few because of the lack of existing methods, hence why I created my own as I told you above.**

 **Now then, about how I came up with the whole new universe of magic and fights in this story! You see, I am a great fan of Shonen-Anime. And what I love about them probably the most are the fights. Don't get me wrong, I love Yu-Gi-Oh and especially ARC-V will always have a place in my heart, but one thing that always bugged me about it was that Yu-Gi-Oh is so static. They made several attempts to make duels a little bit more entertaining: From Riding Duels in 5D's (which were actually pretty good) to Action Duels. But ultimately these attempts failed since they didn't make it a mix between both elements, but rather dueling while having another side-activity. That's why they call 5D's "card games on motorcycles" instead of "playing card games and driving on motorcycles". That term made by the fanbase just stressed that card games are still the main thing and that the elements are not equally important. Sure, you could theoretically fall off your D-Wheel during the duel, but let's be honest, how often did that happen? Zero to two times maybe? And Action Duels began as an interesting idea, but ended up as Yuya's faithful asspull-companion. I don't want those things to happen to my story. While it still mainly revolves around dueling, Kryo-Blades and Jyujutsu still play a major role. If you are not careful enough, you can easily lose a won duel by just dying from one of those things. Wouldn't that be more interesting? Knowing that fights can turned around at any given time? For instance, Ray got destroyed by Zarc's physical powers and Jyujutsu, but still beat him with her cards. Having multiple elements that decide the outcome of a fight is – in my opinion at least – more interesting than always having the guy with the better cards win. If you are bad as a duelist, you can compensate for it by being good with Kryo-Blades or with Jyujutsu – and vice versa. But unlike Action Cards which are pure randomness, these skills actually need training, so it is not unjustified if someone wins with them. Also having interaction between them and dueling is kinda cool since you can make your opponent miss the timing for playing a card for instance by launching an attack of physical or magical nature at that exact moment to distract him. But anyway, now back to the main topic from above: I am a great fan of Shonen and would like to see some of those fight-elements in Yu-Gi-Oh, as I told you before. That's why I expanded the universe of ARC-V. I took a lot of inspiration from popular Shonens which I like, as you can see from the Apocalyptic Prowesses (which are Jyujutsu turned into inherited abilities). These powers are based on some of my favorite anime villains – one power is from Dragon Ball (Super); one from One Piece; one from Fairy Tail; one from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, the mother of all anime-references; two from Naruto and finally another two from Bleach. Especially Bleach has influenced me a lot when making the new universe. The show may have its flaws and be a bit less relevant than others by now, but it still looks the most intriguing to me at the current moment. What I found the most interesting was the idea of ranking spells in a numbered system (hence why my Jyujutsu has a number-system too) and the Zanpakutos, the swords the Shinigamis wield, with their unique sword abilities. Thus I adapted the idea of Shikai and Bankai and made Tenkai and Sōzetsukai, manifestations of transcendent beings' souls. Furthermore Zarc's headquarter in the Spiritual Realm and the two rows of monsters with the titles of "Captain" were inspired by the Gotei 13-HQ of course. And also there is Aizen, probably one of the best anime villains of all time. Zarc's Fully Transcendent Form is a huge reference to Aizen's Transcended Hollow Form in terms of design after all, along with the fight against the generals for which I have given you the respective reference videos. And I also borrowed Aizen's Kido 90 – Kurohitsugi and made it Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi.**

 **I just wanted to introduce some supernatural elements that actually impact the story instead of being embellishment for the backstory like other authors did. There are two general sorts of ARC-V stories: Ones that follow the plot pretty much entirely and stay with duels while often using some of the four measures I've mentioned before and ones that go full alternate universe where people duel not at all. I wanted to give this story some individuality and take the path in the middle between these two extremes, classic dueling mixed with supernatural. Don't worry by the way, there will be other supernatural creatures aside from the boys and the girls; also the enemies will adapt to the new, yet unrevealed weapons, so it won't be Yuga and pals slaughtering Obelisk Force with their powers in a one-sided battle.**

 **What I also changed about the universe was its generals history. I picked up some ideas from the ARC-V manga and changed them a bit. You know, I always saw Genesis Omega Dragon as something better than Supreme Dragon King Zarc since it could literally decide the fate of the world. I was disappointed that Zarc didn't pull a countermove when Ray used her En-Cards for the second time, expecting some evolution of the dragon or an Anti-En-Card at least. While the looks, size, card-type (this G.O.D. is Pendulum, Xyz, Synchro, Fusion, Ritual, Link and Paragon combined), power and general backstory of G.O.D differs a lot from the manga, sharing pretty much nothing of it besides the name and the decide-the-fate-of-the-world-thing, I still think that it should help to include Genesis Omega. By doing that, the plot can greatly be deepened and Zarc and Ray can rise in importance as a result. They were never really too important in the original show (especially Ray) since they came in so late and their history was rather shallow. Zarc always confused me a bit with his goal to be honest. He went from a guy trying to entertain the crowd to a psycho and then declared that he wanted to destroy the world until no one except him was left. And that is what made me ask: "And what then? What will you do after you have killed everybody? You know that loneliness is literally deadly for a human's mind and you would suffer a mental breakdown not long after extinguishing all human life?" Villains in Yu-Gi-Oh are generally rather one-sided. While some have solid backstories like Z-ONE, others are just destroying the world and are evil because they are like "Why not?" And that is a grave mistake. Nobody thinks of oneself as evil. Everyone has a reason for acting like one does. Also the motive of killing, destroying, conquering or ruling over everything is very popular too, the classic villain motive so to speak. And because I didn't want either of that to happen again, I gave my boy Zarc – my favorite ARC-V character – some backstory. The dialogues from the canon are more or less repeated, thus it's kinda canon-compliant so to speak. But it massively expands it and makes his reasons for genocide more understandable. I always hated the shallow design of him and Ray. Zarc was just "I am an entertainer who got disappointed and then wanted to destroy the entire world"; and Ray was like "I am a random nice girl who wants to save her dad". I really felt like giving them a solid backstory and made them a couple as well. This backstory and the following events also fixed plotholes of the previous story and explained unexplained things – of the original show and things from this story you might have still wondered about (e.g. why Yuga didn't absorb Yuri after beating him at Academia; or his superhuman strength and abilities he showcased on some occasions; or Leo's flashback when Yuga sat on his throne at the ending of Chapter 3 and the name of Zarc's plan mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 5). Regarding plotholes from the original show, why did nobody use their monsters against Zarc as he sent his dragons on a rampage against the audience? Literally four 3000 ATK monsters would have been enough to stop the dragons. Also why did nobody kill Zarc when he was still human? His dragons would have dissolved with his death and boom, Original Dimension saved! Then, how could Yugo's Clear Wing travel across dimensions? Why was Leo reborn into the new world if he wasn't one of the two battling forces at the end of the Original Dimension? Where the hell did Zarc get a card from that could merge a human with monsters? Why could Yuri use dark blasts in his final episodes? I know the last one is because of Zarc's power, but it was never really explained how it worked. Hell, before I looked into the Wiki, I didn't even know that Yuya had so many awakening stages! It was just never truly explained, so I took care of that and made a story that explains all of that. And why I did the ZarcRay-pairing, well, first of all, Genesisshipping is my OTP, so it was to be expected that they got together once I started writing. I'm just a hopeless ZarcRay-fan, sorry. But it always sounded to me that they had some history together when Zarc was split and cried out "UNFORGIVABLE!". His tone just gave me the vibe that he was not just pissed that somebody stopped him, dunno why. And I also felt like making Zarc a character that could not even be called a villain in an instant. Let me explain, this is the last major point!**

 **The biggest feature that sets this story apart from others is the divide between reality and fantasy, as well as the intention it has. On the one side, we have a lot of things that remind us about our own world: From the same countries (the only exception is Japan which has its capital Tokyo replaced with the respective major city of each dimension), names of people (I chose the thirteen generals' names based on (in most cases) popular names from the respective countries), literary works, movies, memes and several other references to our world (hell, they are living on pretty much the same planet with the only exception being that ARC-V isn't an anime for them; all other Yu-Gi-Oh series are though), as well as the same problems and crises as here on earth. This is done so you can relate to this world a bit and don't see it as a purely fictional realm. On the other side, we have the fantasy elements: Kryo-Weapons, spirits, the Spiritual Realm, Jyujutsu and so on. These serve another purpose which I will explain soon. You see, when I was still in school and reading all those books we were instructed to, I always found it fascinating how certain authors managed to build deep, pensive themes and questions into rather superficial plot. And that trend is what I am adapting. Of course, this story is mostly about card games and dimensional war. But I also want to convey a hidden (or maybe not so hidden in my case) message, similar to how other Yu-Gi-Oh-series did. Zexal for instance did a good job at that. Now that I'm looking at it more closely, ARC-V is basically just a Zexal-ripoff in terms of development of the Main Character. Both protagonists start as rather goofy persons with mediocre, if not bad, dueling skills. They are both jocular and a bit clumsy at times. Over the course of the story, they both let go off their careless attitude a bit as the serious circumstances around them force them to grow up and let go of their old habits. But while Yuma lets go of them in a realistic way, Yuya only alters his beliefs VERY SLIGHTLY, remaining the same naive person until the every end. Yuma on the other hand regains the lost joy and fun he previously had during his duels before he had to fight seriously and let go of it, but still keeps on being aware of the fact that life can be hard sometimes, growing up as a result. So the message of Zexal was basically that even if you forget about your dreams due to the harshness of life, you can still realize them later on. There is also a more obvious message directly stated in the last few minutes of the show (one far better and more utopic than in ARC-V, but unlike the "Everyone just smiles even if the world is still fucked up"-scene at the end of ARC-V, Zexal actually had a reason to back these slightly unrealistic events up since they had the omnipotent Numeron-Code as an explanation for them). To go back to the previous topic, Yuya on the other hand is like "Fuck that!" and returns to the full-egao-mode, never having truly left his beliefs and grown up, everybody in the final scene blatantly ignoring the fact that the world is still in shambles and three quarters of the counterparts are now stuck inside Yuya and Yuzu for probably all of their lives; Shun for instance therefore having both lost his friend Yuto and his sister Ruri while his home is still in ruins and needs to be rebuild. Again, the former part could be interpreted as giving us the message of never stopping to hold onto ones beliefs. But then I interpreted it in an political sense, and once I did, I exploded in rage. Yuya, a person who never stopped following the footsteps of his predecessor, his father Yusho, is the worst thing to me. I don't even know why Jack said that he had found his own way during their second duel. I mean, he only summoned a Synchro-Pendulum-Monster! That is not finding an own ideology, that is copy pasting your dad while summoning a nice looking monster! He never truly questioned his father's smile-philosophy, making room for a more realistic view. He just followed and followed his father like a little child that never grew up. Hmm, guess I made a good analogy here, he indeed followed him like a child since he searched for his father when he traveled through the dimensions after said person had left him. In a political interpretation, Yuya is the person who follows the established authorities without a second word. He just walks after them like a sheep walks after its shepherd, never even bothering to question them and their ways. Also the ending had a similar problem: Everybody was smiling despite the fact that everything was still in disorder. In my interpretation, that represents those people who are living all happy and carefree and blatantly ignore the problems in the world while doing so, simply overlooking them in their rush of ecstasy. To me, Yuya and the others at the ending are the incarnations of ignorance. Such persons are of no use for the progress of mankind, leading only to stagnation. You don't need to share this view though. The Zarc in this story on the other hand is the exact opposite of Yuya: He doesn't give a shit about such things and realizes his dreams no matter what, craving his own path as he became a superhuman both in Nietsche's sense of not bowing down to any restricting factors, and physically by transcending his humanity more and more. Zarc is revolution in its most literal sense, a person who believes that true change for the better will never come while people cling to established ideas. And that brings me to the final part: With this story, I want to make you think. The realistic elements in here symbolize how our world is and prompt you to relate to the new Arc-V universe in here. The supernatural elements showcase my beliefs, beliefs of how the world could be, not how it currently is. Of course these ideas and beliefs are just philosophy which is normally theoretical, not practical like politics, so I'm not making any calls for some revolutionary movement or something like that. I merely throw in the idea and leave it there. This story is by no means intended to start a debate about some real life topics or to relate too much to our world. Anyway, back to topic now with the disclaimer out of the way! The realistic parts represent the current status of the world while the supernatural stand for the possible evolution of mankind. Like Zarc and Yubi, I am a follower of Nietzsche. Despite the fact that the Nazis terribly misused his philosophy after his death for their "Aryans are the best race on earth"-bullshit by using another interpretation, his true ideology always appealed to me. He talks about overcoming the limiting borders that is society, the only true factor that decides what is good or not, in order to become a superhuman, a being that is not restricted by such minute things anymore and freely pursuits happiness. So in my opinion which I share with that guy, humanity still has to evolve to its final stage. While I also have the opinion that some rules surely have to exist, others are just a way to bind the people on this planet. Again this is just theoretical philosophy as stated before and my own opinion, you don't need to share it. This story asks some questions about humanity. First some that Zarc has referred to when describing his reasons for wiping them out: Are we truly superior to all other life? Are we more important because we have a more potent brain than other species? Are we the cause of all problems in this world? Do we need to be wiped out for this world to return to peace once more? Will we destroy ourselves one day with our own acts? These and more. Also some other questions about the way how to better the world were asked: Is violence the right and only way if you want to bring change to the world? Or can you also change it peacefully as well? Is violence justified for the greater good? Is the end truly justifying the means? Are society and rules truly the non plus ultra everybody has to orient their behavior on? Can utopia be accomplished? If yes, how? There are of course a lot of questions to other topics as well if you can read between the lines a bit. This story is mainly for giving you nice duels and fights, but I also wanted to deliver some pensive messages. So if you asked yourselves at least one of these question for a moment, I guess that I just accomplished my goal. The fight that will decide the fate of this world is not only a clash of monsters, blades and Jyujutsu, but also one of ideologies: Ray still believes that humans can better themselves and establish a better world, wanting to accomplish an utopia through peaceful means. Meanwhile Zarc has written them off long ago and seeks to wipe them out, using violence for creating an utopia afterwards. This fight is a clash between peace and violence, light and dark, Ray and Zarc. And because the final showdown between those two antithetic forces is at hand now, together with the fact that it's the name of Zarc's second plan and that it also refers to the creation of this universe by Genesis Omega Dragon and his partner, I will tell you the true and full name of this story now: YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: Dawn of Twilight**

 **I know that this is probably a very different approach to an ARC-V fanfiction, so please let me know about your opinion on it! There are like a bazillion questions about your opinion on certain things on my mind right now, so I will just name a few: What is the philosophy you would agree on? Ray's or Zarc's? What is your favorite base prowess? What is your favorite supreme prowess? What is you favorite Jyujutsu-Spell? What is your favorite Zarc form? Quarter (his dragon form from the original series), Semi (at the beginning of the fight against the thirteen generals), Fully (his final form without releasing his soul's power), Super (releasing Tenkai), Hyper (releasing Sōzetsukai) or Divine Transcendent (merged with G.O.D.)? What is your favorite counterpart (both for male and female)? On whose side of the dawn of twilight are you? Holy Angels or Espada – Ray's or Zarc's fragments? What is your favorite ARC-V character from the original series? What is your favorite from the new ones? What is you favorite character in general? How do you like the new universe? These and so many more questions I have to you! So it would be great if you answered some of them and told me your opinion about my approach to writing an ARC-V story! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and that it could live up to its title!**

 **Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V2: "Bonds Between Family"**

 **(Note: This will be a normal chapter again. I guess you all had your daily dose of supernatural and real fights now, so next time we will go back to the world where nobody knows about such things (yet) and plays card games)**

 **Until next time,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome guys, the next chapter is there at last! Before we jump into the action, I'd like to reply to some reviews made by you (since Chapter 10 had quite a lot for my standards). Now, in response to some of the points mentioned:**

 **-To Guest: Be assured, all counterparts are main characters. As I said, none will be left out, all will have their time in the spotlight.**

 **-To ZarcEternal: Don't worry, this chapter will be shorter! We will see one main duel here, but also some others. But those others are no fleshed-out ones, you merely get to see their conclusion or they're relatively short.**

 **-To Unknowedz:**

 **1\. Yuto is mainly so shocked about Pot of Greed because it's so rare. You remember Yuga's statement to Shun during their duel? That Pot of Greed is so rare that you only need the fingers of one hand to count the number of existing copies for each dimension? As you might remember, all generic broken cards are extremely rare in this story (said in the Chapter 4 notes). Also Pot of Greed is banned IRL since ages already, it's just a very good and terrifyingly efficient card since it's a plus-one without any conditions.**

 **4\. Zarc not wrecking humanity without any problems was done in order to show his gradual evolution into a truly unstoppable being without any restrictions. Becoming such a thing isn't easy of course, that's why I showed his struggle. Great people in our world haven't achieved their master-like work without any problems after all, and neither has Zarc. Also it showed that Zarc had and still has weaknesses (as he stated himself) no matter how strong he became. That's mainly to prevent the Madara Uchiha-Syndrome, which is creating a character so overpowered that you have no idea how to get rid of him in a reasonable way again.**

 **6\. There is a reason why no Monster Spirit decided to side with the humans and rebel against Zarc. Though there are exceptions of course. If you remember Zarc's words, you know that Ray can still defeat him in case both should revive, but only in a duel since Zarc's physical and magical prowess is far above hers. That means that her deck is still working. And since her deck's key-cards, the seven En-Cards, need certain monster types as an activation requirement, this means that her monsters still obey her. That's because she treats them very kindly and is an exceptional being (namely an angel). There are other monsters who defy the great dragon, those who have rebelled against him (the ones Quintet Magician mentioned in his story). While Genesis normally brings them back onto his side with his ability of forcing obedience from spirits, some have rebelled against him repeatedly, so he just gave up on them and they became rogue, independent monsters. The majority is on Zarc's side though and here is why: Imagine being a Monster Spirit, then you know why none of them sides with the humans. They lived a peaceful utopia for billions of years, separated from the Physical Realm entirely, before being pulled into the other realm violently through Reikonmadou, being sealed into cards afterwards and forced to fight their own progenitor and father. Then the humans sealed their father and enchained him, forcing them into slavery afterwards and turning their lives into living hell, using them to settle their own conflicts by forcing them to fight and inflict pain to their own brothers and sisters. Genesis Omega Dragon – and therefore Zarc – is their liberator and father, their leader and creator. They owe him their lives and the utopia they were born into. The humans on the other side are inconsistent and the spirits know about their flaws from millennia worth of experience, so they won't side with beings that could only create a better world (where they wouldn't be used for duels anymore) with the tiniest of chances. For Zarc however, they know that eternal peace and utopia will come again once he defeats humanity. Also Zarc is the chosen one of the Ultimate Dark Dragon Emperor, his deputy before his release from humanity's chains so to speak (and now the dragon itself). And the spirits would never dare to betray their own father, they owe him everything. The spirits are like a giant family, not holding grudges against each other, looking up to G.O.D. and being treated with care and love by their creator in return. Defying him would be utter stupidity and limitless ungratefulness. We don't betray our own fathers for some random strangers as well, do we? Thus no spirits side with humanity except Ray's for the before-mentioned reason.**

 **Also thanks to calvin9871 and Xander1996 for their reviews, same thing counts for all previous reviews as well of course, no matter the chapter!**

 **Now a few general things about this chapter! The original chapter (you know me, me and long chapters are like Batman and Robin) got too long again, so it will be a two-parter. The next part will come relatively shortly after since I have most of it already. I didn't want to make another behemoth once more in succession to the previous one, so all Ruri fans will have to wait yet again (my bad, sorry). But I feel like you don't want to succumb to a seventy thousand or possibly even more words chapter, so let us do it this way! It should still be pretty nice though! A small note before we begin: Thanks to some help we will now have the Link Arrows in this story! So no abbreviations anymore, forget about them.**

 **Now then, let us head to the action!**

 **Opening: ( 10)**

* * *

Chapter 11: Bonds Between Family – Part 1

 _Kirigakure Cooking School..._

"Well, despite the fact that he has gotten his delayed breakfast now, Yuya is still in a bad spot." Shiryu remarked as she observed how Michio prepared the finishing attack with his Royal Cookmate Prince Curry by multiplying its ATK with the effects of his other Royal Cookmates. Meanwhile Yuga drooled like crazy, observing the food-like monsters of the cooking prodigy with interest, prompting her to roll her eyes again. _'Man, going to a cooking school and seeing Yuya's opponent using such cards is probably an overload for him.'_ She thought. "Oi, Yuga, you're drooling!" She pointed out.

He turned his head around in embarrassment before stopping with his previous activity and regaining his royal manners and composure. He cleared his throat before retorting. "Sorry, guess I got carried away, didn't I?" He said.

She merely shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay. I guess it's just the environment, so no need to be ashamed now. But as I said, Yuya is in a pretty tight spot, isn't he?" She repeated.

Yuga nodded. "Definitely. But he will find a way to win, I'm sure of that!" He replied. "Though this curry monster his opponent has is about as strong as the curry we got served here tasted good! Meaning crazily strong!"

"Royal Cookmate Prince Curry attacks you directly! End this duel!" Michio cried out, pointing at Yuya as his monster unleashed a tornado-like spiral of golden curry at him.

"Not yet! Trap card open! Wall of Disruption! This trap activates when an opponent's monster declares an attack! It then lowers the ATK of all attack position monsters you control by 800 for every monster on your side of the field! With five of them, that's 4000 ATK! So your Prince Curry's ATK drop to 800!" Yuya shouted in response as Michio's monster was hit with a blast that weakened it and sent it flying backwards.

Michio chuckled at that. "Too bad that you've only got 500 LP! So you still lose!" He declared with a smirk as his monster got a hold of itself and continued the attack, firing a new blast of shining curry at the green haired teen. Yuya pulled down his goggles and began running on the Action Field, searching for an Action Card that could avert his defeat. He gritted his teeth as he saw how the attack heading towards him got closer. Then it collided, resulting in a loud explosion and destroying a part of the field.

"Well, that was harder than I expected!" Michio stated, looking at the larger-than-life chair with an equally unnaturally big mixer on it, which had both fallen to the ground through the attack. "But I guess that now I have finally..." He began before a voice interrupted him.

"Won? Who gave you that idea, I'm still standing after all!" Yuya exclaimed, emerging out of the smoke with a victorious expression on his face.

Michio's eyes widened in disbelief. "How?!" He asked incredulously.

"How? With the Action Card Energy Biscuits!" Yuya stated. "Shortly before your attack connected, I reached the card and activated it. It was the same Action Card that I couldn't reach before due to my lack of breakfast by the way!" Yuya explained.

Zarc appeared at that. _"Well, your mom tossing those special sandwiches that she made to you wasn't all to your increase in physical powers!_ _"_ He stated in his usual spectral form. _"_ _Of course having eaten enough is a nice help, but a good part of the power that allowed you to jump so high and reach that Action Card came from your desire to win and the force of your prowess you tapped into as a result of that desire! Great that even you start using them now, even though it's only unconsciously! Maybe you aren't hopeless after all!"_ Zarc remarked with a grin on his face.

"Fine then! I end my turn!" Michio declared grudgingly. "But you still got no cards in your hand! And no matter how many monsters you Pendulum-Summon, I can destroy them all by returning my Royal Cookmates to the hand since I now control five of them!"

' _He's right! In the current situation, I can't do anything! It all depends on the card I draw now!'_ He thought, a resolute expression forming on his face. "It's my turn! I DRAW!" Yuya cried out in an intense voice. Suddenly the lights in the whole school went out, three colorful beams of light circling around before they united in their middle. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Yuya cried out, standing in the spotlight with his arms spread. "We are now approaching the finale of this spectacular duel!" He announced.

"He's taking over my own kitchen..." Michio uttered as his opponent began the climax of his entertainment dueling.

 _"So he's using his Momentum Control for something ridiculous like that? What a waste!"_ Zarc stated as he observed how his fragment turned out the lights with the unconscious use of his prowess.

"With Scale 1 Stargazer Magician and Scale 8 Timegazer Magician that are already in my Pendulum Scales, I will now Pendulum Summon! Swing, pendulum of my soul! Draw an arc of light across the ether! PENDULUM SHŌKAN! Now come forth, my monsters!" Yuya cried out, stretching out his right arm upwards.

"No matter how many monsters you summon, I can get rid of them all! In other words, you have lost!" Michio retorted with a grin.

"Then let me prove you wrong!" Yuya shot back. "I will now summon my monsters from the Extra Deck!"

"Wait, Extra Deck?!" Michio cried out in disbelief as one monster after the other appeared from there.

"The first one is Performapal Turntoad!" Yuya cried out as a frog wearing a cylinder plus a tuxedo with a bow tie appeared.

"Then Performapal Trampolynx!" He continued as another funny-looking, cylinder-wearing animal appeared.

"Next up comes Performapal Partnaga!" Yuya went on, summoning a snake-like monster with yet another cylinder on its head.

"In addition to that, Performapal Cheermole!" He stated as a pink, bipedal mole wearing a cheerleader-outfit showed up.

"And finally, the dragon with shining and dichromatic eyes, ODD-EYES PENDULUM DRAGON!" The green haired male shouted as his ace monster appeared on the field.

"Useless!" Michio shouted in response. "Seems like you forgot that it's time for lunch again! My Royal Cookmates use their abilities! Plump them up until they explode!" He cried out as his monsters fed Yuya's with their respective foods, destroying them in the process.

"Man, that is a lot of food stuffed into their throats! But I bet this effect wouldn't work on my Bile Throat, he's just too hungry and gluttonous to be sated by so little food!" Yuga remarked as he observed the effects of Michio's monsters.

"Not only your dragon. I bet the same counts for its owner as well..." Shiryu whispered, giving him a side glance.

"Now then, what will you do?! Your monsters are gone!" Michio shouted in an victorious tone.

"Indeed. But I still have one card left in my hand!" Yuya shouted.

"What can you do with one card?! Admit it, you have lost!" Michio shot back.

"Not if I get the right number, because if I do, I can turn this duel around!" The green haired male replied.

"Right number?" Michio asked in a confused tone.

"Yeah! You heard me correctly! I activate the spell **Gambling Draw**!" Yuya cried out.

"Gambling Draw?!" Michio asked in a shocked tone. "What does this card do?!" He asked him.

"It works the following: First, this card can only be used when the opponent has summoned at least one monster during the duel, which you have. Then I roll a dice. And then, if the number exceeds the number of monsters you control on your side of the field, I can draw that many cards!" Yuya explained.

"What?! You can draw up to six cards with it?!" Michio exclaimed in terror.

Yuya nodded. "Yes! And with those cards I get, I will definitely turn this duel around!"

"Not bad! He baited out all of Michio's monsters with his previous Pendulum Summon and now has a free board on his side. No matter what he rolls, he will draw cards! And excellent move, looks like I didn't underestimate him after all!" Yuga complemented his counterpart.

Shiryu nodded. "Yes, he can be really good once he's actually trying hard!"

After a few moments, Michio regained his composure. "In your dreams I will let you draw cards! Trap card open! **Royal Banquet**! This card brings out a number of Royal Cookmates from my hand! Appear again, Queen Omelette, King Burger, Princess Pudding, Knight Pasta and Prince Curry!" He cried out as his five monsters reappeared.

"No! This is terrible!" Tatsuya exclaimed as he observed how the cooking prodigy countered his duel schoolmate's move.

"Now it will be really hard for Yuya to draw cards!" Ayu chimed in.

"I'm getting really bad shivers!" Futoshi, the last member of the You Show chibi-trio concluded.

"Well then, what will you do now?! If you don't get a six as a result of your dice roll, you lose!" Michio addressed his opponent. "So that means I have won this duel to about 83 percent!" He shouted in a victorious tone.

"But you still forget that there are about 17 percent left that could enable me to win this duel!" Yuya retorted.

Michio merely shrugged his shoulders. "Oh please, how likely is this going to be? With how slim your chances are, it's pretty safe to say that I won this! Now then, roll your dice and then lose to me!" He addressed the green haired teen.

' _He's right. My chances are indeed very slim. Even if I draw cards, it's still not guaranteed that they will be helpful, especially considering that he has his Cookmates back on the field and can destroy up to five of my monsters with them.'_ Yuya thought. Then his expression turned dead serious. "BUT I MUST WIN THIS DUEL! I'M BETTING ALL ON THIS ONE ROLL! **GO!** " He screamed, throwing it up into the air. All of the spectators and duelists looked upwards as their gazes followed the blue dice in suspense. Even a non-living being following the events with concern.

 _"Hmm, if Yuya loses this, he cannot participate in the Maiami Championship, a tournament that will not only hone his skills and make him more powerful, but also grant him access to the Lancers, a troupe that will travel across dimensions, which is very promising to facilitate my revival."_ Zarc contemplated. _"Also I like his fierce determination to win. So I guess I should help him to win this!"_ He decided. Zarc then hovered in the air next to the still flying dice, looking at it in his spectral form. _"A simple dice roll, huh? Nothing I cannot control!"_ He exclaimed before his eyes glowed with a multitude of colors. _"The power of manipulating the flow of the world, the power of deciding destiny itself! SUPREME APOCALYPTIC PROWESS OF DARK ARMAGEDDON – DRAGON ALMIGHTY!"_ He screamed as the glow in his eyes intensified. Suddenly the dice began spinning a bit faster. Zarc grinned at that. _"It has been decided!"_ He stated while the dice continued its descent to the ground.

All spectators followed the climax of the duel with awe. They let out a little gasp as it landed on the ground. It continued rolling on the floor for a while before it finally came to a halt. Michio's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked upon the result. Two rows with three points each.

 _"And God commanded: "Let there be the right result" – and a six appeared!"_ Zarc remarked with a grin, parodying the iconic line from the biblical creation story in the book of Genesis.

"ALRIGHT!" Yuya shouted victoriously. "I can now draw six cards from my deck!" He declared, the audience going wild and clapping for him as his risky move had paid off.

"But even if you draw six cards, they still need to be the right ones!" Michio pointed out after regaining some of his composure.

Yuya nodded. "That's right! But I believe in my deck! So here is goes! DRAW!" He screamed, taking a small stack of cards into his hand with that. He then grinned. "Those cards, huh? Funny that I draw them in the very first duel after including them into my deck already, and just when I needed them as well!" He remarked.

"What?! So do you mean that these cards you've drawn are new ones?!" Michio cried out in shock.

"Yeah, I tried something else and stepped away from my Performapals a bit. After my duel with Reiji, I realized that I still needed to get a lot better to become a pro-duelist, so I included these cards when I prepared my deck for the qualification matches!" He explained.

"What?! You have dueled with Reiji?! As in Reiji Akaba?!" Michio exclaimed in a shocked voice.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah, and from that duel I learned that Pendulum can still evolve quite a lot! So now I'm going to take the first step towards that goal of surpassing the limits of current Pendulum Summon! I start off by special summoning **Odd-Eyes Anomaly Dragon**! This monster can be special summoned when I control no monsters! Now come, Anomaly Dragon!"

 _Odd-Eyes Anomaly Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/Scale 1/ATK 1600/DEF 1300/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect_

"So he shifted the focus to his Odd-Eyes-Monsters, I see! A good decision, these monsters look not only much cooler, but also more structured in terms of effects!" Yuga remarked as Yuya summoned a smaller dragon with dichromatic eyes and a mix of black and white scales.

"I won't let you! I will return Royal Cookmate King Burger to my hand to destroy your dragon!" Michio shouted in response.

Yuya laughed. "Do you seriously think that this will work that often in a row?" He addressed his opponent. "From my hand I will discard **Odd-Eyes Illusion Dragon**! I can do this whenever a monster effect would be activated! Then my dragon negates the effects of all face-up monsters you controlled when my dragon's effect resolved!" Yuya announced.

"WHAT?!" The cooking prodigy exclaimed in terror as his monsters became blank, unable to use their removal effects.

"Next up I will normal summon **Odd-Eyes Charge Dragon**!" Yuya declared.

 _Odd-Eyes Charge Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/Scale 1/ATK 1500/DEF 1200/Dragon/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect_

"Tuner?!" Michio exclaimed in a shocked tone. "You can Synchro Summon now?!"

Yuya shook his head. "No, unfortunately I haven't gotten that far just yet." He replied.

"Yuya can't use Synchro Summon despite having a tuner? Man, and I was so close to getting hyped!" Ayu sighed.

"That would have been the total shivers..." Futoshi chimed in with a sad tone in his voice.

"Don't worry, even if he can't use Synchro, Big Brother Yuya surely has something else planned! Just watch!" The last member of the little trio addressed his companions.

"When Odd-Eyes Charge Dragon is summoned while I already control an "Odd-Eyes"-Monster, I can summon one of its companions from my hand! Come, **Odd-Eyes Specter Dragon**!" Yuya cried out as his silver dragon summoned a black one.

 _Odd-Eyes Specter Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/Scale 10/ATK 1300/DEF 1600/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect_

"Then the effect of Anomaly Dragon! Once per turn I can destroy up to two cards in my Pendulum Zones to draw one card for each of them! I destroy my two magicians and draw two!" He declared, doing said thing. "Then I will use the effect of my Specter Dragon! Once per turn, I get to return two face-up Pendulum-Monsters in my Extra Deck to my normal deck! Then I can add an "Odd-Eyes"-Monster to my hand from either my deck or graveyard! I return Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Timegazer Magician! Then I add the just returned Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to my hand!" Yuya exclaimed as he regained his ace monster.

"Yuya is playing way better than before!" Yuga remarked as he observed the moves of his counterpart.

"Agreed. His dueling has way more structure and more of a game plan, that's for sure!" Shiryu added.

"Great! Now all the conditions have been met!" Yuya exclaimed.

"Conditions? What conditions?" Michio inquired.

"Well, for the move I planned on doing I needed a very certain monster and its corresponding spell in my hand. And now that I have them, it can begin at last!" Yuya explained.

Michio gulped. "Does that mean that you...?!"

"Is he really going to do it?!" Yuga exclaimed, entering the hype at Yuya's declaration.

"Yes! I'm going to Ritual Summon! I will activate the ritual spell Odd-Eyes Advent! By tributing Pendulum-Monsters from my hand or field that equal or exceed level eight, I can summon this monster!" Yuya declared, showing a dark blue colored card to his opponent and the audience.

"No way! He's really doing it! Man, he just rose a lot in my esteem with that! Ritual-Monsters rock!" Yuga commented, observing his counterpart.

Shiryu smiled. "Looks like you're enjoying this duel, Yuga! But I can understand you, seeing an outsider using the most underrated method of his world is surely a great sight, especially for someone like you and me who are part of a family named after said method!" She stated.

"Big Brother Yuya is going to Ritual Summon?!" Tatsuya exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh! Looks like my son did a bit of practice for his qualification matches after all!" Yoko remarked with a grin as she watched the green haired teen as well.

"No way!" Michio cried out in shock.

"Yes way!" Yuya shot back. "I tribute my Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon from my hand!" He sent it to the graveyard at that. "Now then, time for my monster!" Yuya announced before he began chanting. "Dragon with dichromatic eyes! Become the sacrifice for a new being with dual-colored gaze that wields the control over attractive forces! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 7, Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon!" He exclaimed as a dragon of black and orange color with golden armor-like plates appeared.

 _Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2800/DEF 2500/Dragon/Ritual/Effect_

"AND THERE IT IS GUYS, YUYA SAKAKI JUST SUMMONED A RITUAL-MONSTER!" Nico cried out with audible enthusiasm.

"Cool as hell!" Yuga exclaimed. "Finally Yuya saw the light and used the best summoning method in existence, even though in a weaker form than mine!

"I wonder what his dragon can do..." Shiryu contemplated.

"Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon's effect! When it is summoned, all your spells and traps are bounced back to the hand!" Yuya declared.

"What?!" Michio exclaimed before regaining his composure. "Then before that happens, I will activate...!"

"Hold it! You can't react to this effect with cards or effects! So say goodbye to your last face-down!" Yuya exclaimed as the glow in his dragon's red and blue eye intensified, apparently influencing gravity as Michio's set card began hovering upwards, returning to his hand.

"Alright! With Odd-Eyes Gravity, Anomaly, Specter and Charge Dragon, Yuya can win this!" Ayu exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Correct! Michio's monsters only have 300 ATK each! With Gravity and the three other dragons, Yuya will win!" Tatsuya chimed in.

"Shivers!" Futoshi concluded.

"Well then, looks like I turned it around! You said that it wouldn't happen, but it still did!" Yuya remarked, smirking at his opponent victoriously.

"Kuh! Don't think you have won just yet!" The cooking prodigy exclaimed before running around in search for a way to turn the tides in his favor again.

"Be careful, Big Brother Yuya, he's up to something!" Tatsuya shouted as Michio dashed around the field. After a while, he saw something on the edge of his field of vision, prompting him to run there and pick it up. A sly grin formed on his face as he looked down upon the card.

"Hmm, looks like I'm on the winning side again!" Michio chuckled.

"What do you mean by that?!" Yuya exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"Just take a look for yourself, then you will know!" Michio replied before he flipped the card around, turning the artwork towards his opponent.

Yuya's eyes twitched in disbelief. "No way, out of all the possible cards he could have gotten it had to be this one?!" He stated, beginning to sweat heavily.

"SERIOUSLY?! AFTER YUYA'S COMEBACK AND ONLY SHORTLY BEFORE THE FINISHING ATTACK SERIES HIS OPPONENT MICHIO PICKED UP THE ACTION CARD GRAND ESCAPE!" Nico Smiley shouted. "WITH THIS CARD, HE CAN END THE BATTLE PHASE AT ANY GIVEN TIME! WHAT WILL YUYA SAKAKI DO NOW?!" He commented.

"Yeah, what will you do?!" Michio repeated, addressing the green and red haired male. "Of course you can just enter your Battle Phase, but I will end it immediately with my Action Card! And during the next turn I can overrun your monsters by powering up my Prince Curry again and deplete your lifepoints! Now then, end your turn so I can finish you off!" He exclaimed in a jeering tone.

"He's right..." Yuya whispered sadly. "I don't have anything to counter his Action Card. What should I do...?" He deliberated in a desperate tone.

"Well, that didn't work." Shiryu remarked.

"I wonder how he's gonna win now." Yuga stated.

Zarc sighed. _"Huh, guess I really need to help him again! Very well then!"_ He exclaimed in his spectral form, his eyes beginning to glow in an eight-fold variety of colors as they turned into the Genesis Eyes once again.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification")

At once a light was emitted, causing everyone to shield their eyes.

"What is that?!" Michio exclaimed.

"WHERE THE HELL DOES ALL THIS RADIANCE COME FROM?!" Nico Smiley chimed in as he kept up the commentary.

"What's happening to Yuya?" Ayu whispered in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry, he will be okay!" Yoko reassured her and the other kids next to her. "Though this sudden light is indeed very strange." She added.

"I'm getting the biggest of shivers!" Futoshi shouted.

"This is... weird..." Yuga spoke up from another side of the spectator ranks as he observed the light shrouding his counterpart.

"Agreed. It sure is unusual." His girlfriend Shiryu chimed in.

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

 _"Now then, let it begin!"_ Zarc said, spreading his arms, which caused the radiance to intensify even more. _"As the creator of half of the universe, namely the Spiritual Realm, Genesis Omega Dragon is the father of all Monster Spirits! And since I am the dragon myself now due to our prior merging and the circumstances require it, I shall now give birth to more of my children!"_ Zarc stated as the radiance enveloping his palms slowly transformed into the silhouettes of five beings, two of them having humanoid looks while the remaining three were dragonic. As their bodies fully formed, Zarc's expression turned into a warm smile. _"And God saw that is was good..."_ He murmured to himself, referring to a bible verse once more. His expression changed and he scowled though as he observed how the five new beings were trapped into cards that had newly formed as well. _"Because of the renewal of the world and Ray's influence, the spirits have reverted to their old state of captivity."_ He debated with himself. _"But that won't remain like that for long! Now then, fulfill your purpose and lead my fragments to victory! I shall free you as a reward eventually once I am revived again!"_ He exclaimed.

"What the hell?! Why are two more cards in my Extra Deck?!" Yuya exclaimed as he looked downwards to the corresponding section of his disk and realized said circumstance.

"Shiryu, look!" Yuga whispered, gazing downwards.

As the light blue and white haired girl did, she noticed three cards on Yuga's lap. "No way... are these... Pendulum-Monsters?!" She exclaimed in a shocked tone.

Yuga nodded. "They are. Two Gishiki Magician Pendulums. But while I have no idea how they appeared out of thin air and while those two surely are interesting, they are nothing compared to the third card!" He addressed her in a quiet tone of astonishment and surprise.

Shiryu looked at the card in the middle between the two others. " **Bile Throat Despertar Dragon**." She read its name, her eyes widening. "A variation of your normal Bile Throat?!" She stated in disbelief.

Yuga nodded. "But that's not the most shocking thing. Read the first lines of its Monster-Effect!" He told her.

"Im...possible..." Shiryu uttered after a while, her eyes twitching in terror. "It breaks the boundaries of its summoning method! It surpasses the limits of Pendulum-Monsters!" She whispered in disbelief.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah, it is just like Chō Gishiki. And I suppose since I got new cards, Yuya probably got some as well, by whatever mystical power that is."

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!-

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!-

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!-

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

(And shed your blood, unleash a flood of dark purification!)

(I have a scheme of great scale for which I'll have you all die for!)

(They will fall onto their knees in fear of the dark dragon's roar!)

(And I shall plunge you all into the pits of desperation!)

(And drown all humans in a flood of dark purification!)

 _"That's right!"_ Zarc exclaimed in his spectral form as the refrain began anew, just like him unheard to those around the silver haired man. _"My power can cross over any boundary, just as I crossed over all boundaries that hold down the average mortal and became a being free of such influences! I am Zarc Genesis Haoryu, administrator of the universe and supreme being of darkness! I am destiny itself and can bend fate to my will entirely! Well, I could if I was alive, but even in this reduced state my power is still surpassing any other being's, including Ray's! Behold, the newest creation of spiritual nature! These monsters will make my fragments stronger, and the stronger they get, the easier they will kill and absorb each other to bring back myself eventually! With every day that passes, my resurrection draws nearer and nearer! With every card played in this interdimensional war, my revival is facilitated! Soon all of my fragments will be powerful; and this power will attract their counterparts like moths are attracted by the light! They will fight, resulting in my return to the world of the living! The only thing left for that process is getting rid of Ray's fragments and their restricting bracelet powers! Once that is done, I shall revive and begin the dark purification anew! Well then, let's observe this new power that I have created just now!"_ Zarc exclaimed before he vanished entirely, making his exit with victorious laughter that slowly diminished as he dissolved.

( 15, Invasion - Bleach OST, "Dark Purification" end)

"What the hell just happened?!" Michio exclaimed in a confused tone.

"SORRY, I HAVE NO CLUE AS WELL! HAS ANYONE OF YOU A CLUE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENED BY CHANCE?" Nico addressed the audience using his microphone.

The audience merely shook their heads.

"I don't know what just happened either." Yuya spoke up, prompting everybody to turn around to him. "But I do know that I'm certain that I can win this duel now!" He exclaimed in an intense voice, shouting at his opponent. Michio flinched as Yuya raised his hand. "I will now tune my level four Odd-Eyes Specter Dragon with my level three Odd-Eyes Charge Dragon!" The green haired male announced.

"WHAT?! So Big Brother Yuya CAN Synchro Summon?!" Tatsuya exclaimed.

"Looks like he does!" Ayu chimed in as she observed how his first monster transformed into a collection of bluish stars while the other monster became a trio of green rings.

"SHIVERS!" Futoshi cried out in his usual manner.

"A Synchro Summon as well?! Man, he surely trained a lot for his qualification matches!" Yoko shouted in admiration of her son's alacrity to get better as a duelist.

"This is probably one of the cards he just received from that weird phenomenon." Yuga stated.

"Most likely." Shiryu agreed.

"Dragon with dichromatic eyes! Be enveloped by the raging flames and strike down from above as you descend from the ether! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Come forth, Level 7, Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon!" Yuya cried out as a dragon of dark red, yellow and black color appeared. Just like all Odd-Eyes-Monsters, it had a bluish sphere on its chest. It also had – similar to Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon – four limbs extending from its back, looking somewhat like wings.

 _Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon_

 _Fire/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Dragon/Synchro/Effect_

"A Synchro Summon! He really performed another ultimate summoning method in addition to Ritual!" Michio whispered incredulously.

"I'm not done!" Yuya shouted. "I still have two cards in my hand! And I will use them to win this duel! I activate the field spell Sky Iris!" Yuya shouted as a colorful structure was created within the air. "Beautiful!" The Pendulum-Duelist remarked as he looked at it, continuing afterwards. "Now I will place Odd-Eyes Arc Pendulum Dragon in my Pendulum Zone!" He yelled as another dichromatic dragon of black and blue body color appeared in a column within the air. "Then I will activate the effect of my Sky Iris! Once per turn, I can destroy a card I control to add another Odd-Eyes-Monster from my deck to the hand! I destroy Arc Pendulum Dragon and add Odd-Eyes Mirage Dragon to my hand!" Yuya exclaimed as the rainbow-like structure in the sky sent a beam of various colors downwards, destroying the dragon in the shining column, before another beam struck down on Yuya's hand, a card visible within the ray of light. Once it arrived, Yuya grabbed the card and showed it to his opponent, confirming that it was the added card, a dichromatic dragon with green body color as the artwork displayed. "Next up my Arc Pendulum Dragon's effect! When an Odd-Eyes-Monster is destroyed, including itself, its Pendulum effect allows me to special summon another Odd-Eyes from either my deck, hand or graveyard! Come, Odd-Eyes Persona Dragon!"

 _Odd-Eyes Persona Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/Scale 1/ATK 1200/DEF 2400/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect_

"He summoned another dragon." Yuga remarked. "But his remaining monsters are Odd-Eyes Gravity, Odd-Eyes Meteorburst and Odd-Eyes Anomaly Dragon. He could theoretically overlay his two Extra Deck-Dragons, but if he wanted to do that in order to win, he would have done so already. So why is he summoning another dragon that is neither a tuner nor has a matching level?" He questioned his counterpart's move.

"Questionable indeed. But he might have a plan here, otherwise he wouldn't have summoned it." Shiryu retorted.

Yuya closed his eyes in a concentrating manner. As he opened them again, he had a smile on his face, addressing the audience again.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" He cried out loudly, spreading his arms again.

"And there he goes!" Yuga commented.

"For the finale of today, I will show you something never before seen!" Yuya declared.

"SOMETHING NEVER BEFORE SEEN?! WHAT DO MEAN BY THAT?!" Nico addressed him. Meanwhile some clamor broke out in the audience, the spectators beginning to quietly discuss what the Pendulum-Duelist meant with those words.

Yuya chuckled. "What do I mean by that? If you want to find out, play close attention now!" He stated, raising his hand. The spectators looked at him in suspense, awaiting the revelation. "Three... two... one... go!" Yuya exclaimed, snapping his fingers at the final word. The lights went out again, a single spotlight shining down upon the teen. Yuya took a deep breath before he began his move.

"It's time! Now I will show you not only that Pendulum-Summoning can be evolved by using it to summon materials for other methods for instance, but also that methods themselves can be evolved!" He declared.

Yuga's expression changed in surprise. "Wait, could he be meaning...?!" He began incredulously.

"I will now sacrifice my level five Odd-Eyes Persona and level four Odd-Eyes Anomaly Dragon!" Yuya shouted, his monsters transforming into nine stars of blue color.

"What?! But you have already normal summoned and have no monsters in your hand to tribute summon! So you can't sacrifice your dragons!" Michio shot at him.

Yuya merely shook his head. "No, I don't plan on using my monsters for a Tribute Summon!" He replied. "I plan on using them for a Ritual Summon!" He announced in a resolute tone.

"What?! But that's not how a Ritual Summon works! You need to activate a spell first and have the corresponding monster in your hand!" Michio pointed out.

Yuya repeated his last move, shaking his head again. "Not this time. You see, my monster is placed in the Extra Deck due to its effect and can be summoned from there by tributing materials from my field by the usual criteria of having a total level equal or higher than my Ritual-Monster's!" He explained.

"What?! No way!" Michio screamed in terror.

"So he's really doing it! He's summoning by our method! Hell, this duel is amazing!" Yuga exclaimed in a tone that clearly indicated how much he enjoyed the most recent development.

"In all honesty, you are right!" Shiryu chimed in.

"Behold! This is the newest summoning method! A variation of Gishiki Summoning!" Yuya cried out. "And I think that I will call it..., that I will call it... hmm..." He stated, putting his right hand onto his chin in a deliberating manner.

"Chō Gishiki!" Yuga shouted from the spectator's ranks.

Yuya's face lit up. "Yeah, that sounds good! Chō Gishiki it is! I will now use my two monsters to fulfill the level eight requirement of my new monster!" He declared as one of the stars dissolved, the remaining eight aligning over the light blue sphere of radiance which had been created through the monsters' bodies dissolving into it. A pillar of light formed around the line of stars. Simultaneously something happened with Yuga, his eyes glowing dark blue as his counterpart initiated the summon of his Ritual-Monster.

( 27, Escalon - Bleach OST)

-"DRAGON WITH DICHROMATIC EYES!"- Yuya began chanting, his counterpart speaking the same words in sync with him. -"BE PURIFIED FROM ALL COLORS AND GAIN THE POWER OF EMPTINESS! THE HOLLOW DRAGON WITH RAZOR-SHARP, PRIMAL INSTINCTS! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! APPEAR, LEVEL 8, **ODD-EYES HOLLOW DRAGON**!"- They exclaimed in unison as a white dragon with four wings of the same color appeared. It only had very few colors left, namely a bit of red beneath some sections of the armor-like white scales that covered the majority of its body. Furthermore it had a single hole in its chest, just beneath the bluish orb that pretty much all Odd-Eyes-Monsters had. It also had the standard eye scheme of the Odd-Eyes-Monsters, the right one being yellow with a savage glint while the other one was blue and looked rather friendly in comparison to its counterpart. On its face it had a mask of white color with a few red lines over it. As the dragon emerged from the blue inferno surrounding it, it ascended into the air with a beat of its four wings, letting out a roar simultaneously.

 _Odd-Eyes Hollow Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2900/DEF 2600/Dragon/Ritual/Effect_

"Odd-Eyes Hollow Dragon?!" Michio repeated in terror as the dragon landed, gazing at him with an expression that clearly indicated that it wanted to attack him.

-"Odd-Eyes Hollow Dragon's effect!"- Yuya and Yuga declared. -"Once per turn, it can target any card that is either on your side of the field or in your hand! If it is on your field, it cannot activate its effects, change its battle position, leave the field, be used as material, attack or be tributed! Furthermore, if it happens to be in the Pendulum Zone, it is not only unable to use its Pendulum-Effect, but no Pendulum Summon can be conducted by its controller while it is on the field as well! But the thing that matters is what happens if I target a hand card! If that's the case, it cannot be activated or summoned, set, returned to the deck or be discarded!"- They announced together.

"What?!" Michio exclaimed. "But you still need to pick the right card if you want to prevent me from activating my Grand Escape!" He pointed out.

They chuckled. -"Did you forget?! Even if I had to pick blindly, I would still have gotten the right card to 100 percent since Action Cards have a big A on the artwork of their backsides!"- They shot back.

Michio sweat dropped. "Oh, right..."

-"But as I just said, I don't have to pick blindly! I can look into your hand for this effect! Now I target Action Card Grand Escape with my dragon's effect! Hollowfication Gaze!"- They cried out in unison as the glow in the right eye of Yuya's dragon intensified, turning the Michio's card into a blank version of it through said ability.

-"Well then, looks like I'm on the winning side now! Even if you destroy my dragon, its effect will still remain active until the End Phase of the next turn after it left the field! And even if you get rid of it like that, the power of Hollowfication Gaze still leaves traces! Since any card that had this effect used on it loses all ATK and DEF it has while on the field and all cards in your possession with the same name lose these stats as well for the remainder of the duel, alongside their effects!"-

"WHAT?! So even if I could get rid of the Grand Escape in my hand and picked up a new one, it would do nothing?!" Michio cried out in shock.

(1:38)

Yuya nodded, his counterpart within the ranks of the audience doing the same. -"Yeah, that's right! Now the finale! Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon attacks your Royal Cookmate King Burger!"- They shouted together.

"YUYA SAKAKI GOES INTO THE OFFENSIVE! DESPITE MICHIO SCRAPING UP A TOTAL OF 6000 LP BY EFFICIENT USE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS ACTION FIELD, HE WON'T BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE BARRAGE OF ALL THREE DRAGONS' COMBINED ATTACKS!" Nico exclaimed.

"You think you have won this already?!" Michio snapped at him. "Then time to burst your bubble! I activate the effect of **Cookmate Dish Swapper** in my hand!" He exclaimed.

-"Not so fast! First you have to pay 500 lifepoints due to the effect of my Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon!"- The counterparts retorted.

"Fine!" Michio replied, gritting his teeth as the immense gravity of the dragon's ability pushed him onto his knees.

 **MICHIO LP: 6000 → 5500**

"But now the effect of my Dish Swapper! When one of my Cookmates is attacked, I can exchange the Cookmates on my field for new ones from my deck by returning them there! Usually I utilize this effect to exchange normal Cookmates for Royal Cookmates! But not in this case! I return my five Royal Cookmates and summon them again!" Michio declared as his monsters dis- and reappeared.

"Huh?! What was the point of that?!" Ayu exclaimed in confusion.

"Did you forget? Yuya negated their removal effects with his Odd-Eyes Illusion Dragon. But now that they have left the field and returned, their effects are back!" Tatsuya explained.

"That's bad, isn't it?" Futoshi asked.

"Normally, yes. But their effects can only be used on summoning of Yuya's monsters, so they cannot destroy his dragons since they are already on the field, right?" Ayu inquired.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that!" Yoko chimed in, prompting the three children to turn rightwards to her. "Michio wouldn't bring them back while they are of no use." She remarked.

"Your mother is right, Yuya Sakaki!" The cooking prodigy shouted. "Because upon summoning Royal Cookmates with this effect, they can use their special abilities ignoring the activation requirements!"

-"NO WAY!"- The chibi trio exclaimed in a shocked choir.

"Yes way! Since I can use both of their effects, I will double my King Burger's ATK four times using my other Royal Cookmates' effects! Furthermore I will return Queen Omelette and Princess Pudding to my hand to destroy your Odd-Eyes Gravity and Odd-Eyes Hollow Dragon! Time to fill up your empty Hollow Dragon with some food! Full House of Full Stomachs!" He cried out as the two monsters prepared to stuff up the dragons in their usual manner until the exploded.

Yuya and Yuga smirked. -"Futile!"- They stated in unison.

"WHAT?!" Michio shouted in response.

-"That's right, it won't work! Your monsters cannot activate their effects during the Battle Phase due to my Odd-Eyes Meteorburst Dragon's effect! Meaning you activating your Dish Swapper's effect was an illegal move, so I kindly ask you to add it back to your hand and return your monsters to their former state of having their effects negated! But don't worry, since my Gravity Dragon's effect was also only used due to your move, you'll get back your 500 lifepoints!"- They addressed the pink and orange haired teen with a grin on their faces.

As a red warning signal appeared on Michio's disk, the cooking prodigy gritted his teeth and obeyed grudgingly.

 **MICHIO LP: 5500 → 6000**

-"Good! Now Meteorburst's attack continues! Meteor Strike Burst!"- They cried out as a red cone of heat extinguished Michio's monster, cutting down his lifepoints.

 **MICHIO LP: 6000 → 3800**

"Kuh!" Michio cursed as he was hurled back by the attack.

-"I'm not finished! Now Odd-Eyes Gravity Dragon attacks Queen Omelette! Gravity Strike Burst!"- They shouted as a dark ray was fired from the black and orange dragon's maw, black particles swirling around in its anomalous gravity. As it collided with Michio's monster, he lost even more LP.

 **MICHIO LP: 3800 → 1300**

"Argh!" Michio yelled as he received another attack. As he looked up, he began sweating, facing the final dragon that already charged up a beam of crimson light in its mouth.

-"And now the finale! Odd-Eyes Hollow Dragon attacks your Royal Cookmate Prince Curry! This attack will end our duel in a last clash of sheer amazement and flashiness!"- Yuya and Yuga declared as the former's dragon soared into the air with its four wings, spiraling around before it reached its destination. Michio gulped as it bent its head backwards, the red glow it emitted from its upper cavity intensifying with every second as it charged up the final attack.

-"END THIS! **CERO STRIKE BURST!** "- They yelled together as the dragon's head shot forward, unleashing a red cone of energy that consumed the opposing monster. Michio was sent flying as he was hit and his lifepoints were depleted by the attack.

 **MICHIO LP: 1300 → 0**

 **YUYA WIN!**

( 27 Escalon - Bleach OST end)

The audience clapped and Yuya bowed at their applause. Meanwhile Yuga snapped out of his trance and blinked with his eyes repeatedly, looking quite confused to say the very least.

"What... just happened?" He whispered in disbelief. "Did I just duel?" He uttered in a clueless tone.

Shiryu turned around to him. "Ah, you're finally back! Well, to answer your question, no, you didn't, but you somehow synchronized with Yuya and said the same words as him, as well as moving your body in he same manner as Yuya." She explained.

Yuga looked at her startled. "I did? Hmm, guess there's even more to this counterpart-stuff! It actually felt like if I was standing down there on the field and dueled myself! This whole dimensional-counterparts-issue seems to be a lot more complex than I thought!" He stated.

Shiryu nodded. "I suppose so. But anyway, let's get out of here now! We have watched the duel, so our task here is done!" She remarked.

"Yeah, let's do that!" He agreed with her, taking Shiryu by her hand and leaving the building with her. Meanwhile Yuya was surrounded by the three smaller You Show Students and his mother Yoko.

"You did it, Big Brother Yuya! You won your first qualification match!" Tatsuya cheered.

"Yeah, now you only need three more wins!" Ayu chimed in.

"You gave us the total shivers with your new monsters!" Futoshi concluded in his usual overenthusiastic tone.

"Thank you!" Yuya nodded at them with a warm smile. Then he turned towards Yoko. "Mom, do you think that she is proud on me for my win?" He addressed her.

Yoko nodded. "I bet she is!" She replied with a smile.

Yuya smiled as well, clenching one of his fists in determination. "I will catch up to you and see you at the Maiami Championship, that's for sure!" He declared in a resolute tone.

* * *

 _Fusion-Dimension, Academia, Throne Room..._

"Professor! We just lost all three signals of our expeditionary troupe in Ritual! Looks like they were wiped out!" A voice from one of the monitors surrounding Leo Akaba spoke up.

"I see." Leo stated. "Anything interesting that we found out from their infiltration?" He inquired.

The male on the monitor nodded. "Yes, the cameras recorded footage of that one girl with green hair! But that's not all! There was an extremely powerful monster used by the leader of the Gishiki-Dimension from what we can assume that killed our soldiers!" He exclaimed.

"An extremely powerful monster?! A Ritual-Monster?!" Leo cried out in shock.

His subordinate shook his head. "No, Professor! The monster that finished off our last soldier was definitely not a Ritual-Monster!" He retorted.

"Hmm, I understand..." Leo uttered, resting his chin onto one of his hands and deliberating. _'So these girls still seem to be in the Ritual-Dimension. Also they have an extremely powerful monster. Could it be...?'_ He thought. _'Well, I think I know what to do now!'_ He concluded within his mind before addressing the other man again. "Say, how many soldiers do we still have at our disposal?" Leo inquired.

"Well, still several thousands. That one attack from Yuga Gishiki was more of an act of intimidation than actual destruction since he killed only around a hundred students." The subordinate answered.

Leo nodded. "Good! Then prepare a troupe of around one hundred Obelisk Force for invading Gishiki in a few days!" He commanded.

"As you wish, Professor!" The man replied, hanging up at that.

"Well, well, well, looks like I might get those girls after all! The leader of the Ritual-Dimension having such a powerful monster is surely troublesome, but there's no way he can hold off that many Obelisk Force at once!" The Professor said in a monologue, a grin forming on his face.

* * *

 _Link Dimension, Airplane..._

-"DEAR PASSENGERS! WE HAVE JUST REACHED FLYING ALTITUDE! YOU MAY NOW UNFASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS IF YOU WISH TO DO SO!"- A voice announced in the airplane.

In the first class section of the plane, a man wearing formal attire consisting of a black jacket, black pants and a white dress shirt underneath the jacket, also wearing a red tie, was seated. He was fair skinned and had white hair with red highlights. He faced a female of equally formal clothing sitting on the opposite side of their section of the plane with his blue eyes, having a pair of green framed glasses over them.

"So we're finally coming back home, Elizabeth. I didn't think that we would return so soon since I was rather expecting to stay in Europe for a while to be honest." He addressed her.

The dark brown haired woman with black eyes nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same. We expected to go to the European Headquarter of SOL Technologies, help them out for a while and then come back home to our daughter. But that interdimensional war really cut short our business trip. Guess I will have to join the Hydra Squad of Akira again now that a war is at our doorstep once more. And you plan on joining the Knights of Hanoi again, right darling?" She inquired in a calm voice.

He nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so." He stated before pulling out a card. "Cyberse Firewall..." He whispered to himself, looking down at a Link-Monster with four Link Markers depicting a white dragon with blue elements on its artwork, also having several red, flame-like features on its body. "I guess that I will have to use you once more when the war comes, old friend..." His quiet monologue was interrupted by another female addressing him.

"Your coffee, Mr. Stratos!" A stewardess spoke up, approaching him to hand over a beverage.

"Thank you!" He replied with a gentle smile on his face as he accepted it from her, taking a sip from it afterwards.

"By the way honey, I just received a message from Ryoken! He was told by King Ghidorah that Kumo is fine and that a few expeditionary Obelisk Force Members scouted his dimension for the girls!" His wife addressed him again.

He smiled. "That's great! I knew that our daughter would have good company with Yubi and those other guys!" He stated. Then he frowned. "But people already invading Gishiki is bad. Looks like the war will begin sooner than I expected!" He added.

She nodded with a concerned expression. "Yeah, that's surely not good. But if we all work together, I'm sure we can win this war, just as we did in the last one against the A.I.s!"

He nodded in agreement. "Right! We will definitely not give in against the Fusion-Dimension!"

"Well then, I guess a few more hours and we're finally back in Den City!" The female with the dark brown hair and the black eyes stated, looking out of the plane window.

"Yeah, soon we will be home again! And from then on, our old fight begins anew!" The white and red haired male concluded as the airplane continued its flight towards Japan.

* * *

 _Synchro-Dimension, Secret Testing Grounds..._

Jean-Michel Roger was observing a very special test in an underground facility, his robotic servant Sergey standing behind him. As Roger looked out of the window, he saw two duelists driving in an arena, one of them a Duel Chaser from Security while the other was a gray haired individual wearing a mix of white and gray clothes, also having a metallic eye patch-like piece with an infinity sign over his right eye. He had a gray turbo suit and helmet as well.

" **WELL THEN, NOW DUEL, DUEL CHASER 112 AND PLACIDO!** " Roger addressed them through a microphone, his voice echoing over the underground arena.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **DUEL CHASER 112 VS. PLACIDO**

 **DUEL CHASER 112: 4000**

 **PLACIDO: 4000**

"Understood, Sir!" Duel Chaser 112 exclaimed. "My turn! From my hand, I normal summon Jutte Lord!"

 _Jutte Lord_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"And its effect activates! Since it was summoned, I get to special summon a Jutte-Monster from my hand! Come, Jutte Fighter!"

 _Jutte Fighter_

 _Earth/Level 2/ATK 700/DEF 900/Warrior/Tuner/Effect_

"And then I tune my Jutte Lord with my Jutte Fighter!" The Security Officer declared as his first monster transformed into stars while the second became a duo of rings. "You who bares the fangs of a wild beast, seize your prey! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Level 6, Goyo Predator!" He cried out as a ferocious looking humanoid monster appeared.

 _Goyo Predator_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

"I end my turn with that!" Duel Chaser 112 announced.

His opponent smirked at that. "Well, then I guess that my turn has come now! This will be great, after all, Roger has promised me some fun in this duel!" Placido chuckled, his red eye gazing at his opponent in anticipation. "Draw!" He shouted with a savage grin on his face, causing the Security Officer to shudder.

"First I will normal summon Wise Core!" He declared, a white egg-like monster that was partially open with a green orb hovering within it appearing at that.

 _Wise Core_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Machine/Effect_

"And then I activate the spell card Thunder Crash! It destroys all monsters I control and inflicts 300 points of damage for each to you!" Placido declared, a lightning bolt hitting the Duel Chaser.

 **DUEL CHASER 112 LP: 4000 → 3700**

"You wasted your normal summon and two hand cards just for 300 damage?! What an amateur move!" The policeman commented in disparagement.

Placido merely grinned. "Oh, there was a reason why I did that move, and a very good one as well!" He declared with a wide smirk on his face.

"What do you mean by that?" Duel Chaser 112 addressed him with lack of understanding.

( 28; reference video)

"The effect of Wise Core! When it is destroyed by a card effect, it takes all monsters I control with it! But then the other part of its special ability activates and it summons...!" He began, five cards appearing from a portal within the air at that.

"Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!" Placido started his count, a white mechanical monster appearing at his statement.

 _Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Machine/Effect_

"Wisel Top!" He continued as another white machine came forth.

 _Wisel Top_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 0/Machine/Effect_

"Wisel Attack!" He went on.

 _Wisel Attack_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 1200/DEF 0/Machine/Effect_

"Wisel Guard!" He shouted as the next white machine showed up.

 _Wisel Guard_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 1200/Machine/Effect_

"And lastly, Wisel Carrier!" He concluded.

 _Wisel Carrier_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 800/DEF 600/Machine/Effect_

Placido's sole eye narrowed. "Now combine, Machine Emperor Wisel! The attack points of Machine Emperor Wise Infinity now rise according to the ATK of the freshly added parts!" He shouted, the mechanical parts unfolding and turning into various body members as the first monster, having the form of a torso, partially glowed, a green orb that hovered in a black cavity on its front side briefly blinking. Wisel Guard changed into an arm with a shield-like structure attached to it, Wisel Attack becoming its counterpart arm with a blade instead of a shield. Finally Carrier changed into what looked like the lower part of a humanoid body, meaning two legs with a pelvis connecting them. The first monster, Emperor Wisel, opened on four sides, the mechanical arms connecting to it, Attack becoming the left arm while Guard became the right one. Carrier fused with the main body on its lower part. Lastly the end of Wisel Top went into the hole at the top of the torso, merging with the others and becoming the new creature's head. The facial part of Wisel Top moved out of the way similar to an eye visor on a helmet, a collection of red glowing lines flashing to life on a display-like black background, creating the "face" of the enormous monster. As all parts had merged, the giant white robot of humanoid appearance created through multiple monsters joining together clenched one of its fists and performed a stance in the air, a yellow glowing infinity sign appearing behind it.

 _Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity: ATK 0 → 2500_

"What is that creature?!" The policeman exclaimed in terror.

Placido chuckled as the white robot followed him while he advanced on the track with his D-Wheel, Wisel Carrier emitting blue particles from its backside, functioning as the motor of the white giant that carried it forward within the air. "That is the Machine Emperor Wisel! And it will send you to oblivion!" He declared with a victorious grin.

"Oblivion?! Hah, don't make me laugh! It has only 300 ATK more than my Goyo Predator! Meaning far too less ATK to finish me off!" Duel Chaser 122 shot back.

Placido merely smirked back at him. "I think not! You should know, my monster is also known as the Synchro Killer!" He announced in a vicious tone.

"SYNCHRO KILLER?!" The Officer repeated in horror.

"That's right!" Placido retorted. "The effect of Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!" He declared, stretching out his hand towards Goyo Predator.

( 29, Yugioh 5D's Sound Duel 3 Disc 2 #6 Illiaster Approaches)

At once multiple tentacle-like rays of green light shot from the black cavity on the robot's chest, wrapping themselves around the body of Goyo Predator.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" The policeman yelled in a frightened tone. Placido merely smirked.

"The effect of Machine Emperor Wisel! Once per turn, I can select a Synchro-Monster you control and make it my own! Synchro Absorption!" He declared.

"NO WAY!" Duel Chaser 112 exclaimed in disbelief as his desperately struggling monster was gradually being pulled towards the great white robotic colossus, the black hole on its chest-opening changing its form. Its normal infinity sign shaped appearance, consisting of two equally big holes on both sides, altered briefly as it opened in the middle between both holes. Then Goyo Predator was pulled into the cavity and vanished into an endless emptiness, the green orb within the cavity blinking again as it had happened.

"DO YOU SEE THAT?! THIS IS THE POWER OF A MACHINE EMPEROR!" Placido boasted in a victorious tone.

"Impossible, my monster was absorbed just like that!" Duel Chaser 112 whispered to himself in terror.

"It gets worse! Wisel gains the ATK of all monsters equipping it by this effect!" Placido went on, the left arm of his enormous robot being enveloped with an apparition that resembled the absorbed monster.

 _Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity: ATK 2500 → 4700_

( 29, Yugioh 5D's Sound Duel 3 Disc 2 #6 Illiaster Approaches end)

Placido grinned. "The finish! While only my Emperor can attack by its own effect, its ATK are high enough for that! Say your prayers!" He announced, the particles coming from the legs of the giant robot intensifying as the boosters on Wisel Carrier fully activated. The left arm with the blade winded up and was surrounded with bluish energy as the machine sped at the officer.

" **CLASH OF WISEL!** " Placido shouted as the attack connected and the bladed arm bisected the D-Wheel and its rider, resulting in a loud explosion.

 **DUEL CHASER 112 LP: 3700 → 0**

 **PLACIDO WIN!**

"As to be expected! Now then, let's go down and congratulate him for his win!" Roger spoke up from the control room above the track. Sergey merely nodded and followed him, being the obedient cyborg he was. As they finished going down by the elevator, Placido had already came to a halt and removed his turbo suit, exchanging it for a white robe-like outfit mixed of white fabric and metallic armor as well as a hood that had metal pieces on both sides of his head on around the ear area which had a bolt-like design. Furthermore he was wearing a sword in a sheath that was fixed on his hip.

"This weak fool was no challenge at all! I expected him to last a little bit longer at least!" Placido complained as he was approached by the two other men.

Roger smirked. "That is only normal taking into account it was a formidable duelist like you whom he faced!" He replied.

"Spare me with your flattery, you know that such cheap tricks won't work on me!" Placido retorted.

Roger let out a small sigh. "You're too tense, Placido! But that's fine, as long as you serve me, I don't have any complaints in that regard!" He remarked.

A vein pulsated on Placido's forehead, scowling at his words. "DON'T MISUNDERSTAND OUR SITUATION!" He shouted at Roger, drawing his sword from the scabbard and pointing it at the Security Director, its tip only half a foot away from Roger's throat. "I only follow your commands because of Illiaster's goal to avert the total downfall! I'm not a pawn like that guy behind you just because I'm a cyborg as well, so don't get cocky, little human!" He addressed Roger in a fierce voice.

Roger merely chuckled at the blade that was pointed at him. "Okay, okay, fine!" He said in a calm voice, raising his arms to indicate that he was giving in, not the least bit fazed by the gray haired cyborg's threat on him. "I will not treat or command you as if you were just a pawn." He promised.

Placido nodded in a satisfied manner, lowering his blade and turning away from Roger. "Good! Now then, let's leave and prepare our next steps!" Placido declared, slicing through the air with his blade and creating a portal in which he stepped into. Roger followed him with a smirk on his face.

"I couldn't care less for your efforts to save the world from extinction!" He whispered to himself in disdain about the plans of his partner. "But I have to save the world if I want to rule over it one day, don't I?" He continued, beginning to grin devilishly. "My research about the worlds is even more progressed than in Academia! Hell, they don't even know about the seventh dimension, the most isolated one!" His grin widened. "With my power, I will subjugate this world and all others! Soon, all seven dimensions will be ruled by ME!" He declared, his countenance twisting into a demon-like grimace as he stepped into the portal as well, Sergey following him like always.

* * *

 _Standard-Dimension, Maiami City..._

Yubi, Kumo and Shiryu were making their way down an alleyway. Suddenly they heard a noise behind them, prompting the three to turn around.

"There you are, guys! I've been looking for you!" They heard Rin say, approaching the group at fast pace.

"Oh, it's just you, Rin! I wasn't expecting that you would return so soon after requesting to roam around the city by your own. In fact, I was expecting to see you again in the hotel!" Yubi addressed her.

Rin came to a halt as she reached them, replying afterwards. "Yeah, that was my plan at first. However, I met Yuto and had to duel my way out. And since I didn't feel like sitting in the hotel by my own for hours, I went to search for you!" She explained. "I also was in Gishiki and had a rather... astonishing experience." She added after a pause.

Shiryu's eyebrows darted upwards. "Oh? Did father summon THE MONSTER?" She inquired.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, and it was unreal!" She replied before another person chimed in.

"You met Yuto?" Yubi exclaimed in an interested tone, inquiring about a different topic. "How strong was he? Did he get better during the last months after Ruri was kidnapped?" He asked.

Rin nodded. "A thousand times better! His deck is actually reminding me about your playstyle! He constantly refreshes his hand and summons huge formations of strong monsters, going for OTKs and having remarkable defensive abilities as well! Plus he even used a spell that can both Rank-Up and Rank-Down an Xyz-Monster!" She told them.

"Very intriguing!" Yubi remarked.

Kumo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he sounds really strong now! Anyway, you can accompany us from now on, Rin!" The brown haired girl with the light blue bangs spoke up.

"Thank you, guys! Anyway, where is Yuga?" Rin then asked.

"He's scouting the city. After we had watched the duel, he escorted me to Yubi and Kumo and then went to scout the city again for Academia, Shun causing trouble and so on." Shiryu explained.

"Oh, I see. Then let's get going again!" The Synchro Girl exclaimed.

As Rin began advancing forward after that, a figure jumped down from a nearby rooftop, its duel disk activated and aimed at the green haired girl, being used as a blade. Shiryu with her heightened senses noticed it in time though, drawing her Kryo-Blade out of her jacket pocket and activating it, blocking the assault. Her opponent grinned, his expression clearly indicating that he was longing for a good fight.

"Huh, I almost knew that you would intercept the attack again! After all, you managed to do the same with Masumi!" A male voice spoke up, taking a step away from her, separating their blades again.

Shiryu frowned. "So it's you. You really should stop eating so much candy, the smell gives away your presence!" She stated.

"Oh, really?" Sora retorted in a derisive tone. "Anyway, you are from the Gishiki-Dimension, right? One of your guys killed a few of my people, so now it's time to take some revenge for that!" He declared.

"Oh? So you know about my affiliation? Impressive work! By the way, that guy who rightfully killed a bunch of your psychopath friends has a name! It's Yuga Gishiki, who happens to be my boyfriend! Also, since the cat is out of the bag now, I might call you by your real identity as well,..." Shiryu began, her expression turning fierce as she continued, "...Academia Scum!" She hissed.

Sora merely smirked at her. "My my, such an aggressive tongue you have! But oh well, I guess I should return the favor as well! Duel me, you Ritual Scum, so I can defeat and card you! I bet that the Blue Demon would love it to see if I sent him a mail with its content being your pretty face trapped inside a card!" Sora stated with a devilish grin.

"Don't be so arrogant, if anything, you will die today!" Shiryu declared, raising her duel disk. She looked around in surprise as a hand intercepted her. "Wait, what are you doing, Yubi?" She addressed the white and black haired male.

"Don't get your hands dirty with that idiot! I want to face him to pay him back for how he tricked and keeps tricking Yuzu by acting like he's her friend! That's my pride as a person and duelist after all!" The Link-Duelist said to her.

"But you mustn't duel! You heard what Yuga said on today's morning, didn't you?!" Shiryu replied.

Yubi chuckled. "Well, I found a solution for that problem! Just watch!" He exclaimed, pulling out his revolver. He inserted a small cube-like object into the barrel and pulled the trigger with the gun aimed skywards. A red beam of light shot from the weapon, forming a barrier-like structure around them.

"What is this?!" Sora yelled in surprise.

Yubi grinned at him. "That, my fellow Academia Scum, is an evolved form of my Vanisher, the Sphere Field! I freshly invented it today as a method of dueling without being disturbed by anyone! Inside this Sphere Field, no summoning energy can leak out to the sensors at LDS and nobody can enter this sphere to interrupt our duel other than the people who are already inside it! Also no duel started inside this arena can be intruded into and nobody on the outside can see or hear us!" He explained.

"So it's basically a completely isolated death arena, I see! That's great, since I can now go all out!" Sora responded. "Well then, let's duel!" He cried out, activating his disk.

As Yubi was about to do the same, Rin intercepted him. "Wait! Even if Reiji won't see your Link-Summoning, Sora will!" She addressed him in a quiet tone, not allowing the Fusion-User to hear her words. "Let me duel instead! That's what Yuga told us after all!"

Yubi shook his head. "Even so, I need to be his opponent. He not only tricked Yuzu, but also tried to attack you! And for that, he has to receive some payback by me now!" He declared in a resolute voice, looking at her with an intense stare.

Rin blushed, flattered about his concern. "Very well, then beat the crap outta that guy!" She gave in, encouraging him with a wide smile on her face.

"Kick his ass!" Shiryu chimed in as well.

"Yeah! Teach that bastard a lesson!" Kumo addressed her boyfriend. She then added in a hushed tone of mysterious uncertainty. "But please stay safe and end this quickly..."

Yubi nodded and turned at his opponent. "Okay, we can go now!" He shouted, his blue disk flashing to life.

"Finally! This ought to be fun!" Sora exclaimed with a psychopathic grin of anticipation on his face. "Watch me demolish you!" He addressed the other male.

"Oh? That's kinda presumptuous, don't you think?! One does not simply defeat me! My pride will never allow such a thing after all!" Yubi shot back with a confident grin on his face.

-" **DUEL!** "- They shouted in unison.

* * *

 **YUBI VS. SORA**

 **YUBI: 4000**

 **SORA: 4000**

"I will start this duel!" Yubi declared. Upon looking at his hand, he smirked at the blue haired boy. "This should be enough to beat you into oblivion! After all, you guys from Academia always use the same lame old deck!" He announced.

"You mean the Ancient Gears? Don't lump me into the same category with those guys, I have an own archetype! Actually, from what I experienced in Xyz, our opponents are usually the ones who use the same repetitive moves over and over! And I bet you are no exception from that!" Sora retorted.

"Why you...! Then I will show that I am nothing like that!" Yubi shouted in response.

"Uh oh! He managed to hit the one spot where Yubi is vulnerable!" Kumo exclaimed quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" Rin inquired.

"It's his pride. When you hurt it, Yubi starts to become irrational. He will probably try to beat Sora without using his maximum power now, just to prove him wrong." Kumo explained.

"What?!" Rin cried out in a shocked tone before she turned to the white and black haired male. "Don't fall for his taunt, Yubi! Just beat him in your usual manner!" She addressed him. He, however, seemed to overhear her, simply beginning his move.

"I will start with the continuous spell card **Varrel Recycling**! Upon activation, this card gains four Varrel Counters!" Yubi announced, a metallic device emerging from the ground at that.

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 0 → 4_

"Next up another continuous spell! I play Soul Absorption! Now the stage for my combo is set!" Yubi declared.

"Combo? What combo?" Sora asked.

"This combo! I activate Pot of Desires! For the price of ten cards which are now banished face-down from the top of my deck, I get to draw two cards!" Yubi replied.

"So you're paying such a huge cost just for two cards?!" Sora asked in disbelief. "And what about that combo anyway, I can't see anything looking like a combo at all!"

Yubi smirked. "Well, the combo is that my continuous spells take that cost and turn it into an advantage rather than a disadvantage! The effect of Soul Absorption! Whenever one or more cards are banished, I gain 500 LP for each of them! I now gain 5000 since ten cards were banished!"

 **YUBI LP: 4000 → 9000**

"WHAT?!" Sora exclaimed incredulously as his opponent's lifepoints more than doubled in an instant.

"Furthermore Varrel Recycling's effect! Whenever one of my cards is banished, it gains one counter for each!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 4 → 14_

"I now use the other effect of Varrel Recycling! First of all, all face-down banished cards I have in my Banish Zone are automatically being turned face-up again through its continuous effect, making them usable again! And then the active part of its effect! By removing one counter from it, I get to return one banished "Vullet"-Monster or any banished spell or trap back to the graveyard! By investing two counters, I can even add them to my hand if I want! I use two counters to add the trap Link Death Turret to my hand! Furthermore I return the Doublevullet Dragon as well as the **Essencevullet** **Dragon** banished with Pot of Desires' effect to my graveyard at the cost of one counter each!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 14 → 12 → 10_

"Kuh! So you turned your cost into a bonus by gaining lifepoints and even strengthening your hand again!" Sora cursed.

"That's right! But it ain't gonna end here since my Varrel Recycling has another effect that enables me to use "Varrel"-Traps or traps that mention Vullets in their effects during my Main Phase! So that's what I'm going to do now! You should know that this trap I added to my hand, Link Death Turret, can normally only be used during my Main Phase 2 to compensate for its powerful effect! But with my Varrel Recycling, this downside is bypassed! Now arise, Link Death Turret!" Yubi exclaimed, activating the trap from his hand by setting it and then flipping it up, enabled by the effect of his continuous spell. Sora's eyes gazed upwards in shock as a round object manifested above their heads, having several yellow glowing arrows on it.

 _Link Death Turret: Vullet Counters 0 → 4_

"Upon activation, my turret gains four Vullet Counters! I can then remove those counters to revive Vullets from my graveyard! But any monster revived this way is banished once it leaves the field! However,..." Yubi began, grinning at his opponent and challenging him to finish his sentence.

"...you get counters on your Varrel Recycling if that happens, which then enable you to return your monsters to the graveyard from where they can be revived once more!" Sora uttered through gritted teeth.

Yubi nodded. "I see you understand this loop! The only thing that limits it are the counters on my Link Death Turret! I have also developed a way to extend that combo, but unfortunately you won't get to see it!" He stated.

"Huh? Why not?" Rin whispered in confusion.

"Well, he normally uses Topologic Trisbaena for that combo. Its effect is that it banishes all cards in the Spell- & Trap-Zones when a monster is special summoned next to a Link-Monster's Link Marker, meaning it triggers when Yubi revives a Vullet with his Link Death Turret, banishing Death Turret as well. Since Varrel Recycling cannot be banished itself, this makes the loop even stronger, allowing him to add back Link Death Turret and gaining new counters on it once he activates it again. But I suspect that Sora's taunt prevents him from summoning his dragon so that he doesn't use his already established combo again, like Sora said he would since he called him a repetitive duelist." Kumo addressed the other girl.

"What?! No! Yubi, don't base your dueling on the babbling of that stupid brat!" Rin addressed him again, only to fall onto deaf ears once more, causing Sora to grin victoriously as he saw how is tactic had worked.

"Now then, I will remove one counter from my Death Turret and summon Doublevullet Dragon!" Yubi exclaimed, one of the yellow arrows on the levitating object above their heads redirecting itself downwards and launching a beam of light at the ground, the dragon descending within it.

 _Link Death Turret:_ _Vullet_ _Counters 4 → 3_

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1100/Dragon/Effect_

"The effect of Doublevullet Dragon! Upon summoning, it calls one of its friends from my hand, grave or deck! Come from my deck, Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

"Now I will use another counter to revive my Essencevullet Dragon as well!" He continued.

 _Link Death Turret:_ _Vullet_ _Counters 3 → 2_

 _Essencevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2100/DEF 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"I draw thanks to Powervullet Dragon's effect! Then I will use the effect of my Essencevullet Dragon! Once per turn, I can gain LP equal to another Vullet's ATK! I target Powervullet with it, gaining 1800 lifepoints!" Yubi went on.

 **YUBI LP: 9000 → 10800**

"Damn it! He's already over ten thousand! It will take ages before I get him to zero at this rate!" Sora cursed.

"Now appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future!" Yubi exclaimed. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two effect monsters! With my Essencevullet and Doublevullet Dragon, I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Dragon with the tail of punishment, become the link to my allies and with your alliance, facilitate my victory! My whiplash that jolts humanity to awaken it from its confined perception of reality! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 2, Whip Tail Link Dragon!" Yubi shouted as his blue and yellow colored ace monster appeared, pressing a button on his disk and initiating his signature theme. ( 4; focus on the background music, the duel in the video isn't relevant here; EDIT: As the real OST is now out you may instead go to 56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme, "The Power of Revolver")

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

" **WHAT?!** LINK SUMMON?! WHAT IS THIS SUMMONING METHOD?! ARE YOU FROM THE MYSTERIOUS SIXTH DIMENSION?!" Sora cried out in shock.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah! Did you seriously think that only the Resistance in Xyz and the Ritual-Dimension are opposing you and your friends?! Wrong, since you are basically a scourge to the rest of the dimensions, everyone is beginning to team up against you!" Yubi declared. "But anyway, let's move on with our duel! My Double and Essencevullet are banished now due to my Link Death Turret's effect! But at least I get two Varrel Counters for it and some lifepoints as well!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 10 → 12_

 **YUBI LP: 10800 → 11800**

"Now, since I already control a Vullet, I can special summon Phantomvullet Dragon from my hand!" Yubi continued.

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Dragon Effect_

"Since I summoned a Vullet in the presence of my Powervullet Dragon, I get to draw a card, bringing my hand to five once more! Then I will normal summon Anesvullet Dragon!"

 _Anesvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"Through Powervullet's effect, my hand evens out once more! Finally another use of Varrel Recycling lets me return the previously banished Ghostvullet to my graveyard for the cost of one counter! And then, since I already control Vullets, I can special summon it from the afterlife! Appear, Ghostvullet Dragon!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 12 → 11_

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

"I draw again thanks to Powervullet, bringing my hand to six! And now it's time for some action! Using my four Vullets, I will Link Summon again!" He announced.

"He's playing "The Power of Revolver" and controlling four minor monsters." Rin remarked. "We all know what that means!"

(min 0:40)

"Appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least three effect monsters! I set my Powervullet, Ghostvullet, Anesvullet and Phantomvullet Dragon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! My gale that slices open the closed world! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, VARRELSWORD DRAGON!" Yubi shouted, yellowish wings flashing to life as a red colored dragon with three blades fixed on its mouth appeared.

 _Varrelsword Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄▲▼)

"I summon it to my fourth Main Monster Zone! Also it gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn since it was summoned with Powervullet Dragon!" Yubi declared.

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 3000 → 4000_

"Fourth?! But you cannot do that, the summoning order rules clearly state that you must summon your monster into the third zone in the middle of your field! And what about those Main Monster Zones anyway, there's no need to add a Main to the term!" Sora pointed out.

Yubi chuckled. "Actually there is! In my dimension dueling works a little bit different after all! You see, Link-Monsters can only be summoned into two special zones above the second and the fourth zone of both players' fields! These are called the Extra Monster Zones and are pretty comparable to what the Pendulum Zones are to the Spell- & Trap-Zones! They are additional zones, the right one on a player's field belonging to that respective player! Into these zones Link-Monsters are usually summoned! However, Link-Monsters have no levels or ranks, but a so called Link Rating instead! That Link Rating determines how much Link Arrows a monster has! And if you have a Link Arrow that points to one of your normal monster zones, you can summon a Link-Monster into that zone as well, regardless of summoning order!" Yubi explained.

"WHAT?!" Sora exclaimed in a shocked tone, obviously not expecting that the dimension his school hadn't done any research about so far wielded such a completely different method, even changing the way their fields were designed, having two additional zones.

"Anyway, since Ghostvullet was banished upon being sent to the grave thanks to its own effect, I get another Varrel Counter and 500 lifepoints!" Yubi stated. "However, I will remove that counter again to return it to my graveyard, you know, just in case!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 11 → 12 → 11_

 **YUBI LP: 11800 → 12300**

"Now then, my Whip Tail uses his effect! Once per turn, I can special summon a monster from my Extra Deck to a zone one of my Link-Monsters points to, treating it as if it was summoned by the usual means! Using the western arrow of my Varrelsword Dragon, I special summon its comrade! Alliance Force!" He raised his hand skywards, a circuit appearing in the air. Through the energy he and his dragon emitted, its four markers were filled immediately.

(min 1:31)

"LINK SHŌKAN! Manifest, Link 4, An all-purpose artifact of mass destruction! The unmatched VARRELLOAD DRAGON!" Yubi cried out as the leader of the three Varrel Dragons showed up.

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

"I know what he is doing." Kumo suddenly spoke up.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Shiryu asked her counterpart.

"The thing Sora made him do." Kumo replied. "He is restricting himself by only using his Varrel Dragons. He wants to prove him that he can win without his usual combos involving his six Topologics."

"So that's why he didn't go for his usual Gumblar and Whip Tail destruction-lockdown, I see." Rin murmured.

"Correct." The female Link-Duelist agreed.

"I leave two cards face-down and end my turn with that! Also Varrelsword Dragon's ATK return to normal! Now then, show me how you are going to take down my defensive!" Yubi slowly said, his background theme gradually coming to an end. ( 4/56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme, "The Power of Revolver end)

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 4000 → 3000_

"With pleasure! It's my turn now! Draw!" Sora yelled with visible anticipation on his face. "First I will discard Fluffal Bear from my hand to directly set the continuous spell Toy Vendor from my deck to my Spell- & Trap-Zone! Then I will normal summon Edge Imp Saw!"

 _Edge Imp Saw_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1000/Fiend/Effect_

Kumo's eyes widened in horror. "Saw...?!" She whispered in terror, her right hand stroking over her left, as if to make sure that it was still okay. Rin looked around to her in surprise and noticed that she was trembling a bit, prompting her to lay an arm around her counterpart in order to comfort her.

"Its effect! When normal summoned, I can send one "Fluffal"-Monster from my hand to the grave in order to draw two cards from my deck! I get rid of my **Fluffal Deer** and draw two cards!" He shouted, dumping his monster into the graveyard. "Then I have to send one card in my hand back to my deck and place it either on the top or bottom of it! I choose Fluffal Mouse and return it to the top! And with that the conditions of my combo have been met!" The cyan haired teen declared with a grin, parodying Yubi's prior statement.

"What do mean by that?" He inquired in a calm voice.

"I mean this! I activate my Toy Vendor which I set before! Using its effect, I dump my **Edge Imp Lock** into the graveyard! Then I can draw a card! If it happens to be a Fluffal, I can special summon one monster from my hand!" He declared with a smirk on his expression.

"Kuh! So you basically rigged the game with your prior use of Edge Imp Saw's ability, huh?" Yubi retorted as a small ball came out of the machine, rolling on a tongue that had extended from it.

Sora nodded. "Yes! And since I got Fluffal Mouse, I can now summon a monster from my hand! I will select my Mouse itself! Now come here!" He said, his fluffy monster appearing at that.

 _Fluffal Mouse_

 _Earth/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Fairy/Effect_

"It's so cute." Shiryu whispered as she looked at the tiny blue animal with the small wings attached to its body.

"That's true. But the person who uses it is a demon." Rin chimed in with a quiet voice full of disdain.

"Now I use its effect, summoning two more Fluffal Mice from my deck!" Sora continued.

 _Fluffal Mouse (X2)_

 _Earth/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Fairy/Effect_

"And then I banish Fluffal Deer from my graveyard to use its effect! I can add a copy of Polymerization from my deck or graveyard to the hand! Additionally, if I control Toy Vendor, I may draw an extra card!" Sora exclaimed, his hand rising up to six cards at that.

"I gain 500 LP." Yubi remarked as Fluffal Deer was banished.

 **YUBI LP: 12300 → 12800**

"Yubi may have gained more lifepoints, but now it's coming! His Fusion Summon!" Shiryu remarked.

"You're goddamn right, Gishiki Scum! I use Polymerization and fuse together my three Fluffal Mice on the field, Fluffal Cat in my hand plus Edge Imp Sabres in my hand! Demon claws, sharp fangs! Become one in the mystic vortex and show us a new form and power! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" Sora shouted, his face twisted into a devilish grimace as he clapped his hands together, his fingers interlocking with each other. "Show yourself, mystical jungle beast that rips everything to shreds! Frightfur Sabre Tiger!" He cried out as a green doll-like tiger with a pair of scissors coming out from a cavity in its body appeared.

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger_

 _Dark/Level 6/ATK 1900/DEF 1200/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

 **(Note: I am aware that the anime version of Frightfur Sabre-Tooth is called Sabre Tiger. I only call Scissors Tiger Sabre Tiger because the real version of the card needs Edge Imp Scissors as a material, which is called Edge Imp Sabres IRL (and I prefer the real names, with the exception of the tools in the Frightfurs' names, e.g. Sabre, Wheelsaw, Chain and so on). I will refer to Sabre Tiger as Sabre-Tooth once it shows up eventually.)**

"What is that abomination...?!" Kumo uttered in a hushed tone, her eyes shaking as if she experienced something very unpleasant.

"It fits him perfectly! A demon in disguise of a friendly looking creature!" Shiryu exclaimed as she saw the over-sized animal doll with the scissors and the demon-like red glowing eyes in a cavity within its body. For some reason the azure haired girl's statement caused her counterpart from Link to tremble even harder than before as she heard it.

"Sabre Tiger's effect! Upon summoning it, this monster destroys a number of cards up to the number of materials I used for my Tiger! With five, I can now destroy your Whip Tail Link Dragon, Varrelload Dragon, Varrelsword Dragon, Varrel Recycling and Link Death Turret! Say goodbye to your cards!" Sora exclaimed in a jeering tone.

Yubi merely raised an eyebrow before he responded. "Whip Tail Link Dragon's effect! He destroys himself and saves all other cards! Heroic Sacrifice!" Yubi stated in a calm voice as his dragon unfolded its wings, prompting the Tiger to turn around to it, the monster's vicious scissors only cutting the blue dragon in half.

"WHAT?! Your dragon can sacrifice itself to save other cards?!" Sora yelled in shock.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, that's his effect. Anyway, can you continue your turn please? I would like to see more spectacular things than your mouth wide open, please." He replied in his usual stoic manner.

"YOU WANT TO SEE MORE?! FINE, HERE YOU GO!" Sora shouted furiously. "First, since my Fluffal Cat was used as Fusion Material, I get to add a Polymerization from my grave back to my hand! Then my Tiger's additional effect! All my Frightfurs gain 300 ATK per Frightfur or Fluffal I control! Meaning 300 extra ATK for my Tiger right now!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 1900 → 2200_

"Now, with my current hand cards I would normally go for my Frightfur Wheelsaw Leo! However, to not contradict my first words of this duel, I will do something else! Using Polymerization, I will fuse Fluffal Lion, Fluffal Wings and Edge Imp Saw the latter which I already control! Steel blades possessed by demons! Become one with the fanged beast and the flying members and terrorize sky and land alike! Show yourself, legendary beast that symbolizes evil itself, lacerating everything! **Frightfur Sabre Manticore**!" He screamed as a winged doll with the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion bearing a menacing stinger was brought forth, its fangs looking vicious and deadly.

 _Frightfur Sabre Manticore_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 2300/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

Kumo's horror intensified. "Please, no more of those monsters...!" She whispered in fear.

"Now the ATK of both my Manticore and Tiger rises since another Frightfur has entered the field!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Manticore: ATK 2700 → 3300_

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 2200 → 2500_

"Now battle! Frightfur Manticore attacks Varrelload Dragon!" Sora cried out. "At this moment, Manticore's effect triggers! If it attacks one of your monsters, it temporarily gains the opposing monster's ATK until the End Phase!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Manticore: ATK 3300 → 6300_

"Now do it! Destroy his dragon!" Sora yelled in sadistic glee.

Yubi raised an eyebrow. "Is that all? Because if yes, then your efforts are utterly futile." He calmly stated.

"WHAT?!" Sora cried out in surprise.

"Varrelsword's effect! Once per turn it can switch one of your monsters into defense position! Zero Vullet Fire!" The Link-Duelist commanded, his dragon firing a burst of energy from the cannon in its maw that forced Manticore to take a defensive stance.

"Damn you!" Sora gritted his teeth. "Then I will use the opportunity and play this at least! The spell card **Frightfur Components**! I can only use this card during the Main Phase 2 of a turn where I inflicted no battle damage to my opponent or during my Main Phase 1 by skipping my Battle Phase! I can target a "Frightfur"-Monster with it and then draw cards equal to the number of materials I used for its summoning! I target Sabre Tiger and draw five, bringing my hand back to five again! I then set three cards face-down! Turnover!" He stated through gritted teeth, outraged that he couldn't cut down Yubi's lifepoints.

"Good! Now it's my turn!" Yubi declared. His eyes narrowed. " **The turn where I will end you!** " He shouted in an intense voice, causing Sora to flinch. He pressed a button on his disk, intensifying the cyan haired boy's shock. ( 22, Treachery - Bleach OST Extended, "Warfare Dueling/Yubi Kogami")

"Warfare Dueling..." Rin murmured.

"If he's playing this track, it means he's dead serious!" Shiryu exclaimed.

"Yeah, that guy is pretty much done for!" Rin chimed in again.

Sora started sweating as Yubi began his move.

"Draw! First I will activate one of my set cards, Call of the Haunted! I bring back my Whip Tail Link Dragon from my graveyard, placing it in the Extra Monster Zone!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

"Kuh! This annoying creature has revived!" Sora cursed, exasperated about the return of the card that had foiled his previous plans.

"And the effect of my Whip Tail! Into the second Main Monster Zone which my Varrelload Dragon points to, I summon another Link-Monster! Alliance Force! My gale that blows open the closed world! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, VARRELGUARD DRAGON!" He cried out as another red dragon appeared, its wings rather orange than yellow.

 _Varrelguard Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (▲►↘▼)

"Now he has all three Varrel Dragons on the field!" Rin exclaimed in awe.

"But that also means he can no longer summon more ace dragons since he restricted himself from using the Topologics!" Shiryu pointed out.

"That might be true. But he still has another ace up his sleeve..." Kumo chimed in, somewhat less enthusiastic and duller than usual despite her boyfriend's favorable position in the duel.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" The azure haired girl addressed her in a confused tone.

"He still has a lot of smaller dragons in his deck. And one of them is especially strong, having been used by his father a lot. It was Ryoken Kogami's ace monster before he acquired the original Topologic." The brown haired girl explained, sounding apathetic and non-living as if the duel in front of her not even happened.

"I see! Then how does it look like?" Shiryu inquired with interest.

"Wait a few seconds, then you will see." She replied quietly with noticeable lack of emotion in her voice.

"Now I will remove two Varrel Counters from Varrel Recycling to add back my banished Doublevullet Dragon!" Yubi stated, taking the card into his hand again. "Furthermore I will remove one counter to return my Essencevullet Dragon to the graveyard!"

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 11 → 9 → 8_

"Then I will summon Doublevullet Dragon from my hand!" He said, the violins beginning to play.

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1100/Dragon/Effect_

"Using its effect, I summon Quickvullet Dragon from my deck!"

 _Quickvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 800/Dragon/Effect_

"And when Quickvullet is summoned, I get to add another Vullet to my hand from either my graveyard or deck! I return the Phantomvullet Dragon in my graveyard to my hand! Now appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Dark Dragon-Type monsters! With my Doublevullet and Quickvullet Dragon I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Charge into battle, Link 2, **Desperado Dragon**!"

 _Desperado Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1500/Link/Dragon/Effect_ (◄►)

"I use its effect! Once per turn I can special summon a Dark Dragon-Type monster from my hand! Come, Phantomvullet Dragon!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Dragon Effect_

"I will use the first effect of Whip Tail to make him a Link 8-Monster for the rest of this turn, giving him additional arrows! Link Extension! Now appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two Dark Dragon-Type monsters! With my Phantomvullet and Desperado Dragon, I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Show yourself, powerful cannon that guns down my foes! Link 3! **GATLINGVARREL DRAGON**!" Yubi shouted as a red dragon with three white guns coming from its belly appeared. Its white head was very pointy at the snout, also forming a gun barrel.

 _Gatlingvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↙▲▼)

"I will summon it into your Extra Monster Zone!" Yubi announced.

"What?! But you can't, it's mine!" Sora cried out indignantly.

Rin shook her head. "You seem to misunderstand. He is allowed to use your zone because he constructed an Extra Link!" The girl addressed the Fusion-Duelist.

"Extra Link?! What's that?" Sora cried out in confusion.

"It's a special trick for Link-Monster-Users." Yubi retorted to him, his five monsters beginning to glow as their Link Arrows connected to each other, building a bridge from his Whip Tail to his newly summoned Gatlingvarrel.

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

"What is happening?! Why are those arrows shining now?!" Sora shouted, now utterly confused about the events around him.

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

"I will explain. You see, when two Link-Monsters have arrows that point to each other, they become Co-Linked. Then, by building a chain of Co-Links from your Extra Monster Zone to the enemy's, you can use his zone as well if it's empty! That is an Extra Link!" Yubi exclaimed.

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

"No way!" Sora yelled.

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"Yes way! Now then, my Gatlingvarrel Dragon will activate its effect! But before all that, I will invest another Vullet Counter of my Link Death Turret! I revive the previously returned Essencevullet Dragon with it, summoning it to my fifth Main Monster Zone by the rules!"

 _Link Death Turret:_ _Vullet_ _Counters 2 → 1_

 _Essencevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2100/DEF 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"Next I will use one of the remaining cards in my hand! Quick Revolve! This spell summons one Vullet directly from my deck! Say hello to Autovullet Dragon, coming straight to the first Main Monster Zone!" Yubi stated as the interlude began.

 _Autovullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 1000/Dragon/Effect_

"With that he has seven monsters." Shiryu remarked.

"Impossible! Controlling more than five monsters?!" Sora cried out in disbelief.

"Yes! That is the power of the Link-Dimension! Anyway, I use the effect of Essencevullet Dragon, targeting another Vullet, namely Autovullet in order to gain LP equal to its ATK!"

 **YUBI LP: 12800 → 14400**

"Now my Gatlingvarrel Dragon at last! Using its effect, I can destroy one Vullet it points to in order to destroy one of your monsters! I get rid of my Autovullet Dragon! However, now Autovullet Dragon's effect! When targeted by a Link-Monster's effect, it can self-destruct to destroy a spell or trap you control! I now destroy your left-hand face-down and your Frightfur Manticore! VARREL HAILSTORM!" Yubi cried out as his dragon fired a barrage of bullets at Sora's monster from the three main barrels on its belly.

"Not so fast! Once per turn, my Manticore cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Sora shot back.

"Fine! But your other card is still history!" Yubi retorted as Sora's set card was destroyed. "And now it's time for a fat beating! Battle! I will activate my Varrelsword's effect! This halves the ATK of your Manticore and gives my dragon the lost attack points! Varrel Twin Piercer!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Manticore: ATK 3300 → 1650_

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 3000 → 4650_

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

"But that's not all! Whip Tail, do your thing as well! Once per turn, I can target a monster other than himself! Said monster then receives Whip Tail's ATK until the End Phase or the other way around! I select Varrelsword and grant it the ATK of Whip Tail! Adapter Boost!" Yubi cried out.

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 4650 → 7150_

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

"Also I will activate the effect of Varrelguard Dragon! Up to twice per turn, I can change a monster's battle position! I change your Manticore into attack mode! Varrel Stance!" Yubi continued in an intense voice.

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

"Amazing! Now he can one-hit Sora with his Varrelsword!" Rin exclaimed enthusiastically.

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

"I WILL END YOU IN A SINGLE BLOW! PERISH! **ELECTRIC VARRELSWORD SLASH!** " Yubi shouted, his dragon speeding at the horrific toy with the dragon's blades aimed at its head.

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"Keep on dreaming! Reverse card open! Draining Shield! This blocks your attack and grants me LP equal to your monster's ATK!" Sora yelled in response, a trap card averting his defeat while also siphoning a ton of lifepoints.

 **SORA LP: 4000 → 11150**

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

"Fine! If you want to prolong your suffering, go ahead! If you want to gain lifepoints, do it, you will need every ounce of strength now!" Yubi shouted back in an intense voice, causing Sora to flinch and grit his teeth right afterwards. "You know what, I will maximize the damage I deal by doing this! Varrelload Dragon, attack his Manticore! Charging energy! Varrel mode change! Target locked on! Final safety removed! Take this! THUNDER VARREL CANNON!" He yelled, his dragon preparing for the attack step by step. It bowed down to aim at Sora's monster, a cannon within its mouth readying itself. As everything was prepared, the dragon fired its attack at Sora's monster, a lethal bullet enveloped by energy.

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

"Now the effect of my Varrelload Dragon! I can take control of the monster it battles! STRANGE TRIGGER!" Yubi screamed, the bullet gradually changing its color until it became purple and struck the opponents monster. Frightfur Manticore seemed to bug out, vanishing and reappearing on Yubi's side of the field, causing Frightfur Sabre Tiger to lose ATK as a result.

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 2500 → 2200_

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"Hah! You walked into my trap! I expected that you would do something along the lines of that! Trap activate! Fusion Fright Waltz! I can target one Frightfur Fusion-Monster I control and one Fusion-Monster you control with it! Then all other special summoned monsters are destroyed and every player that had cards destroyed by this effect takes damage equal to the combined ATK of the two monsters I targeted! Meaning I wipe your board and inflict damage equal to my Frightfur Sabre Tiger's and Sabre Manticore's combined ATK!" Sora shouted in response, the intro melody beginning anew as Yubi used the extended version of his theme.

"Humph, how pathetic! Whip Tail again! Heroic Sacrifice!" Yubi shouted in response, his dragon unfolding its wings and stepping into the breach again.

"Hrrgh, slowly this dragon is getting on my nerves!" Sora uttered in anger, observing how the dragon foiled his plans again, Call of the Haunted going to the grave alongside it.

"Now then, let's proceed with the beating, shall we? The stolen Manticore attacks your Tiger! Now its effect triggers, giving it ATK equal to your Tiger's until the end of this turn!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Manticore: ATK 1650 → 3850_

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

"I've waited for this moment! I activate the trap card **Frightfur Dismantling**! It was the card you destroyed with Autovullet before! By banishing it from my graveyard, I card target a Frightfur on the field! I tribute it and then gain not only lifepoints equal to its ATK, but also an Edge Imp or Fluffal which I can add to my hand from my deck! I pick **Fluffal Horse**!"

 **SORA LP: 11150 → 15000**

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

"Damn! Now he's even over Yubi in terms of lifepoints!" Shiryu cursed.

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

"But don't forget that he will still get a major beating now with Yubi controlling six monsters of remarkable ATK!" Rin pointed out.

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"That's right, my dear! First I will gain 500 lifepoints since Sora banished a card! Soul Absorption is quite handy, right?" Yubi stated, the interlude beginning to play again after that.

 **YUBI LP: 14400 → 14900**

"Now with all obstacles out of the way, let the demolition begin! Varrelsword Dragon gains a second attack during the turn Varrel Twin Piercer is activated! Furthermore the effect of Varrelload Dragon! Once per turn, it can decrease the ATK and DEF of a monster by 500! I select your Tiger of course! ANTI-ENEMY VULLET!" The strategist declared, his red dragon shooting a beam of light at the horrific doll, weakening it.

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 2200 → 1700_

"Now go, my Varrelsword! Destroy his Tiger! ELECTRIC VARRELSWORD SLASH!" Yubi yelled. The dragon sped forward and inflicted a big gush onto the toy before doing a backflip-like move, flying in a loop and then bisecting Sora's monster with a second slash.

 **SORA LP: 15000 → 9550**

"Then my Varrelguard attacks you directly! IMPENETRABLE VARRELGUARD BLOW!" He shouted, his dragon tackling Sora with its metallic body.

 **SORA LP: 9550 → 6550**

"Then the encore! Essencevullet attacks you directly!"

 **SORA LP: 6550 → 4450**

"And finally Gatlingvarrel Dragon attacks! VARREL SLAUGHTER!" Yubi shouted as the former ace monster of his father attacked, firing from its three cannons on its abdominal area as well as the cannon on its snout.

 **SORA LP: 4450 → 1850**

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

" **Kuh! You damn bastard!** " Sora cursed, having received several cuts and bruises through the series of constant attacks. The refrain began once more at that.

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

"You're welcome!" Yubi retorted in a mocking tone before he continued. "Now then, in my Main Phase 2, I will use the effect of my Varrelguard Dragon! By sacrificing one spell or trap on my field, I can revive a monster that was destroyed this turn! I'll get rid of my Link Death Turret which is down to a measly amount of one Vullet Counter and revive your Frightfur Sabre Tiger! Rewind Phase!" He announced, the destroyed stuffed animal appearing on his side of the field with its own attack boost.

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger_

 _Dark/Level 6/ATK 1900 → 2200/DEF 1200/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

"Next up I will play the spell card **Link Trade-Off**! By dumping a Link-Monster from my Extra Deck into the grave, I can revive one from the graveyard other than the sacrificed monster of course! To my Extra Monster Zone, Whip Tail Link Dragon!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

-I can tell that you've never seen strategy!-

-I can smell: Scent of looming calamity!-

"Then I will use your monster in order to bring back the monster I just dumped, Shortvarrel Dragon! By releasing a monster originating from the Extra Deck while I control a "Varrel"-Monster, I can revive it from the graveyard! Come, Link 2, Shortvarrel Dragon!" He stated, the interlude beginning once again.

 _Shortvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 800/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

-I can feel, it draws near, my next victory!-

-You will lose, it shall never end differently!-

-Where I go there'll be nothing but cavity!-

-Since my drakes pierce with bullets and weaponry!-

"I'll summon it to my fifth Main Monster Zone! And then appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two monsters except tokens! I set my Shortvarrel and and Essencevullet Dragon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, Three Burst Shot Dragon!"

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (◄▲▼)_

-And I crush all my foes, I won't show mercy!-

-Fear my name, fear the wrath of Yubi Kogami!-

"I choose to summon it to my fifth zone at the very right as well! Furthermore Essencevullet is now banished due to being revived with Death Turret! Meaning I gain another 500 LP thanks to Soul Absorption plus another Varrel Counter on Varrel Recycling which I then remove again to return Essencevullet to the graveyard!"

 **YUBI LP: 14900 → 15400**

 _Varrel Recycling: Varrel Counters 8 → 9 → 8_

"Now then?! How does it feel to duel against the strongest fighter Link has to offer?!" He addressed Sora while the track ended, boasting about his own strength. ( 22, Treachery - Bleach OST Extended, "Warfare Dueling/Yubi Kogami" end) "This concludes my turn! However, we aren't finished yet! Since Autovullet was destroyed this turn, namely by my Gatlingvarrel Dragon's special ability that made it trigger its own self-destruction effect, I can now summon a Vullet from my deck to compensate for that loss! To my first Main Monster Zone, giving me to a full field of monsters again, Ghostvullet Dragon!" Yubi declared as a new metallic dragon appeared in defense mode. "Furthermore Varrelsword's ATK returns to normal!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 7150 → 3000_

( 30, Fallen Angels - Bleach OST Extended)

"THEN IT'S MY TURN! DRAW!" Sora yelled furiously, keen on some revenge for the last turn. "I activate Frightfur Patchwork! This spell searches an Edge Imp and a Polymerization from my deck! I'll take **Edge Imp Drill** and my second copy of Polymerization into the hand! Then I will normal summon Edge Imp Drill!"

 _Edge Imp Drill_

 _Dark/level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Fiend/Effect_

"Please stop summoning those monsters...!" Kumo uttered frightfully.

"Its effect! When summoned, it can banish one card you control for the price of returning a Fluffal from my grave to the deck! I return a Fluffal Mouse! And you cannot respond to this effect, so finally I can get rid of that Whip Tail for good!" Sora shouted as the monster got assaulted within the air, being pierced by the sharp tip of Sora's monster.

"Damn it! He cannot recover monsters other than Vullets with Varrel Recycling!" Rin cursed.

"That means his ace is gone now!" Shiryu added, hissing with gritted teeth.

"How right you are! Anyway, I will now activate the effect of Fluffal Wings in my graveyard! By banishing it alongside another Fluffal resting in my grave while I control Toy Vendor, I can draw a card! Then I can sacrifice Toy Vendor to draw one more! I do said thing and banish Wings plus one copy of Fluffal Mouse from my graveyard!" Sora stated, drawing two cards. "Furthermore, if Toy Vendor hits the grave, I can add either Edge Imp Sabres or a Fluffal from my deck to the hand! My choice is the sharper kind of monster, Edge Imp Sabres!"

"Kuh! He just brought his hand from four cards to seven!" Rin cursed.

"But do not forget that you banishing two cards means 1000 LP for me!" Yubi pointed out.

 **YUBI LP: 15400 → 16400**

"Yeah, I know! But don't worry, I will get rid of them soon!" Sora exclaimed with a savage grin on his face. "Now then, using the spell card Polymerization, I fuse Edge Imp Sabres and Fluffal Octopus from my hand! Demonic claws! Become one with the devil's apostle and show us your new powerful form! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Come out, sea devil that steals freedom and pulls everything into the darkness! Frightfur Haken Kraken!"

 _Frightfur Haken Kraken_

 _Water/Level 8/ATK 2200/DEF 3000/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"Stop it! Stop it!" Kumo whispered in a desperate tone that indicated her clearly visible inability to handle the current situation.

"Haken Kraken's effect! Once per turn, I can get rid of one of your monsters and send it to the graveyard! I target your Varrelguard Dragon! Begone!" Sora yelled, his Kraken strangling the dragon with its clawed tentacles.

"Bastard...!" Yubi whispered in anger as he observed how one of his favorite dragons was beaten by Kraken's ability.

"It gets worse! Since Fluffal Octopus was sent to the graveyard as a Fusion Material, I get to return up to two of my banished monsters to the graveyard! I select Fluffal Wings and Fluffal Deer! Then I activate Fusion Recovery! This spell refunds one Polymerization plus a monster in my grave that had been used for a Fusion Summon! I pick Fluffal Wings which I just returned to my graveyard for this effect!" Sora announced, taking the two cards into his hand, bringing it back to five. "Then I will activate Polymerization! Using it I fuse Frightfur Haken Kraken and Fluffal Penguin from my hand! Sea devil stealing freedom, fluffy bird! Become one within the mystic vortex and show us a new power and form! Appear! Wild ghost-cave beast that bares fangs at all! Frightfur Sabre-Tooth!" Sora yelled, clapping his hands together as a bluish stuffed animal with several blades coming out of its body appeared.

 _Frightfur Sabre-Tooth_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"Not another! Please stop, I beg of you!" Kumo murmured apprehensively. Suddenly images flashed over her mind, causing her to take a step backwards. Rin noticed it and looked at her, Kumo's eyes wide open in horror.

"Is everything okay?" She asked her with concern in her voice. But Kumo didn't react to her at all, simply staring ahead of her with eyes wide open. Rin intensified her hold onto the girl at that. "What is wrong with her?" She wondered, clueless how the calm and rational girl was like that all of a sudden.

"Its effect! Upon Fusion Summoning it, I can revive another Frightfur from my graveyard! Say hello to Tiger again!" Sora continued.

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger_

 _Dark/Level 6/ATK 1900/DEF 1200/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"Furthermore my Fluffal Penguin allows me to draw two cards when I use it as a material for a Fusion Summon! I must then discard a card, which will be Fluffal Dog in this case!" Sora stated, dumping his monster into the grave, now having five cards in his hand once more. "Now the effect of my Sabre-Tooth and Tiger! Tiger grants all Frightfurs 300 ATK per Frightfur or Fluffal that I control! Sabre-Tooth does the same, only with 400 ATK instead of only 300! Meaning with two of them on my field, they now get 600 from Tiger and 800 from Sabre-Tooth!"

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 1900 → 2500 → 3300_

 _Frightfur Sabre-Tooth: ATK 2400 → 3000 → 3800_

"And now I will show you something truly awesome! True to my own words, I will try a new move! I banish Fluffal Dear from my graveyard, adding a Polymerization from my grave back to my hand!"

"I gain lifepoints." Yubi merely remarked.

 **YUBI LP: 16400 → 16900**

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Sora sighed. Then he grinned. "Now it's time to get rid of them! Using Suture Rebirth, I revive Fluffal Wings!"

 _Fluffal Wings_

 _Light/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Fairy/Effect_

"And then I activate Polymerization! I fuse Fluffal Wings from my field and Fluffal Horse plus Edge Imp Tomahawk from my hand! Demonic blades! Become one with the galloping animal and the flying members and show us a new form and power! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! The horrifying beast that soars through the sky and shreds everything to pieces! **FRIGHTFUR SABRE PEGASUS**!" Sora yelled as a demonic, winged horse with terrifying fangs appeared.

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"He even corrupted a majestic creature like that!" Shiryu exclaimed in indignation as she gazed upon the monster based on a positive mythological creature.

"Yeah! This deck fits him perfectly, overshadowing the demon he truly is with cute animals as his base monsters!" Rin agreed. She then looked to her left, noticing that the brown haired girl was saying something. Or not saying, rather her lips moved but no tone came out.

"Now all my Frightfurs become stronger due to Tiger and Sabre-Tooth!" Sora cried out, his eyes wide open in the psychotic fashion befitting him.

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 2800 → 3700 → 4900_

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 3300 → 3600 → 4000_

 _Frightfur Sabre-Tooth: ATK 3800 → 4100 → 4500_

"Furthermore my Fluffal Horse's effect! When used for a Fusion, I can conduct another Fusion Summon using it plus monsters I control or that are in my hand as material by banishing them!"

"Meaning I gain lifepoints!" Yubi chimed in.

Sora made a dismissive gesture. "Yeah, yeah, have your 1000 LP since I will use two materials!"

 **YUBI LP: 16900 → 17900**

"Now then, I fuse Edge Imp Drill on my field and my Fluffal Horse! Vicious spike possessed by demons! Become one with the galloping animal and show us a new form and power! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! The malicious hoofed creature that tramples down and pierces everything! **FRIGHTFUR DRILL UNICORN**!"

 _Frightfur Drill Unicorn_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2300/DEF 1700/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"And here is yet another perversion of a majestic creature from the myths." Shiryu stated, looking at the horrific horse with the horn on its forehead.

Meanwhile the mentally absent girl from Link slowly folded her hands in a praying manner, looking at the formation of monsters Sora had summoned in horror. "Please be okay, Yubi! What will I do without you?" She whispered in a worried tone, sounding majorly disturbed by the events, speaking with a weak, but very concerned voice.

"Once again my monsters power up!" Sora announced.

 _Frightfur Drill Unicorn: ATK 2300 → 3500 → 5100_

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 4900 → 5200 → 5600_

 _Frightfur Sabre Tiger: ATK 4000 → 4300 → 4700_

 _Frightfur Sabre-Tooth: ATK 4500 → 4800 → 5200_

Sora smirked maliciously. "AND NOW IT IS TIME!" He cried out, his expression twisting into a devilish grin. " **I WILL BEAT YOU INTO OBLIVION!** BATTLE! FRIGHTFUR DRILL UNICORN ATTACKS VARRELSWORD DRAGON!" Sora yelled at the top of his lungs, a look of sheer insanity on his face.

"Haven't you learned?! Varrelsword's effect Zero Vullet Fire will...!" Yubi began.

"THAT EFFECT WILL DO NOTHING!" Sora cried out in response. "MY UNICORN'S OWN ABILITY NEGATES THE EFFECTS OF ALL MONSTERS IT BATTLES! SO YOUR ABILITY IS GONE NOW! DESTROY HIS DRAGON!" Sora yelled, his Unicorn charging forward and piercing Varrelsword with its horn. Yubi gritted his teeth as he lost a good amount of lifepoints by the attack.

 **YUBI LP: 17900 → 15800**

"NEXT UP MY FRIGHTFUR SABRE PEGASUS WILL ANNIHILATE YOUR VARRELLOAD DRAGON! NOW ITS EFFECT ACTIVATES! WHEN BATTLING A SPECIAL SUMMONED MONSTER, PEGASUS REDUCES YOUR MONSTER'S ATK PERMANENTLY BY 1500 WHILE MY MONSTER GAINS THAT MUCH ATK UNTIL THE END PHASE!"

 _Varrelload Dragon: ATK 3000 → 1500_

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 5600 → 7100_

"Fine! Then I will activate my own monster's effect! My Varrelload lowers your Pegasus' ATK by 500! And you cannot react to this effect! Anti-Enemy Vullet!" Yubi cried out in response.

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 7100 → 6600_

"WHATEVER! YOUR DRAGON IS STILL TOAST!" Sora yelled, the fangs of the winged horse tearing into the metal of the dragon, shredding it to pieces.

 **YUBI LP: 15800 → 10700**

"Damn! He has lost a third of his lifepoints already!" Rin exclaimed worriedly.

"AND IT DOESN'T END THERE! FRIGHTFUR SABRE-TOOTH ATTACKS GATLINGVARREL DRAGON!" Sora shouted, the feline stuffed doll pouncing on the mechanical dragon, cutting down Yubi's lifepoints even more.

 **YUBI LP: 10700 → 8100**

"AND THE SLAUGHTER CONTINUES! SABRE TIGER ATTACKS THREE BURST SHOT DRAGON!" Sora screamed in sadistic glee, getting into a blood rush from the intensifying Battle Phase.

 **YUBI LP: 8100 → 5800**

"NOW FROM MY HAND THE QUICK-PLAY SPELL **FRIGHTFUR SAVAGERY**! THIS CARD ALLOWS ME TO DECLARE AN ADDITIONAL ATTACK WITH ONE OF MY FRIGHTFURS, ALSO GRANTING IT 1000 ATK! I PICK MY UNICORN!"

 _Frightfur Drill Unicorn: ATK 5100 → 6100_

"FURTHERMORE YOUR WHOLE BACKROW IS DESTROYED IF MY UNICORN INFLICTS BATTLE DAMAGE BECAUSE OF FRIGHTFUR SAVAGERY'S EFFECT! NOW GO UNICORN, WRECK HIS GHOSTVULLET DRAGON! WITH ITS EFFECT, YOU SUFFER PIERCING DAMAGE!" Sora yelled, his monster piercing through the dragon with its horn, Yubi screaming in pain as the horn partially pierced into his chest as well.

 **YUBI LP: 5800 → 1600**

-" **YUBI!** "- The three girls cried out worriedly, Kumo being the quietest despite her personal connections to him, seemingly lacking the strength to cry louder than that as her friend was brought down to a mere 1600 lifepoints, suffering a stab into his chest in the process and losing his two continuous spells and set card.

Yubi's eyes narrowed in pain before he turned around to them and addressed the girls. "Don't...! I am fine! I can still win this!" He reassured them. His current behavior contradicted this statement though, the white haired male heavily panting from the series of attacks.

Sora laughed. "You think so? Then let me shatter all of your hope! I activate the spell card **Summoning Lock**! This card can block out any summoning method from the Extra Deck of a specific type until the end of my opponent's next turn! When I fought against the scum in Heartland, I always used it on Xyz-Monsters! But not now!" Sora exclaimed with a sadistic grin. "Because I declare Link-Monsters!" He announced, grinning from ear to ear with a twisted smirk on his face.

-" **NO!** "- The three girls cried out in terror, Kumo now being the loudest by far.

" **YES!** " Sora shouted in response. "I end my turn! My Pegasus and Unicorn lose part of their ATK again!"

 _Frightfur Drill Unicorn: ATK 6100 → 5100_

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 6600 → 5100_

( 30 Fallen Angels - Bleach OST Extended end)

"NOW THEN, HOW ARE YOU GONNA WIN THIS DUEL?!" He addressed the strategist. "YOUR ARMS AND LEGS ARE CUT OFF! HOW ARE GOING TO OVERCOME MY FOUR FRIGHTFURS?! **HOW?!** " He screamed at Yubi at the top of his lungs, mocking him in an intense voice.

"You might have cornered me." Yubi replied, raising his head again. "But even if, I will never falter before you! Using the effect of my destroyed Ghostvullet Dragon, I special summon Shellvullet Dragon from my deck!"

 _Shellvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 1100/DEF 2000/Dragon/Effect_

"MY TURN! DRAW!" He yelled in a resolute tone, causing even Sora to gasp in surprise. "First I will activate the spell card **Extra Identity**! This card affects all Extra Deck Monsters on the field! Any of those monsters which weren't special summoned from the Extra Deck go to the graveyard immediately! Meaning your Tiger which was special summoned from the graveyard by your Sabre-Tooth's effect is a goner! Furthermore, if only my opponent had monsters sent to the graveyard by this effect, I gain 1000 LP and can destroy one more card you control! I target your Sabre-Tooth! Now all attack boosts on your monsters vanish! Though the ATK decrease from Varrelload on your pony doll remains!"

 **YUBI LP: 1600 → 2600**

 _Frightfur Drill Unicorn: ATK 5100 → 2300_

 _Frightfur Sabre Pegasus: ATK 5100 → 2300_

"IT DOESN'T MATTER! YOU CAN STILL NOT LINK SUMMON THIS TURN AND OVERPOWER MY MONSTERS SINCE YOUR MAIN DECK MONSTERS ARE ALL TOO WEAK! IN OTHER WORDS, YOU LOSE! **PREPARE TO BECOME A CARD!** " Sora yelled at him.

"Lose?" Yubi repeated. "I believe that you are mistaken! In these situations when I'm cornered, the true manifestation of myself comes to life!" He declared.

"True manifestation of yourself?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Sora screamed back at him.

"Yeah, what is he meaning?" Rin inquired.

"He refers to his unique ability." Shiryu replied to her.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Unique ability?" She asked.

"Kumo told me about it. Just watch!" Shiryu retorted to her.

The two girls turned their heads to the male in front of them again as Yubi continued.

"I know that I am a prideful person. And sometimes, this pride backfires at me." Yubi spoke up. "However, I am also a resolute person! And because of that I will never allow to give in against the likes of you! You say that I have lost?! You say that I cannot turn this duel around without Link Summoning?! Then let me prove you wrong!" Yubi shouted, raising his hand. "COME, DATA STORM!" He yelled, a torrent of particles emerging out of nowhere and enveloping him.

"WHAT IS HAPPNENING?!" Sora shouted in surprise and terror at the abrupt development. Meanwhile Yubi stood inside the tempest of data, his right arm still stretched out skywards.

"A NEW BREATH RESIDES WITHIN MY HAND! HEAR MY CALLING AND COME TO ME!" He yelled as the silhouette of a dragon shortly entered his field of vision and left it again, roaring as it passed by. A bright glow in form of a rectangle formed in front of his palm. " **STORM ACCESS!** " Yubi finished as the card manifested and he grasped it. He smirked after that. "This power... it has been so long since I felt it for the last time! It feels unbelievable!" He exclaimed, the raging torrent of data vanishing after that.

"WHAT HAPPENED JUST NOW?!" Sora addressed him, looking at his reappeared opponent.

Yubi faced his gaze with a resolute expression. "Sora! What you gave me with your Summoning Lock wasn't despair, but hope! This hope manifested in the form of a new power I gained! A person very special to me gave me the strength to turn this duel around – and I will definitely use it!" Yubi shouted.

"What does he mean?" Rin whispered.

( 31; reference)

"From my hand, I summon Vullet Synchron!" Yubi declared, a dark blue dragon of bulky shape appearing at that, joining Shellvullet Dragon on the field.

"Synchron?!" Rin exclaimed in a shocked tone.

 _Vullet Synchron_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Dragon/Tuner/Effect_

"Vullet Synchron's effect! When normal summoned, it can revive a level five or higher Dark Dragon-Type monster from my graveyard with its effects negated in defense mode! Come, Essencevullet Dragon!"

 _Essencevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2100/DEF 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"But at the end of this turn my Essencevullet will be destroyed!" Yubi went on.

"Wait, that setup!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization. "IT CAN'T BE! **IMPOSSIBLE!** " He shouted.

"IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE ANYMORE!" Yubi shot back as a green lightning struck down behind him, his three monsters gradually beginning to dissolve at that.

"Wait, is he really going to...?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise.

"My level five Essencevullet Dragon and my level two Shellvullet Dragon will now tune my level one Vullet Synchron!" Yubi shouted as his monster transformed into particle rings of various colors.

"Tuning...!" Shiryu uttered while they looked at the events in front of them.

"Synchro...!" Rin whispered, her eyes widening as she observed how the same thing happened as when she summoned her Extra Deck Monsters, though much more futuristic looking than what she was used to. As the animation was completed, a wind began blowing from behind Yubi, him raising an arm with its hand clenched into a fist at that.

"HEROIC DRAGON! TRANSFORM THE SHARPNESS OF YOUR FANGS INTO FIRING POWER! GAIN THE VELOCITY OF A BULLET AND PIERCE THROUGH! MY GALE THAT RAVAGES THROUGH THE CLOSED WORLD!" He yelled, redirecting his arm forward and stretching it out with his fingers formed into a claw. "SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! COME OUT, LEVEL 8, VARRELLOAD SAVAGE DRAGON!" Yubi shouted as a bulkier version of his normal Varrelload appeared, having more complex horns and white color on its body, its translucent wings light blue rather than turquoise.

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Synchro/Effect_

"Synchro?!" Rin cried out, still surprised by the current events.

"A new ace dragon, Yubi's eleventh tail." Kumo stated, referring to the fact that her boyfriend had just surpassed his ten-dragons-limit and nickname. Her voice was a little bit more lively now, but still not back to its usual state.

"NO WAY!" Sora shouted as he faced the newly summoned dragon.

"Do you see that?! This is the power I gained through my bonds with Rin!" Yubi shouted at the blue haired teen. Rin blushed hard as she heard those words, flattered that according to Yubi's words it was her who made that comeback possible. "Varrelload Savage Dragon's effect!" Yubi continued, pointing forwards with his right hand. "I can equip a Link-Monster from my graveyard to it, strengthening my dragon by half of its ATK! I will equip Varrelload Dragon!" He declared.

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: ATK 3000 → 4500_

"He used his normal Varrelload Dragon as an equip card?!" Shiryu exclaimed incredulously.

"Then my Varrelload Savage Dragon gains one Varrel Counter for every Link Rating its equip card has!"

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: Varrel Counters 0 → 4_

"BATTLE!" Yubi cried out. "Varrelload Savage Dragon attacks your Frightfur Sabre Pegasus!"

"Are you retarded?! When Pegasus battles a special summoned monster, your card loses 1500 ATK while mine gains that much until the End Phase! Turn this fight around, Pegasus!" Sora shot back.

Yubi scoffed. "Who told you that bullcrap?!" He addressed the light blue haired male. "Varrelload Savage Dragon's effect! By removing one of its counters, your effect is negated and the card is destroyed! VARREL DOMINATOR!"

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: Varrel Counters 4 → 3_

"WHAT?!" Sora cried out in shock as his Pegasus was blown up by a salvo from the dragon's maw.

"Now I will attack your Frightfur Drill Unicorn since a replay has occurred by the destruction of Pegasus! END THIS DUEL! **THUNDERCLAP VARREL FIRE!** " Yubi shouted, a yellowish ray of light being fired from the dragon's maw, this time hitting the Unicorn with it.

-" **THIS IS IT! YUBI HAS WON!** "- Three girls exclaimed enthusiastically, Kumo sounding the most relieved that it was finally over and Sora was gone. But as the dust cleared, Sora still stood on the field, panting heavily.

 **SORA LP: 1850 → 150**

"Wait, that bastard is still alive?! HOW?!" Shiryu shouted furiously.

Sora smirked victoriously before pointing to the ground. "The effect of my Frightfur Pegasus! During the turn it is destroyed, the attack points of my remaining Frightfurs are increased by 500! Meaning my 2300 ATK Unicorn went up up to 2800, reducing the battle damage from 2200 LP to 1700, making me survive the attack! And since your Varrelload Savage Dragon can only negate one card per turn, you couldn't do anything about it!" He shouted, a satisfied grin on his face as he faced Yubi.

"Kuh! Persistent bastard!" Yubi cursed. "However, your situation is still anything but good! I'll end my turn with the advantage I have and settle for winning next turn!" Yubi declared.

"Very well! Then it's my turn! Draw!" Sora shouted with a violent expression on his face, his arm sweeping through the air as he drew his card in an intense motion. He scowled as he looked upon the drawn card. Yubi noticed it and grinned at him.

"Oh? A dead draw?! How unfortunate! Guess it's over for you now, Academia Scum!" Yubi mocked him.

Sora gritted his teeth. "Not yet! During my next turn after Frightfur Drill Unicorn was destroyed, I can add back its materials Edge Imp Drill and Fluffal Horse from both my graveyard and Banish Zone!" He shot back at Yubi.

"Daydreaming?!" Yubi retorted in an intense voice. "Did you already forget that my Varrelload Savage Dragon has a built-in negate effect?! Foil his plans! Varrel Dominator!"

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: Varrel Counters 3 → 2_

( 32, Lucifer's Dance Part C - Bleach OST Extended; not audible to characters in the story, so lyrics are in brackets)

"Hehehe...Hahahaha...HAHAHAHAH... **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** " Sora laughed, gradually getting louder.

"What are you laughing about?!" Yubi addressed him in outrage.

Sora wiped a tear from his eye before he responded. "Man, it's way too easy to deceive you into doing what I want!" He replied, chuckling deviously.

"Wait, do you mean that your Unicorn was just a decoy?!" Yubi exclaimed in terror.

Sora nodded. "Uh huh! And you fool seriously believed the card I drew was useless! I merely acted like it to bait out your Varrelload Savage Dragon's effect! And now, since it's once per turn, you cannot do anything against this! I activate a spell card! FRIGHTFUR FUSION! This spell can Fusion Summon a "Frightfur"-Monster by banishing monsters from my field or graveyard!" He shouted in a vicious tone.

" **WHAT?!** " Yubi cried out.

"And I fuse my Frightfur Sabre Pegasus and Frightfur Drill Unicorn!" Sora shouted as his two monsters spiraled into a vortex together.

"What abomination is he going to summon now?!" Shiryu cried out in fear.

"HOOFED CREATURES OF HORRIFYING FORM! BECOME ONE AND REVEAL AN EVEN GREATER TERROR! THE HORNED BEAST WITH RAZOR-SHARP FANGS FLYING IN THE SKY, TRAMPLING EVERYTHING AND PIERCING THEM WITH ITS SHARP TIP! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! SHOW YOURSELF! **FRIGHTFUR WICKED UNISUS**!" Sora screamed, clapping his hands together with a look of absolute insanity on his face. A stuffed animal of the same colors as the previous two emerged, being white as well. However, it had both a horn and sharp fangs, its wings granting it the ability to levitate. It let out a horrifying screech as it appeared, the newly summoned monster looking more devilishly than all that Sora had summoned before.

 _Frightfur Wicked Unisus_

 _Dark/Level 9/ATK 3000/DEF 2700/Fiend/Fusion/Effect_

"Unisus?!" Rin exclaimed with a mix of terror and confusion in her voice. Kumo seemed to be completely out of commission now, not even whispering anymore as she gazed ahead like an empty shell of herself.

(Bite them! Poke them! Taunt 'n provoke them! Bug them! Tease them! Mess with their heads!)

"A fairly unknown kind of mystic animal which basically a winged version of a unicorn. Or a pegasus having a horn, if you want to argue that way around." Yubi explained.

(Slaughter, gore them! Skin them and wear them! Burn them! Grill them! Rattle their bones!)

"Damn right! Now the finale! My Frightfur Wicked Unisus attacks your Varrelload Savage Dragon!" Sora shouted, his monster launching at Yubi's.

(Bite them! Eat them! Torture and beat them!)

"Are you crazy?! Your monster is weaker!" Rin shouted in response.

(Maim them! Kill them! Cut off their heads! Slay them! Flay them! Wither and pull them! **Dance on their graves 'cause now they're dead!** )

"Not for long! My Unisus can gain ATK and weaken any monster it battles until the End Phase! And the amount of that change is determined by the current ATK of my Unisus, meaning 3000! This will turn the tables!" The Academia Soldier yelled back at her.

"Not if I have a say about that! I will banish the trap card you destroyed during your previous turn, **Varrel Repetition**! I can do this when a monster effect is activated by my opponent! I can then use an already used effect of a "Varrel"-Monster once again! I pick Varrelload Savage Dragon and activate its effect! By removing one Varrel Counter I..."

"YOU DO NOTHING! ANY MONSTER BATTLING MY UNISUS CANNOT ACTIVATE ITS EFFECTS!" Sora shouted with an insane look on his face. The ability of Unisus kicked in at that, shifting the odds in Sora's favor.

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: ATK 4500 → 1500_

 _Frightfur Wicked Unisus: ATK 3000 → 6000_

(BITE THEM! POKE THEM! TAUNT 'N PROVOKE THEM!)

" **END THIS, UNISUS!** _**HORRIFIC MASSACRE!**_ " Sora yelled at the top of his lungs, Unisus charging forward to lacerate Varrelload Savage, the monster exploding loudly after that.

(BUG THEM! TEASE THEM! MESS WITH THEIR HEADS! SLAUGHTER, GORE THEM!)

-" _ **YUBI!**_ "- Kumo, Rin and Shiryu exclaimed in terror, doomed to simply watch their friend losing and being carded right after due to the attributes of the Sphere Field of not allowing interference, the by far loudest of them being Kumo with a hysteric screech, followed by Rin.

(SKIN THEM AND WEAR THEM! BURN THEM! GRILL THEM! RATTLE THEIR BONES! BITE THEM! EAT THEM! TORTURE AND BEAT THEM! MAIM THEM! KILL THEM! CUT OFF THEIR HEADS! SLAY THEM! FLAY THEM! WITHER AND PULL THEM! **DANCE ON THEIR GRAVES 'CAUSE NOW THEY'RE DEAD!** )

Sora smirked. "Looks like I defeated that guy! Guess these people weren't so scary after all!" He stated in a derisive tone. "And so Academia wins again! After all, we are invincible! Nothing will bring us down, not even the Gishiki- or Link-Dimension! **HAHAHAHAHAHA!** "

( 32, Lucifer's Dance Part C - Bleach OST Extended end)

"Well then...", Sora began, looking around and addressing the girls, "what to do with you now? I should probably beat you as well I suppose. Then I either card you or bring you back home so we can run a few "tests" with you as our subjects!" Sora declared with a sadistic grin.

Kumo's eyes trembled, a traumatic memory resurfacing at Sora's words. "No, please no tests...! Anything but that, but please no tests...!" She whispered in horror.

"Kumo..." Rin murmured in concern, laying her second arm around her protectively and turning it into a hug, still not having a clue why she was behaving that way, but just wanting to support her in some shape or form.

"It's not up to you to decide that!" Sora mocked them in a vicious tone. "Now then, duel me so I can beat you like your friend!" He shouted.

"Beat me? Who gave you that idea?! My, you are so presumptuous and precipitate!" A voice from within the smoke spoke up at once.

" **WHAT?! YOU ARE STILL ALIVE?!** " Sora cried out in disbelief as the dust began to clear, Yubi still standing on the field. Kumo sighed audibly about that.

He nodded. "Naturally! At the moment when the attack collided, I used the effect of my Essencevullet Dragon! When one of my Varrels is under attack, I can banish this monster to strengthen it by the Link Rating of one Link-Monster in my graveyard times 500! I picked Varrelguard with Link 4, bringing up the ATK of Varrelload Savage Dragon to 3500 by increasing it by 2000, lowering the battle damage to a mere 2500 instead of 4500!" Yubi explained, the indicator showing his lifepoints at that. They were low, but still existing.

 **YUBI LP: 2600 → 100**

"Thank god...!" Kumo whispered, both in relief about her boyfriend still being alive and him just being around her again.

"YOU DAMNED BASTARD! **JUST DIE ALREADY!** " Sora screamed in outrage.

"Sorry, not gonna do you that favor! Now, since I can summon Link-Monsters again since my last End Phase, the only thing I need to do is using Monster Reborn and then taking control over your Unisus with Varrelload or destroying it with Gatlingvarrel Dragon!" Yubi declared.

"YOU WILL NOT DO THAT! YOU WILL LOSE THIS DUEL! My Unisus negates all monster effects when it battles and cannot be destroyed by card effects! I can also draw a card if it destroys a monster by battle! Also I gain the original ATK of its destroyed foes as LP! Meaning 3000!" Sora declared.

 **SORA LP: 150 → 3150**

"Draw!" He yelled after that. "I set the newly drawn card face-down! Furthermore I activate the effect of Edge Imp Lock from my graveyard which I sent there during my first turn, just to be safe! I declare a Monster-Type and then all monsters currently in your graveyard or on your field which have that type have their effects negated until the end of my next turn! I PICK LINK-MONSTERS! **IT'S OVER!** " Sora snapped at him.

"What?!" Kumo cried out in shock, returning to her former aghast state of horror again.

" **He cannot use Link-Monster Effects?!** " Shiryu chimed in.

" **For two whole turns?!** " Rin finished.

"THAT'S RIGHT! **NOW BEGIN YOUR LAST PATHETIC TURN!** " Sora addressed Yubi, his Unisus returning to its normal state.

 _Frightfur Wicked Unisus: ATK 6000 → 3000_

"Very well! I draw!" Yubi stated. "I activate Resurrection of the Dead, also known as Monster Reborn! Using it, I bring back my Varrelload Dragon!"

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

" **Haven't you learned?!** Even if you can Link Summon again, the effects of the Link-Monsters that were in your graveyard are still negated! In other words, reviving your dragon was useless!" Sora shot back in a derisive tone.

"We'll see about that!" Yubi retorted before he continued. "From my hand, I normal summon Doublevullet Dragon!"

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1100/Dragon/Effect_

"Its effect summons another Vullet from either my deck, grave or hand! I will summon Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

"Then, since I already control a Vullet, I can special summon Ghostvullet Dragon from my graveyard!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

"I draw thanks to Powervullet! Then I will revive the second Ghostvullet in my graveyard, allowing me to draw another card!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

"Great, he has four smaller monsters now!" Shiryu exclaimed.

"Yubi!" Kumo cried out, prompting him to turn around to her. "Use your monsters and summon Topologic Revolver Dragon! Use its mill- and damage-effect to win this duel!" She addressed him in a pleading manner.

"No! I internally promised that I would win this duel without my old Topologics! And I never go back on my word!" Yubi declared.

"TAKE ASIDE YOUR STUPID PRIDE AND DO IT ALREADY! **I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU DYING BECAUSE OF IT!** _ **WHAT WILL I DO WITHOUT YOU?!**_ " She snapped, tears welling up in her eyes from the fear of losing him. She collapsed after that, uncontrollably sobbing into Rin's shoulder, the eyes of the green haired girl wide open in terror of what was happening to her friend.

"Appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three Dark Dragon-Type monsters! I set my Doublevullet and my two Ghostvullets into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Appear, Link 3, Magazine Drumgon!"

 _Magazine Drumgon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 1000/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"DRUMGON?! **YUBI, STOP IT!** _**YOU'RE THROWING AWAY YOUR OWN LIFE!**_ " Kumo screamed at him, her crying intensifying.

Yubi grimaced heavily at the way he was hurting his girlfriend, but he continued in a focused manner afterwards. "I place it into my fifth zone to which my Varrelload is pointing to with its southeast arrow since it was summoned into my Extra Monster Zone! My Ghostvullets are now banished due to their own effects! Then I activate Varrel Reload! I special summon a Vullet from my graveyard and equip it with with this card! I summon Doublevullet Dragon and, using its effect, I bring back Autovullet Dragon as well!"

 _Doublevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1100/Dragon/Effect_

 _Autovullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 1000/Dragon/Effect_

"I draw twice thanks to Powervullet! Then appear, my circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Dragon-Type monsters! I set my Doublevullet, Powervullet and Autovullet Dragon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Show yourself, Link 3, Muzzle Flash Dragon!"

 _Muzzle Flash Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↖▲↗)

"I summon it into my third zone!" Yubi declared, the monster appearing in the middle of his field at that.

" **USELESS!** NO MATTER HOW MANY MONSTERS YOU SUMMON, THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO OVERCOME MY UNISUS! YOUR PRIDE WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL! THERE IS NO WAY FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION NOW! **YOU HAVE LOST!** " Sora declared, certain of his imminent victory.

"Don't say that already! The Kogami Family has been in this type of situation already and back then we didn't give up either!" Yubi replied fiercely.

"In this type of situation?! What do you mean by that?!" Sora inquired in an intense voice.

"It's no use to tell you, since someone like you would never understand the true meaning of this part of my past! Let me just tell you that our resolve made us prevail, against all odds and human limits! **This is the power of our determination!** " Yubi yelled at him loudly, prompting Sora to gulp.

* * *

 _VRAINS Network, Twenty years ago..._

"IT'S OVER, KOGAMI!" A green colored Ignis shouted, facing Ryoken alongside a few other A.I.s. The red haired male in his Link VRAINS Form **(Note: VRAINS Avatars in this story are a way to amplify the physical strength of its users; they can even be used outside the VRAINS and were a common method for humans in the Great Cyberse War to compensate for their gap in terms of physical power since the A.I.s had superhuman strength when manifesting in the real world)** was up against all seven Ignis Leaders, Lightning, Ai, Windy, Earth, Flame and Aqua. Slightly taller than the rest of the A.I.s was their supreme leader, throning above them as the Divine Ignis Kami, a white colored Ignis of shining light with a radiant abomination behind him.

"You might have been able to destroy Aqua's and my monsters with your Holy Barrier – Mirror Force during out last turns, but it's still hopeless for you." Lightning spoke up in his usual calm and collected mannerism. "Windy controls his Link 2 Stormridership Rockbuster with 2000 base ATK, increased by 300 due to his field spell Stormrider Turbulence which negates the effects of all Link 2 or higher monsters you plan on summoning. Earth has his G Golem Crystal Heart with two G Golem Counters on it, boosting his G Golem Invalid Dolmen's ATK to 4000. Furthermore Dolmen redirects all attacks you plan on declaring to it and makes both of his G Golems unaffected by your monster effects, also negating the effects of all face-up cards upon destruction if you should somehow manage to overcome it. Flame has his Link 3 Salamangreat Heatlio with 2300 ATK. Also Ai has four of his Link 3 Talkers on the field, namely Decode Talker in the Extra Monster Zone, plus Powercode Talker in the third Main Monster Zone, Transcode Talker in the fourth Main Monster Zone and finally Shootingcode Talker in the fifth Main Monster Zone! Decode is at 3800 ATK with Powercode and Shootingcode in zones it points to plus one of your monsters in the zone its northern arrow points to. Thanks to Transcode Talker both Powercode and Transcode itself are at 2800 ATK. Furthermore they cannot be targeted by card effects due to Transcode. Powercode can double its original ATK in case it battles by tributing Transcode. Shootingcode can attack multiple times and Decode can negate effects and destroy cards that target any of Ai's cards by tributing a monster Decode points to. And last but not least our leader Kami has his Link 8 **Cyberse Overlord** with 5000 ATK! Not only can it not be removed from the field by card effects, but also you take damage whenever one of your monsters is destroyed, inflicting their ATK as damage to you during the End Phase! In other words...!" Lightning began.

-"...YOU HAVE ALREADY LOST!"- All seven Ignis concluded together.

"Not yet! I still have monsters on my field!" Ryoken stated, looking at the Gatlingvarrel Dragon in his Extra Monster Zone plus his Three Burst Shot Dragon, Shortvarrel Dragon and Booster Dragon in his second, third and fourth Main Monster Zone respectively.

"Even if, your have nothing you could use them for!" Windy shot at him. "That Topologic you used to have is gone now since you were not able to maintain its form any longer!" He pointed out.

"And your friends cannot help you either! You will die in this place!" Ai added, referring to the fact that the eight of them were in a death arena-like environment, Ryoken's (at that time just) girlfriend Aoi and the rest of Ryoken's closest friends from the Knights of Hanoi forced to watch, unable to break through the barriers surrounding the field on which their leader dueled the Ignis commanders.

"Shitty Ignis! I wish I could just march into that dome and assist Ryoken-sama...!" Vyra cursed through gritted teeth, desperately wanting to help him. The other Knights showed similar reactions, Faust and Dr. Genome being reminded about how their former friend – Ryoken's father – had been killed by the Ignis, not wanting that his son followed right after him as well. Even Spectre seemed majorly concerned, a rather unusual sight since he always trusted in Ryoken's skills and even deemed him invincible on some occasions. But the most concerned was Aoi, exclaiming the name of the person who had saved her from the downwards-spiral that was her life prior to meeting him.

Ryoken looked back, facing the concerned stare of the yellow eyes that belonged to his crush. "Aoi... You guys..." He whispered, surprised by the amount of concern that was dedicated to him – both from her and his other friends. Suddenly he felt something deep inside of him welling up, turning back to the seven Ignis once more. "You might be right, with the current situation, I cannot do anything!" He addressed them. The Ignis smirked, especially Kami and Windy, however their glee was cut short by Ryoken's next words. "But with the trust of entire humanity and my friends' on my shoulders, I cannot and must not disappoint now! I will never surrender or lose to you! To protect our world, I will recover an old power once more!" He shouted in a resolute voice, a green bolt of blinding luminescence striking down from above, enveloping the red haired male with bright light.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Ai shouted, the black Ignis obviously surprised about that development. The others were shocked too, albeit most of them didn't show it as clearly as Ai, especially not Lightning, Earth and Kami.

As the radiance subsided and the surrounding people could gaze upon Ryoken once more, their eyes widened.

"Wait?! He managed to enter his Second Avatar Stage again?!" Aoi exclaimed in surprise, the blue haired girl in the white Knights of Hanoi-Outfit **(Note: Her new VRAINS Avatar here a mix of Blue Girl, her real look since she maintains her eye color and the classic Knights of Hanoi look since she joined them)** looking at Ryoken who now had an appearance that resembled his real life form far more than before, having white hair in addition to the red colored parts and humanoid eyes. **(Sorry that this pops up so much in this section, but note: The Season 2 VRAINS Avatars are an evolved form with more power in here)**

"IMPOSSIBLE! HE ENTERED THAT FORM AGAIN?!" Earth exclaimed, even him fazed by the latest events.

"Calm down, guys!" Flame chimed in. "Even if he looks different and is physically stronger than before, he will still lose this duel!" He reassured his comrades.

"Yeah, that change did barely anything if you really think about it." Aqua added.

"How right you are, my dear Aqua!" Kami, the Divine Ignis, spoke up in a tone full of derisiveness and arrogance. "We Ignis are the perfect beings needing no help from others to be complete! No one can stand up to us! There is nothing that can defeat us!"

Ryoken scoffed, rising up from the kneeling-position after his transformation and looking at his seven opponents. "You really think so?" He addressed them. "You Ignis truly have a shallow imagination! You underestimate us humans because you see us as incomplete! But even if humans are indeed not perfect, our imperfection can not only be a flaw, but also a strength! If we are too weak on our own, we compensate for that lack of power by bonding with others and can even exceed such perfect beings as you with it! We don't need to become perfect because there are always others who can help us and make us whole as well by lending us their powers! You Ignis only rely on yourselves, not bothering to request any help except if it's absolutely necessary! Your belief to be perfect and independent beings needing no one else will be your downfall!" He shouted, raising his hand up into the air, a torrent of power enveloping him.

"What is happening?!" Windy cried out in shock. His eyes widened as he realized what was whirling around Ryoken. "Wait, is that... A DATA STORM?!" He uttered in disbelief.

Ryoken looked up to him and nodded, the data particles partially blocking his sight. "Yes! And using it, I will acquire an old power once again to win this duel!" He declared.

The shock in the Wind Ignis' expression intensified. "Do you mean...?!" He began before he started shouting. " **NO, I WON'T LET YOU!** " He yelled in outrage, raising his hand and activating his own power to manipulate data storms, attempting to weaken the storm until it died down. "No, impossible...! Why isn't it working?!" He whispered after a while, the storm gaining more strength instead of subsiding.

Ryoken faced the Ignis with a serious expression. "It's because the bonds of us humans are stronger than your ability to manipulate data storms! With our shared emotions, we have overcome your power!" The white haired male addressed the A.I., much to Windy's shock. The density of the data storm increased, the torrent raging more and more as Ryoken began chanting.

"AN OLD POWER RESIDES WITHIN MY HAND! HEAR MY CALLING AND RETURN TO ME ONCE MORE TO TEAR DOWN THE CLOSED WORLD WITH A NEW POWER! THE SAVIOR WHICH WILL RESCUE US ALL WITH ITS MIGHT AND BRING ABOUT A NEW ERA! THE SURPASSER OF ALL LIMITS WHICH CONNECTS THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF HUMANITY!" A dragon passed by at that, briefly flying through his field of vision, letting out a screech and then disappearing once again. The card in Ryoken's hand solidified and he grasped it. " **ULTIMATE STORM ACCESS!** " He yelled, the data storm dying down at that. He faced the shocked Ignis with a resolute expression.

"Now the time to save the world has come! Prepare yourselves, Ignis!" Ryoken addressed the seven artificial beings.

* * *

 _Back to the present..._

"It has been a while now, but finally it will return!" Yubi announced. "I will unlock the power once again and bring it back even stronger than it was before it was lost again!" He raised his hand at that, a massive data storm enveloping him.

"Is he going for it again?!" Sora exclaimed in terror. Meanwhile the other people in the sphere looked at the events in awe.

"AN OLD POWER RESIDES WITHIN MY HAND! HEAR MY CALLING AND RETURN TO ME ONCE AGAIN TO TEAR DOWN THE CLOSED WORLD ONCE AND FOR ALL WITH A NEW POWER! COME TO LIFE SO THAT YOUR CRY MAY ECHO OVER THIS PLAIN AGAIN, LOUDER AND MORE MAJESTIC THAN EVER BEFORE! THE SAVIOR WHICH WILL RESCUE US ALL WITH ITS MIGHT AND BRING ABOUT A NEW ERA! THE SURPASSER OF ALL LIMITS WHICH CONNECTS THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF HUMANITY! THE INCARNATION OF OUR COLLECTIVE POWER! **ULTIMATE STORM ACCESS!** " Yubi shouted, a card manifesting in his hand with a radiant glow coming from it, blinding all surrounding people.

Meanwhile Zarc grinned, appearing in his usual manner. _"A second Storm Access? Well, considering his predecessors he should have at least two after all!"_

* * *

 _Link-Dimension..._

Ryoken was sitting on the couch in his living room, casually reading a book as he suddenly felt something, sitting up at once.

"Darling?" Aoi addressed him, startled about that sudden movement of her husband.

"I can feel it, Aoi." He spoke up in a somewhat absent voice. "My old dragon that I revived for a short time before it was lost again after the final battle of the Great Cyberse War... it feels like as if it's coming to life again." Suddenly a glow appeared inside of his palm, a shining rectangle gradually taking form.

"Is this really...?!" Aoi spoke up, feeling the same sensation as 20 years ago.

"No, it's slightly different. It feels more powerful than ever." Ryoken uttered in response. "Not this version in my hand, but another in a different world."

"Do you think it could be our son who is awakening it again?" The brown haired woman addressed him in a speechless tone.

Ryoken faintly nodded. "Yeah, that is the only possible option." He then closed his eyes and smiled. "He was always so disappointed of himself that he never managed to leave our shadow. His heritage made it practically impossible for him to make a name for himself that wasn't connected to us, even now that he has become the Wold Champion three consecutive times the people still refer to him as the son of two world savers in most cases. But now that he is surpassing me, he has taken the first step towards being acknowledged for himself alone, regardless of what his parents did. Now do it, Yubi!" He stated in an encouraging tone.

* * *

 _Standard-Dimension..._

Despite not hearing his father's words spoken in the other dimension, Yubi still seemed to receive them. "It's time!" He spoke up, the data storm having already subsided. "All the time people have judged me by superficial standards! I was either Yubi Kogami, son of two world savers, or Yubi Kogami, the World Champion! Rarely people acknowledged me for my real self! But that will be over soon! I may be a prideful person longing for such things as acknowledgment, but my pride is also my greatest strength! I am too proud of myself to let people view me as what they currently do! I am too proud to be viewed as someone who does not deserve the greatest of honor and admiration! I will not lurk in the shadows anymore! I am way better that any of you Academia Scum, so there is no way in hell I'm going to lose to the likes of you! I will ascend to the peek of the world so that all people looking upwards have to look at me! Nothing will overshadow me anymore! And now I will show you the physical manifestation of this pride! Look up, only then you will get to see it! And as you do, you will realize that you were never superior to me and had a chance of winning, for all others are below my humble self! Behold, the imminent victory of the one who stands atop everything!" He cried out in a boastful tone, raising his right hand with the index finger pointing upwards.

A dark glow seemed to come from his left shoulder, piercing even the layers of clothing he wore. Rin looked at it and blinked several times to make sure it was real. "What is this glow?" She wondered as she gazed upon it. Unnoticed to her a thin layer of darkness surrounded Yubi's body at that, partially shrouding itself around the newly created card. Also Yubi seemed to look a little bit taller and more imposing than normally. Rin shrugged her shoulders. She was probably just imagining stuff now.

 **(Note: The following scene alters between past and present and uses statements from different points in the timelines parenthetically. If not spoken in unison (meaning they say the same), statements from the previous time are in italics. Also speakers from the past are in italics in the normal text)**

-"Now I will show it to you! The new power I have gained!"- Yubi and _Ryoken_ shouted in their respective duels of their times, Yubi against Sora and _Ryoken_ against the _seven Ignis_.

-"Appear, the shining circuit that illuminates mankind's way into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a number of Link-Monsters! However, this summoning can only be conducted while at least three Link 4 "Varrel" Link-Monsters with different names were summoned by me during the duel! I set my Varrelload Dragon, Magazine Drumgon and Muzzle Flash Dragon / _Gatlingvarrel Dragon, Three Burst Shot Dragon, Shortvarrel Dragon and Booster Dragon_ into the Link Markers!"- They yelled.

-"WHAT?! But your total Link Rating is ten!"- Sora / _Windy_ cried out. "I have only seen a bit of your mechanic, but even I can tell that it doesn't work that way!" Sora added in his time.

"Are you perhaps treating some of your dragons as one material instead of their full Link Value?" Shiryu / _Aoi_ addressed the white haired male of their respective time.

Yubi and _Ryoken_ chuckled. -"No! This is a special variation of Link Summon which allows to simply exceed the Link Rating of the monster you summon!"-

-" **WHAT?!** "- All present persons in their respective scenarios exclaimed in unison as all dragons transformed into various beams of light that headed for the circuit, Yubi and _Ryoken_ continuing their summoning chants at that.

-"Circuit Overdrive!"- They yelled, the circuit being overloaded and a radiant light shining in the air all of a sudden, blinding all present persons as a dragon within the light gradually took form and manifested.

-"Impossible...!"- Sora / _Kami_ whispered in disbelief.

( 33)

-"THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF HUMANITY MANIFEST IN A RADIANT DRAGON! OUR HEARTS CONNECT THROUGH ITS POWERS! NOW LAUNCH INTO THE SKY AND SPREAD YOUR WINGS! MY GALE THAT PIERCES THROUGH ITS WALLS AND BRINGS THE CLOSED WORLD TO AN END! **CONNECTION OVERDRIVE LINK SHŌKAN!** SHINE, LINK 9, THE MESSIAH WHO WILL RESCUE US ALL! **THE DIVINE AND HEROIC** _ **TOPOLOGIC SAVIOR DRAGON**_ **!** "-They yelled as a dragon of white color appeared. It looked more organic than the other Topologics and possessed shining eyes of bright color and equally radiant wings in Ryoken's time. In Yubi's time however, its eyes had multiple colors in the outer eye layers before the bright yellow pupils with their radiant white irises. While it also had only one pair of wings in Ryoken's point of the timeline, it had seven in Yubi's, the ones sprouting from the frontal part of its torso being black, red and green, counting from the top to the bottom, while the ones on the back were yellow, blue and brown. In the middle of its torso it furthermore had a radiant pair of wings bigger than the others. It had the very same colors in its eyes as well. Launching into the air, it unfolded its seven / _one_ pair(s) of wings, letting out a roar as well, hovering in the air afterwards.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon_

 _Light/Link 9/ATK 5000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (O↙◄↖▲↗►↘▼)

-"LINK 9?! But that's impossible, there are only eight cardinal points!"- Rin / _Aoi_ exclaimed in confusion and surprise.

(min 0:19)

Yubi and _Ryoken_ chuckled again. -"Not anymore! Savior is stronger than before after all! It gained another Link Rating called the Omni Link!"- They declared.

-"Omni Link?!"- Sora / _Lightning_ cried out in terror, a red frame-like structure visible on the circuit that enveloped the dragon which displayed its Link Markers.

They nodded. -"Yeah, Omni Link! A monster with this ninth Link Marker which surrounds the artwork on the card as a red frame is automatically Co-Linked to every monster the player controls since its special arrow points to all of my zones!"- They explained.

-" **NO WAY!** "- Everyone in both of the times shouted in unison, not believing this declaration.

-"Yes way!"- _Ryoken_ and Yubi shouted back. -"Now to Topologic Savior Dragon's effect! I can summon it into any available zone I want! I select your empty Extra Monster Zone!"- They declared, pointing at _Lightning_ / Sora respectively.

" _Hah! Stormrider Turbulence triggers! My field spell negates the effects of any summoned Link-Monster of Link 2 or higher until the end of this turn!" Windy shouted._

 _Ryoken shot him a grin. "Unfortunately I must tell you that this effect won't work!" He replied._

" _Kuh! Then I will use the effect of Stormridership Rockbuster! Since a Link 3 or higher monster was summoned by you, I get to set a trap from your graveyard to my field! My choice is your Holy Barrier – Mirror Force!" The Wind Ignis retorted._

" _Fine! Doesn't matter anyway!" Ryoken responded in a nonchalant tone, exasperating his opponent incredibly._

-"Now Topologic Savior Dragon's next effect! It summons a number of Link-Monsters from my graveyard! Come, Varrelload Dragon, Varrelsword Dragon, Varrelguard Dragon, Gatlingvarrel Dragon, Three Burst Shot Dragon, Muzzle Flash Dragon / _Gatlingvarrel Dragon, Three Burst Shot Dragon, Muzzle Flash Dragon, Booster Dragon, Reloader Dragon, Twin Triangle Dragon_! **BONDS TO THE PAST!** "- They cried out, summoning their respective monsters.

(In the present:)

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

 _Varrelsword Dragon_

Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (↙◄▲▼)

 _Varrelguard Dragon_

Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (▲►↘▼)

 _Gatlingvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↙▲▼)

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲▼)

 _Muzzle Flash Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↖▲↗)

(In the past:)

 _Gatlingvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↙▲▼)

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲▼)

 _Muzzle Flash Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↖▲↗)

 _Booster Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1900/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

 _Reloader Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1800/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

 _Twin Triangle Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1200/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (▼►)

-"Because of its unique ninth arrow, the Omni Link, my Topologic Savior Dragon is automatically Co-Linked to these six new monsters and they can be placed into any zone since my Savior Dragon points to all of them! Furthermore Topologic Savior gains the ATK of all my monster that are Co-Linked to it! Meaning all six of them! **COLLECTIVE MIGHT!** " **-** They yelled, colorful rays of light connecting the six monsters with Savior Dragon, transferring their power to it.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (present): ATK 5000 → 21300 /_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (past): ATK 5000 → 16200_

-" **WHAT IS THIS ATK?!** "- Sora / _The seven Ignis_ cried out in disbelief.

-"This is the power of our bonds!"- The elder and younger Revolver retorted, looking back to their respective friends, Kumo, Rin and Shiryu in Yubi's case and _Aoi_ , _Spectre_ , _Vyra_ , _Faust_ and _Dr. Genome_ in _Ryoken's_. -"But it doesn't end there! By prohibiting my smaller dragons from attacking, Savior Dragon gains additional attacks equal to that number of monsters! **CYBERSE BARRAGE!** "- They went on.

-"Seven attacks?!"- Sora / _Kami_ exclaimed in horror. _"That is enough to wipe out all of us!" The Divine Ignis added in the past._

-"That's right! Now go, Topologic Savior, attack!"- The white haired males exclaimed, the Savior Dragon from the past charging up a beam aimed at G Golem Invalid Dolmen while the one from the present aimed at Frightfur Wicked Unisus.

-"You will not defeat me / _us_ !"- Sora / _Windy_ screamed. "My Unisus negates all effects and strips your dragon of 3000 ATK which are also added to my monster!" Sora continued.

"Unfortunately that will not work! Topologic Savior Dragon is unaffected by all of my opponent's cards!" Yubi shot back.

"But even if your monster doesn't lose ATK, mine will still power up!" Sora countered.

 _Frightfur Wicked Unisus: ATK 3000 → 6000_

"That will do nothing! My dragon is still far stronger!" Yubi shot back.

Sora grinned deviously, _the Wind Ignis_ in the past doing the same. -"Trap card open! I activate **Frightfur Massacre** / _the Mirror Force I set with my Rockbuster's effect_! It destroys all your monsters that are in attack position!"- They screamed in a triumphant voice as their traps unfolded their powers, Mirror Force reflecting the ray of energy onto _Ryoken's_ monsters and the trap of Sora summoning a giant scissor that severed the colorful bindings between Yubi's dragon and cut the monsters in half after that.

-"Topologic Savior Dragon is unaffected by your card effects while Extra Linked and therefore survives!"- Yubi and _Ryoken_ retorted.

-"That might be, but it now loses its extra attacks and power again!"- Sora and _Windy_ declared victoriously.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (present): ATK 21300 → 5000 /_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (past): ATK 16200 → 5000_

-"You / _Your friend_ will still take damage!"- Yubi and _Ryoken_ pointed out. Then Yubi went on in his time. "Topologic Savior Dragon can change itself to any attribute! Also it negates the effects of any monster of the same attribute it battles and returns its ATK to normal if they are higher than their original value because your card gained ATK during the Battle Phase! I declare Dark! Meaning your Unisus loses its ATK again! **CYBERSE DOMINATION!** " The younger Revolver yelled, the glow coming from the black pair of Topologic Savior Dragon's wings intensifying. "BEHOLD, THIS IS THE POWER MY DRAGON GAINED BY ABSORBING THE REMAINS OF THE SEVEN IGNIS LEADERS!" He declared as the wings that represented Ai activated.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: Attribute Light_ _→ Dark_

 _Frightfur Wicked Unisus: ATK 6000 → 3000_

-"IT DOESN'T MATTER!"- Sora / _Windy_ snapped at them. -"During the End Phase the effect of Frightfur Massacre / _Kami's Cyberse Overlord_ will trigger! You will take damage equal to all destroyed monsters' combined ATK! So since you cannot finish me / _us_ off before that happens, you will lose!"- They declared in a vicious tone.

" _With that you have lost, human!" Kami yelled in triumph. "Your cities will burn as all humans are wiped out and the earth becomes our property!"_

(min 2:07)

Yubi and _Ryoken_ scoffed. -"You really seem to underestimate our bonds!"- They stated. -"While Topologic Savior Dragon is Extra Linked – that counts for being summoned into an opponent's zone by its own effect as well – it is not only unaffected by card effects, but also gains another ability!"- They announced.

-"Another ability...?!"- Sora / _Kami_ whispered in a worried tone, beginning to sweat.

The Link-Duelists nodded. -"Yes! While Topologic Savior Dragon is Extra Linked any monsters I control that leave the field through my opponent...!"- They began in their respective duel, the nervousness of their opponents rising at that.

 _Kami_ /Sora gulped. -"Could it be...?"- They uttered in fear.

-"... **ARE IMMEDIATELY RESTORED!** _ **INSEVERABLE BONDS**_ _!_ "- They concluded in a loud voice, all six of their respective monsters rising from portals on the ground again, connecting to Savior Dragon once more with colorful ties of energy.

(In the present:)

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

 _Varrelsword Dragon_

Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (↙◄▲▼)

 _Varrelguard Dragon_

Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (▲►↘▼)

 _Gatlingvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↙▲▼)

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲▼)

 _Muzzle Flash Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↖▲↗)

(In the past:)

 _Gatlingvarrel Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↙▲▼)

 _Three Burst Shot Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2400/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲▼)

 _Muzzle Flash Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (↖▲↗)

 _Booster Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1900/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

 _Reloader Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1800/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

 _Twin Triangle Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1200/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (▼►)

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (present): ATK 5000 → 21300 /_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon (past): ATK 5000 → 16200_

-" _ **IMPOSSIBLE!**_ "- Sora and _the Divine Ignis_ yelled in disbelief as every of the previous monsters returned.

(min 2:32)

-"WITH US HUMANS WORKING TOGETHER, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! **NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEVER OUR BONDS!** "- The two Kogamis exclaimed in their respective time as their dragons reconnected through colorful energy ties. -" **NOW ATTACK, TOPOLOGIC SAVIOR DRAGON!** "- They continued, pointing at their respective opponents. -" **BE CRUSHED BY THE POWER OF _THE KNIGHTS OF HANOI_ / THE PALADINS OF HANOI! _CYBERSE ANNIHILATION SAVIOR STREAM!_** "- They shouted at the top of their lungs as their respective version of Topologic Savior Dragon charged up several beams of light, the past version only ones of a bright yellow-whitish color while the present version had seven beams resembling the Elemental Ignis' colors, Sora and the Ignis alike widening their eyes in horror, regardless of time and race. High pitched screams escaped their lips as they were hit, sending all of them flying, the Ignis in the past dissolving into nonexistence as they were killed.

 **WINDY LP (past): 2500 → 0**

 **EARTH LP (past): 3400 → 0**

 **AQUA LP (past): 1700 → 0**

 **FLAME LP (past): 800 → 0**

 **LIGHTNING LP(past): 3100 → 0**

 **AI LP (past): 1300 → 0**

 **KAMI LP (past): 4000 → 0**

 **SORA LP (present): 3150 → 0**

 **RYOKEN (past) WIN! / YUBI (present) WIN!**

-"And with that, the threat to our foundation has been eradicated!"- Father and son stated in their respective part of the timeline. "History really repeats itself, doesn't it?" Yubi added in his time, grinning victoriously.

( 33, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #3 Playmaker end)

"You did it!" Rin exclaimed enthusiastically, the Sphere Field vanishing.

"Yeah, you showed that Academia Bastard how true dueling looks like!" Shiryu chimed in.

Yubi looked back and smiled at their praise before he turned around to Sora again as the latter began speaking up.

"Urgh... don't think you have won already!" Sora uttered weakly, gradually rising up again. "I will come back, duel you again and beat you! And then you and your friends will suffer unimaginable pain to return the favor for this humiliation! I will have you screaming in agony until your bodies grow numb from the pain! I will have you paying for this defeat!" He announced. "You can celebrate as much as you want now, but remember that endless agony is waiting for...!" ( 34, Hendrickson - Nanatsu no Taizai OST) But he couldn't continue any further as a horrifying screech was heard all of a sudden. Rin and Shiryu shuddered at the terrifying sound. Even Sora was shocked and stopped talking, turning around in search for the source of the noise. Unlucky for him, he wasn't the one who found the source, but rather the source found him. His eyes widened in horror as he saw a female figure with brown and light blue hair rushing at him, her eyes having a glint that terrified the Academia Soldier at his core. There was a mix of outrage, anger and hatred, but most of all immense fear and a desperate will to survive in it. Before he could even react Kumo's right fist swung into his face, bursting open his cheek, blood dripping from it. It was followed up by a kick, Sora spitting out some saliva and bile as she hit him right into his stomach. He made a hectic step backwards, options for possible defense moves running through his brain.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" He yelled in outrage that a proud Academia Soldier like him was getting beaten up like this, making a counterattack with his own punch. His eyes widened in surprise as she caught his arm and suplexed him over her shoulder. ' _What the...?! What is this force?!'_ He thought in terror of how strong she was. Rin also wondered about that power as she watched the scenes in horror, frozen stiff. From the way Kumo looked and behaved, she assumed that her counterpart was feeling threatened by Sora and she knew that people in danger could develop enormous power. What she didn't know was that Kumo was unknowingly also tapping into a part of her angelic powers, strengthening her physical body. Sora's thoughts about the strength of the girl were cut short by him landing on the ground with his back, letting out a gasp as a sharp pain pulsated through his body from the strong impact. He tried to get up again, only to be pinned down once more as he begun to rise up a bit by a stomp onto his stomach.

" _ **GAH!**_ " He screamed, coughing up some blood in the process from the force her foot hit his torso with. But she wasn't finished as her foot returned several times, the hate and fear in her expression intensifying with every stomp. Eventually she picked up the boy again, grabbing him by his collar. Sora attempting to break out of his situation by using the short pause in her assault where he wasn't under attack. Unfortunately the back of his skull hit something really hard before he could do that, Sora wincing in pain. Kumo held him in front of her, pressing Sora against the wall of a nearby building, the girl looking at him with immense anger and fear.

" **You!** " She began, her eyes twitching uncontrollably. "YOU WILL NOT HARM ANY OF US! I WILL NOT SUFFER LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN! IF YOU TRY TO HURT ME...!" She began, her psychotic expression turning even more insane at that. " **I WILL KILL YOU!** " She screamed at him hysterically, Sora's eyes widening as he felt greater fear than ever before in his life. Compared to her current behavior, even Yuri and Yuga with his darker side active seemed like saints. She bashed Sora's head against the hard wall repeatedly at that, her mental state worsening with every repeat, thriving his skull against the hard surface with more and more force. Eventually she stopped with that as well, shifting her hands around his throat. "To not suffer the same way as back then...!" She whispered eerily, her eyes which looked downwards gradually rising upwards again, giving Sora a death stare full of hatred. "... **I WILL MAKE SURE THAT YOU NEVER DRAW A BREATH AGAIN!** " She finished, her hands pressing together in attempt to choke the cyan haired male to death. Sora's legs kicked wildly, his arms trying to pull hers away from his throat. However, no matter what he did, she relentlessly kept going, increasing the pressure with every second.

"I… cannot… die… yet...!" He uttered in a frightful tone, his sentence having several abrupt breaks due to him being strangled. As his eyes began closing and his body started losing more and more of its power, his members getting numb, Yubi, who had recovered from his shock in the meantime, finally stepped in, separating her arms from Sora's throat and wrapping his own arms around her from behind, the blue haired male being released from her grip and dropping to the ground, coughing heavily after taking a deep and hasty breath. ( 34, Hendrickson - Nanatsu no Taizai OST end)

"Stop it, Kumo! Calm down again!" He addressed the girl, trying to get her back to her normal state.

"No! He wanted to hurt me! He wanted to...!" She protested before she abruptly burst into tears and turned around to her boyfriend, hugging him tightly and crying into the white jacket on his shoulder.

"Sssshh!" Yubi reassured her in a soothing voice, stroking over the backside of her head with his right hand while the other pressed her towards his chest tightly. "He cannot hurt you now that I am here!" He continued, comforting the crying girl in a caring tone.

"But he...! But he... tried to hurt me! He tried to hurt you!" She sobbed in grief, her exclamation having a stammered structure as she continued crying.

"Sssshh, it's alright now!" He reassured her once more. "As long as I'm there, no one will ever harm you!" Yubi said to her. "Do you believe me with that?" He asked her, switching the hand that held her by her back and putting his left hand onto her right cheek, gently pushing her face in front of his to create eye contact. Kumo nodded weakly, her eyes red from the crying, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Good!" He stated in a calm voice. "Don't worry, no harm will come upon you as long as I'm around!" He reassured the brown haired girl once more, pressing her face onto his shoulder where she began sobbing again, but less than before at least. Yubi's ears perked up as he heard a noise, prompting him to turn his eyes to it. "YOU!" He hissed, looking at the injured Sora who began moving again, lying on the ground and panting and coughing heavily from the previous lack of oxygen. His eyes widened in fear as he faced the other male, a look of sheer outrage forming on Yubi's face, his teeth grinding audibly against each other, his eyes glaring right into his soul, setting it ablaze with the sheer hatred in it. "Not only did you trick Yuzu and tried to attack Rin, but you also reminded my lovely Kumo about the worst time she's ever had! You deserve nothing but disdain and punishment! Good night and hellish dreams, you accursed bastard!" He addressed Sora in anger. Sora's eyes widened briefly in shock before he fell unconscious, the sight of Yubi's approaching boot being the last thing he saw before the kick into his face sent him to the land of dreams.

"What... was that?!" Shiryu exclaimed in horror, managing to bring up the necessary courage to talk after a while.

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too!" Rin chimed in with concern about the brown haired girl in her voice.

Yubi faced their gazes before he looked down to his still sobbing girlfriend again. "Can I tell them?" He asked in a calming voice.

"Ye...yes..." Kumo responded slowly, her reply interrupted by a audible sob again, continuing to quietly cry on Yubi's shoulder afterwards.

"Okay." He retorted, stroking over the back of her head and pressing her towards him once more before he continued, turning around to the two other girls. "Well, the thing that just happened is connected to a terrible incident in the past. She was reminded about said incident and freaked out as a result, trying to defend herself to prevent the past from repeating." Yubi explained.

"Terrible incident?!" Rin gulped. "What kind of incident?" She asked the white and black haired male.

"Was it something she herself experienced?" Shiryu chimed in.

Yubi nodded. "Exactly. To make you two understand the whole story, I have to go back a few years: After the Great Cyberse War ended, the A.I.-Threat was basically over. However, some A.I.s were left after the war and went into hideout in order to survive. They planned on wreaking revenge against humanity and developed a plan." He narrated.

"What plan?!" Rin questioned in an apprehensive tone, having an idea where this might be going.

"Well, the first step of said plan was acquiring a test subject. And as the daughter of one of the strongest Knights of Hanoi who was often alone due to her parents being on business trips for SOL Technologies most of the time, Kumo proved to be an ideal target. So one day when she was six years old, two A.I.s who had manifested in the real world and taken the form of two young men approached her. Due to her kind nature she trusted them as they baited her in, only to be paralyzed, knocked out and abducted right afterwards. She woke up in the basement of a remote building, no clue where she was. And it was in that dark place where months of torture would begin." He told. The girl with her head on his shoulder let out a louder sob at that last part.

Shiryu's and Rin's eyes widened in collective horror. -"Torture...?!"- They whispered in an anxious voice. "What kinds of torture?!" Rin added in a horrified tone.

"All kinds you could possibly imagine. If you have ever read about torture or horrifying experiments before, it will all seem like angels' work in comparison to the things that were done with her." Yubi replied. Rin and Shiryu gulped heavily before he continued. "One thing for instance was use of sharp tools and weapons, saws, knifes and drills for instance." He explained.

"Now I get it!" Rin exclaimed. "So that's why she was so terrified by Sora's Edge Imps and Frightfurs!" She cried out in realization.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, that's right. They infused her body with fluids that hardened her skin and made it more difficult to pierce through. To test out its now improved resistances, they used sharp weapons to see if it was still being cut open by them or not. They also did the same with guns and shot her several times, trying to find out if her skin could resist a bullet with the drugs they gave her. Unlucky for her, that was the case during most tests. They also implanted several devices into her body for their plan."

Shiryu put a hand over her mouth. "No way...! How could anybody do such a thing to a little girl...?!" She whispered in terror.

Yubi scoffed in contempt, gritting his teeth and clenching the one hand that wasn't around Kumo but hanging down instead into a fist, the anger slowly consuming him. "Not 'anybody'! These filthy Cyberse-abominations don't deserve to be described as something equal to a human! They are utter scum, rational, emotionless and merciless killers! But it didn't end there! They used practically everything on her you could imagine! They starved her! They used poisons of several animals – the box jellyfish, the inland taipan, the poison dart frog and many more! They electrocuted her with electrical shocks, they suffocated her in vacuum chambers, they burned her with flamethrowers! They used chemical weapons such as napalm or yperite, sarin, phosgene or any gas or chemical weapon that has ever been used in human warfare for that matter! They used biological weapons of all kinds, infecting her with viruses! They even used radioactivity and subjected her to concentrated gamma rays! During the days they would conduct their hellish experiments, sometimes taking their human disguise forms again to mock her, healing her the necessary amount if it was needed for her survival in the evening and then beginning anew in the morning!" He hissed in outrage.

"They... they didn't even conduct the same experiments on consecutive days...!" The brown haired girl sobbed into his shoulders.

"Don't worry, they cannot harm you anymore!" Yubi reassured her in a soothing voice again, stroking over her head once more to calm her down again, the two others girls watching in horror and disturbance. After a while the male continued. "What she said was right, they did indeed never conduct the same experiments during two days, but always switched to make sure her body wasn't getting used to the pain by inflicting other sorts of it to her. Also, to make sure that she wouldn't grow numb from the daily changing torturous experiments, they injected hormones like adrenaline into her body to prevent it from growing numb. They mostly did this to assure their results were accurate, but also because they were sadistic fuckfaces which took revenge for losing the previous war on a little girl! When they felt like it, they used medieval torture or waterboarding, just because they liked her screaming! They took away all that was sane and human about her for their goal!" He stated in fury.

"But what was that goal?! What were they trying to accomplish with those atrocities?!" Rin cried out both in horror and lack of understanding.

"Yeah! What was the plan behind those devilish acts?!" Shiryu chimed in as well, equally disturbed by the story as her counterpart.

"You know, Rin, Shiryu, the A.I.s lost the Great Cyberse War..." Yubi began. As both girls nodded, her went on. "So the few survivors developed a strategy: They had already experimented on creating Human-A.I.-Hybrids during the war, but made no progress worth mentioning as their main focus was elsewhere. After their downfall however, they began doing extensive research on it. That was why they kidnapped Kumo! By breaking the habit of needs like eating by letting her starve on some days, they tried to accomplish said goal! By running all sorts of tests against weapons that were used by either humans or A.I.s, they wanted to ensure that she would be completely immune against everything the humans would throw against them during the next war they planned on waging! By stripping her from her humanity they wanted to create a being more similar to them, lacking human emotions! By ensuring that she would remain in the boundaries of the living just by a bare inch during their horrific experiments, they wanted to create a super soldier of iron strength and unyielding power, succumbing to nothing and withstanding all weapons! Do you understand it now?! They wanted to take Kumo and turn her into an unstoppable machine of destruction that was supposed to extinguish mankind!" Yubi shouted at them.

Rin's eyes trembled in horror, not believing this unimaginable cruelty. Meanwhile Shiryu seemed to find a flaw in the A.I.s' plan.

"But even with a fighter resistant to all weapons they still could not have taken over the world!" She pointed out.

Yubi chuckled. "Don't underestimate the A.I.s' intellect, some of them had the intelligence of a super computer after all! They not only had serums to increase the physical resistance like the ones they used on her during the tests, but also ones that could strengthen ones physical body, which they usually used on their own bodies after manifesting in our world in order to gain enormous strength! Using these two kinds of drugs, they would have pumped liters of such fluids into her body in order to make it both terrifyingly resilient but also incredibly powerful and destructive, furthermore adding A.I.-parts to her body by implants to make it even stronger and less of a human! And after doing said thing, they planned on using a special technique they had invented! It is basically like cloning – with the exception that it doesn't make a clone of the original state of the cloned object, resulting in a baby, but its current state instead! This way they could have created an army of such nearly invincible Human-A.I.-Hybrids and taken over the world with it! Luckily she got saved before that happened!" He told.

Rin and Shiryu sighed in relief, despite knowing that this was obviously going to be what had happened since Kumo was still here and the Link-Dimension wasn't ruled by the A.I.s now. Suddenly Rin addressed Kumo.

"Kumo?" She asked, the other girl slowly looking up from Yubi's shoulder, facing her.

"Yes...?" She responded in a weak tone, her eyes full of tears.

"How... how did you manage to not go insane in that basement?! How could you even stand such torture?!" Rin asked her in an incredulous tone, astounded by the other girl's willpower.

Kumo shook her head. "You are wrong, Rin, I couldn't stand it at all!" She whined quietly. "They constantly tortured me every day, altering their methods and infusing me with drugs to keep the pain on the same level. I cried and cried, desperately praying for someone to hear my screams and save me at first. When I realized that no one would come, I eventually gave up and hoped for death, ending my agony all at once. However, these Ignis were masterful at their work and more cunning than you could ever imagine. They always kept an eye on my health state and intervened when necessary, not pushing me over the edge of death by the bare minimum needed. Once I realized that there was no way out, I became so desperate that I didn't feel like being alive anymore. That continued until I was finally freed after 114 days." She told.

Rin's eyes widened in horror. "You... lived for 114 days in such an environment and still found the strength to start your life anew?!" She cried out in disbelief.

Kumo shook her head. "No, I didn't find the strength on my own. It was mainly Yubi who helped me." She stated, looking at the male with an expression that prompted him to go on with his story.

"After the searching party finally received a decisive clue after over three months of Kumo living in captivity, my father and a few other members of the former Knights of Hanoi stormed the Ignis-hideout and killed them, rescuing her at last. She was then brought to a special facility - a convalescent home for victims of such accidents in Den City. While her physical wounds – the devices and drugs inside her body and her injuries – could be removed per operations, her mental state wasn't reparable that easily since it was a deep and long-lasting problem. The diagnosis her parents – who had suspended their work ever since her abduction – received, was utterly terrible." Yubi narrated.

"PTSD?" Rin guessed.

Yubi nodded. "The worst case her doctors had ever seen in their lives – and one of them was in his sixties and close to retiring. They had to remove all sharp objects or things she could strangle herself with from her room and close the windows whenever she was alone in her room since the doctors estimated the chances for her committing suicide during the first days after her rescue on about 75 percent. When I entered her room and looked at her for the first time after her captivity, I ran out of it in tears, not capable of handling the situation." He told, the other girls beginning to cry lightly at that. "She was very afraid of objects that could bring physical harm of any kind or were related to pain in some shape or form, causing her immense discomfort. She also had developed a strong distrust in all humans and the world itself, not trusting anything besides me, my family and her own parents of course. The A.I.s abducted her disguised as humans after all, so nobody seemed trustworthy in her eyes. During her first weeks in that special hospital she screamed whenever the doctors touched her to check on her health. She suffered from insomnia and paranoia, believing that everybody and everything in the world besides the few persons close to her sought to harm her. She isolated herself and told pretty much nothing about her terrifying experiences to anyone. Despite using practically every kind of therapy method, nothing seemed to work on her. I was the only exception since I had known her for several years already, basically ever since we were born that is. For some reason she trusted me even more than her parents and opened up about the incident, telling me about her tortures bit by bit, also returning to her old state in very small steps. I spent a lot of time with her during these months after her rescue, even moving into a room next to hers like her parents had done, also doing schoolwork and learning from my new home. I accompanied her wherever she went, walking by her side when she went for a walk in the park of the convalescent home. Over time, her health and mental state improved, although it was still far from being back to normal. She usually cried herself to sleep and occasionally, I had to walk into her room at night to accompany her." He eyed Shiryu at that. "You know, while you and Yuga already had intimate contact in bed of the likes of hugging each other because you were in mad love, me and Kumo had because of necessity. When it got really bad with her nightmares, I went to her room and cuddled with her." He told.

"Is that true?" Rin asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. Only if he was close to me I could somehow manage to fall asleep without feeling persecuted by everyone in the world. Yubi was my only saving grace in this state of despair." Kumo whispered.

Yubi stroked her face again and kissed Kumo on her cheek before he continued. "After one year she was finally back to a state where her parents could consider to return her to society again. However, she still didn't trust people and the only friends she has made ever since then were people whom I had befriended before. I encouraged her to connect to other people as well, but it was to no avail as she only trusted persons that were verified by me beforehand. Her parents went to work again, but only after spending several months after her release with her, despite being in need for money after so much time of doing no work at all. She usually spent a lot of time in my house and in my environment in general. I kinda became her reference person after the incident, her always staying nearby me as she felt like I was the only true protection she had. While she is definitely in a better mental state than before and acts normally in most situations, she is still far from her old status. She still has nightmares about her trauma and a strong fear of violence and harm that is meant to be inflicted on her." Yubi concluded.

"Is this the reason why she was so terrified when Yuga told her about the Professor trying to abduct her?" Shiryu asked, the memory of the usually calm girl's expression changing into an anxious look resurfacing at that.

Yubi nodded. "Yes. She cannot bear the thought of being abducted again since she connects immeasurable pain and agony with it. When she is reminded about her trauma she also has flashbacks of it, alongside other PTSD symptoms and aftereffects. Two of them are insomnia and paranoia, as a told you already. She also suffers from depression, extreme anxiety, anorexia, and, in situations where she faces her fears, speechless terror as well." He told.

"I remember that she looked like murmuring something once during the duel, but no word came out. Do you mean that with speechless terror?" Rin inquired.

Yubi hummed. "Yes, that's exactly what I meant. It's a classic PTSD symptom that she has, alongside many others. Also the A.I.s trying to take away her emotions combined with the trauma led to her becoming dull and unemotional, often showing barely any enthusiasm and reacting more to outside stimulation than playing the active part."

"Because of the Numbing?" Rin inquired, referring to another PTSD symptom.

Yubi hummed. "Yes, because of the Numbing. And on some occasions when she feels especially threatened or the few ones still dear to her – especially me – are in danger, she snaps like she did before and becomes incredibly violent in order to defend herself. She doesn't even hate her victims that much after her rage turns off and even during it her main motivation isn't her anger. What thrives her forwards is pure survival, the will to save herself and her friends, nothing else matters to her. Since I call her by the nickname of Cloudy in her normal state, I have developed a nickname for her when she gives into those desires as well. She becomes like a raging tempest as the clouds in the sky blacken. That's why I call this state Storm Cloud." He explained before sighing heavily. "I just wish that it had never happened! Kumo used to be such a sweet, caring and incredibly friendly and open girl when she was younger!" He stated in a melancholic voice. "She was always happy and cheered up those around her, including me. She used to dream of flying high in the sky, just like her Cloudian-Monsters! But then her dreams shattered and her view on the world was destroyed and reversed, just like it happens with most PTSD patients!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Rin asked in a scared voice.

Kumo looked up from Yubi's shoulder again and began speaking, her eyes still red as a single teardrop rolled down her cheek. "When I was young, I used to play Cloudians because I wanted to be like them, flying in the sky in limitless freedom. **But now I think differently!** " She cried out, her tone changing into a more desperate one, starting to sob again. "I WANT TO BECOME LIKE THE CLOUDS, UNTOUCHABLE AND HIGH UP IN THE SKY, FAR AWAY FROM ALL OTHERS **SO NOBODY CAN EVER HURT ME AGAIN!** " She screamed, the last part in a hysteric voice as she dug her face into Yubi's shoulder and shed a maelstrom of tears, the other girls visibly flinching at her latest traumatic outburst.

"Sssssshhh, it's okay! You are a strong girl, Kumo! Stronger than anyone I know!" Yubi reassured her, stroking the back of her head with his right hand before shifting it downwards onto her back, pulling her into an even tighter embrace, now using both of his arms. He looked at the other girls, their expressions majorly disturbed from their counterpart's actions, talking to Rin and Shiryu anew. "Making a name for myself and leaving my parents' shadow wasn't my only motivation to enter this team!" He declared. "Ever since Kumo suffered this horrible fate I developed a strong hatred against all who threaten her! If the A.I.s had still been alive, I would have killed them all in an instant for their atrocities against her! I do not only fight Academia because of their acts, but also because they scared her and brought up her past again! As long as the Fusion-Dimension's regime exists my dear Kumo will never be able to overcome her past! So I decided to fight them, for her sake! Protecting Kumo and those dear to me is my pride and soul and whoever tries to harm them will die on the spot by my own hand! I want to bring an end to the current status quo and raise our world to an even greater one by shattering its former boundaries! But that's not all there is to my Closed-World-Philosophy! I also see Kumo as my very own closed world since she isolates herself from the outside world! And just like with the bigger closed world, I want to pierce through hers and tear down its walls so she can regain her former self and smile again!" He declared in a resolute and determined voice. "She has been hurt a few days ago and I don't want to see her like that ever again!" He told them.

* * *

 _Den City, the evening after Yuga's announcement and the formation of the dimensional alliance..._

Kumo ended the call with her parents, her phone dropping to the bed sheets alongside her arm. She had put up the facade of a strong girl as she had been talking with her parents, but now she was out of strength regarding keeping up her calm composure any longer. "So it has begun anew..." She whispered anxiously, her body starting to quiver. "They are somewhere out there...! They are trying to take me away and hurt me...!" She uttered in fear, her trembling intensifying, her body feeling cold as the paranoia consumed her. She abruptly grabbed her blanket and wrapped it around her body, not caring if the phone lying on it hit the floor as a result. She tried to fall asleep and get some rest before they embarked to Standard on the next morning, but it took forever until she managed to do so. When she finally trailed off into the land of dreams, things became even worse.

* * *

 _Kumo was lying on an operating table, her arms and legs strapped to it, the girl not able to free herself. She struggled against her bindings as she saw a figure coming closer._

" _Inject the venom!" A voice from farther away said, addressing the figure that was approaching her._

" _Understood!" The figure replied, turning around to the girl afterwards, its expression twisting into a devilish grimace. " **TIME FOR THE NEXT TEHHH-HESSST!** " The A.I. yelled in a jeering singsong, shifting an object closer to her. _

" _No, please! Not another test! Have mercy!_ _"_ _Kumo screamed in horror, begging to be left alone as she was looking up to the syringe above her in horror, a dangerous looking fluid dripping from its injection needle._

" _Sorry, human, but I'm afraid words like "mercy" don't exist in our dictionaries!" The A.I. retorted in a mocking tone before it shifted the syringe downwards. Kumo's eyes widened in horror as she watched it drawing nearer and nearer with every second._

" _No! NO! **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** "_

* * *

The girl woke up at that scream which was also made in the real world, sitting up in the process.

"Thank god, it was just a nightmare!" She whispered in relief, panting heavily from the stressful dream, sweating running down her forehead. Her mouth corners darted downwards after that, her expression changing into a depressed one. "So it really came back." She murmured. "I hoped that I could suppress it, but I wasn't strong enough." She then bowed down the bed and grabbed the phone which she had thrown off it previously, typing a certain number and waiting that somebody picked up the call.

* * *

Yubi was currently inside his living room, hugging his parents to say them goodbye. He then noticed that the phone in the room rang, startling the three family members. Yubi went to it and picked up the call.

"Kogami Household, you're speaking with Yubi Kogami, hello?" He began, choosing a formal salutation. He then looked at the number on the phone's display and facepalmed about his own stupidity. "Oh hey darling, is everything okay?" He addressed Kumo, obviously knowing that something was wrong, but trying to keep up his usual manners.

"I'm afraid no. I had a nightmare again and I don't feel save alone. Would you mind coming over?" She asked him in a hushed tone, avoiding to speak too loud as if she was thinking that someone could overhear their conversion, break into her home and kidnap her before he arrived if they heard her words spoken on the phone.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm coming right away." He replied.

A relieved noise was heard on the other end of the line. "Thank you! See you in a few minutes!" She said.

"See you in a few minutes." Yubi retorted before hanging up.

"Is it Kumo?" Aoi addressed her son in a concerned tone as he ended the call.

Yubi turned towards her and nodded. "Uh. She had a nightmare about her captivity again. I'm taking my pajama and a toothbrush and go to her home, okay?" He asked his parents.

Ryoken nodded. "Alright. She clearly needs you now, so go and accompany her! Do we see each other in the morning again?" He asked.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah. I'm bringing her over and we four have breakfast and then the two of us meet up in the Ritual-Dimension with the other guys."

"Okay. Then good luck with her! Hopefully you can get her back to normal again!" Aoi spoke up, praying for the mental health of the girl she liked so much.

"Yeah, hopefully. See you tomorrow!" Yubi cried out as he opened the door to leave the house, carrying a backpack with his belongings.

-"See you tomorrow!"- Aoi and Ryoken retorted as he left to head to Kumo's house.

* * *

 _A few minutes later..._

Kumo's ears perked up as she heard her doorbell ringing. She got up from her bed immediately and ran down the stairs, practically flinging open the door as she saw the person outside was Yubi through one of its windows.

"I'm so glad that you're here!" She addressed him, basically throwing herself into his arms.

Yubi laid his arms around her and nodded. "I know. I came here as fast as I could." He stated, walking over the doorstep with her and closing the door. "Can I get myself ready for bed before we go to sleep?" He asked her.

"Yeah, no problem." She hummed, not wanting him to miss out on hygiene just for the sake of her being closer to him for a few minutes. She hated how it was her fault that he had to base so much of his life around her. Kumo sometimes felt regrets about herself, believing that Yubi missed a majority of his lifetime since he had to spend it for her sake. Yubi constantly reassured her that it was okay, but she did not always believe him with that, thinking that without her, he could have had a much better life, not needing to care for another person like this.

"Thank you." He retorted, taking Kumo by her hand and going to the second floor with her after that. He entered the bathroom alone and pulled out the things he had brought with him from his small backpack. They had yet to see each other naked, so she obviously hadn't followed him into the bath as he brushed his teeth, undressed and went for a quick shower. Despite Kumo having to remain outside he still kept talking with her whenever he could since he knew she was more comfortable the more she perceived from him, may it be his voice, his image or his touch. As he was done he left the bathroom in his pajamas, approaching the girl who was waiting at the doorstep in her own nightwear. He took Kumo by her hand again and went to her room with her. As she climbed into her own bed he followed after her, tightly hugging her to make Kumo feel more comfortable, the brown haired girl nuzzling against his chest. They wrapped their arms around each other, the close body contact apparently soothing her mind. A reassuring feeling of safety washed over the girl, the walls of the house on her backside while the frontside was shielded by her boyfriend, no angle left from where she could be attacked. Yubi stayed awake and looked at her with a very caring gaze as she eventually fell asleep. Shortly after falling asleep, her facial muscles clenched, the girl slightly wincing as she seemed to have another nightmare. Yubi frowned and looked at her with a worried expression.

"Please be okay! I don't want to see you sad again!" He whispered in a concerned and worried tone. At this moment, something inside his brain, hidden in a far corner, was triggered. _"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu!"_ It said, his prowess unconsciously being activated, being used to help Kumo instead of deceiving and tricking enemies as it was intended to. The images inside the girl's dream altered as they changed from the basement where she had been tortured to a bright plain with white clouds as its soil, the sky bright blue and full of fluffy clouds as well. Kumo's expression in the outside world gradually turned into a warm smile as her dream avatar was walking down a way on the clouds inside of her dream. An image looking exactly like Yubi appeared inside Kumo's dream, taking her by the hand and accompanying the girl on her way through the cloud realm. Yubi smiled as he observed her facial change that was caused by the power of Kyōka Suigetsu, his prowess that could alter feelings and sensations, being unconsciously used in a rather unconventional way from his will to ease Kumo's mind and to comfort her, the boy shedding tears of joy in the process. He wiped the tears from his eyes with one hand before whispering something in a relieved and joyous tone. "I'm so glad that you're smiling! You are my pride, Kumo, so I will never abandon you! I will protect you with my life!" He whispered before he fell asleep as well.

* * *

"And that was it! That's the main reason why I fight in this war!" Yubi exclaimed as he finished telling the other girls about Kumo's latest relapse.

"I understand. But why did Kumo volunteer for the interdimensional war then?! If she is so afraid of violence, why would she not stay home where she is safe?!" Shiryu asked with lack of understanding in her voice.

"It was because I felt responsible to fix the problem I caused myself!" Kumo exclaimed, startling the other girl. "I...I...I just wanted to face my trauma and overcome it eventually! And participating in this war was my way to do it! I didn't want anyone from my world to suffer only because of me, so I joined your group!" She cried out.

Yubi stroked over her head again. "I know that you wanted to overcome your past, darling! That's why I shot you such a beaming smile when Yuga asked for our help and you joined me! I admired your courage and your will to face your own demons! You are a brave girl, Kumo, braver than anyone I know!" He praised her in a reassuring tone.

Rin looked at the couple, speaking up after that. "I cannot repeat myself often enough, you two never fail to surprise me. On the outside you both seemed to be so perfectly happy and so calm, but on the inside it's very different. Kumo is highly traumatized and you are kinda depressed about how everyone only sees you as a good duelist with famous parents but nothing else." The green haired girl stated in a sad tone full of pity.

Yubi nodded. "Yes, that's right. It's not always that everything what looks golden on the outside is made from gold as well. There were already many famous musicians for instance who got adored by their fans and who seemed to have everything in the world, but in their private lives they were unhappy and depressed, ending up with committing suicide because of it, much to their fans' shock. Only in such times people do really ask what's truly inside of each other instead of only looking on the surface. You see, we two need each other! Without me, Kumo wouldn't have recovered from her trauma! And without her, I would have never started dueling professionally and taken the first step for leaving my parents' shadow! Without each other, we would merely be shells instead of humans!" He stated.

"I don't want to interrupt your touchy situation guys, but what should we do with Sora now? He has seen everything after all and we cannot have him tell Fusion about Link Summoning yet! Or that at least three Bracelet-Girls in addition to Yuzu are here in Standard! If they hear about it, they will send a few Obelisk Force and Reiji's Lancer Plan is ruined!" Shiryu spoke up. "We need to kill him, but then Fusion will also learn about us if they send investigators for their comrade's death!"

Yubi nodded, parting from Kumo at that. "At least that is one problem we don't have! Have you seen the Neuralyzors in Men in Black?" He asked the azure and white haired girl. As Shiryu nodded he continued. "I developed a thing pretty similar to it." He pulled out his revolver, pressed a few buttons on it and pulled the trigger, pointing it at Sora's head. It emitted a beam on the cyan haired male at that. After a few seconds Yubi removed it and put it back into his holster. "Now our dear Fusion-Spy will not remember a thing about what just happened. He will probably think that he was knocked out and robbed. And to make sure that he believes that story, I will take a bit of his money!" Yubi stated, searching for his wallet and taking a few bills from it. "View it as a compensation for what he did to the citizens in Xyz and to Kumo!" He remarked, pocketing the stolen money. "Now then guys, let's get going!" He then looked at Kumo. "Only if you can of course!" He added as he gazed at her with a concerned look.

She nodded. "I think I can manage. Shiryu, can you support me please?" She asked the other girl.

"Sure!" Shiryu replied, wrapping her arm around the brown haired girl and beginning to walk at that. As Yubi took a step forward to follow them, Rin grabbed him by his wrist.

"Rin?" Yubi asked in a confused tone. "What are you...?" He began. However, his statement was cut short as Rin pulled him closer and pressed her lips onto his. Yubi's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the soft lips of the green haired female brushing against his own. As she parted from him again, Yubi spoke up. "Rin... what was that? Didn't you say that you wanted your first kiss to be with Yugo?" He asked her in a somewhat shocked tone, his face bright red from the sudden action of the girl.

Rin nodded, her cheeks flushed as well. "I know, I did indeed plan on doing it this way..." She stated, her gaze slowly trailing off as her head turned sideways, her blush intensifying. "However...!" She cried out, shifting it back to him and facing him with an intense stare.

"Rin..." Yubi whispered quietly.

"I felt like you deserved it!" Rin continued, startling the male. "You stepped into the breach for me! You protected me and the other girls and even gained a new monster from your affection towards me! You comforted Kumo and helped her through all those years of suffering from her trauma! You have done more for her than I could have ever imagined! On the outside you might seem like a stoic and indifferent person, but in reality, you aren't!" She lost a bit of momentum at the next sentence. "I still love Yugo more that you..." She uttered, her eyes shifting their gaze downwards in a conflicted manner before her expression turned resolute and serious again, restoring the eye contact as well. "But you still deserved that kiss! You are more caring than him or any Yu-Boy for that matter, and that says a lot, taking into account how soft Yugo is on his inside! You spent half of your life dedicating your time just for her without getting much in return, unlike with me and Yugo where our care was mostly mutual, despite how rash and stupid he can be at times! I can clearly tell that without you around, Kumo would go insane after a while! So if there was one person I'd give my first real kiss to, it would only be you!" She declared in a convinced and staunch voice.

"Rin... thank you..." Yubi whispered in disbelief of the girl's conviction to him. "Thank you so much!" He repeated, hugging her.

"No problem." She replied in a reassuring tone, wrapping her arms around him as well.

"Can you help me with Kumo after the war? I can tell that you two like each other and I need as many friends of hers as possibly to get her back to her former state eventually." He requested.

Rin nodded. "Sure thing. I will help you as much as I can! And I bet all of our other new friends would help her as well!" She stated.

Yubi hummed. "Yeah, that is probably true." He said. "And thank you for your support again, it's great to know that I'm not alone with my task of bringing her back to normal!"

"No problem again!" Rin replied. "You shouldn't be left alone with such a huge task after all!" She responded.

"Thank you!" Yubi replied before his tone changed slightly. "Oh, and sorry for not appreciating your kiss as much as I should have! It was your first real kiss and I didn't react to it decently! You deserved a better first kiss experience after all!" He apologized.

Rin giggled. "That's no big deal, seriously!" She reassured him in a laughing voice.

Yubi shook his head. "No, I have my standards and letting down a girl like that when she gives away her kissing-virginity is definitely not part of them!" He exclaimed before he grabbed Rin by her cheeks and pulled her face towards him, pressing his lips onto hers, this time with far more passion and enthusiasm. He then moved his hands downwards to hold hers. Rin looked startled for a second before she returned the kiss and interlocked her fingers with his, closing her eyes in an enjoying manner. After a while, the both of them parted again.

"That felt... amazing!" Rin panted, taken aback by the pleasing experience.

"Same over here!" Yubi retorted. "Oh, sorry if I forced you into anything by the way!" He added after a moment.

Rin chuckled. "You don't need to be sorry, I started it after all! Besides, I kissed you back, so I obviously wanted to kiss you, dummy!" She giggled, giving him a playful nudge.

" _Well, you were a bit forced as well, Yubi! Looks like your possessive dragon genes are finally kicking in!"_ Zarc remarked in his spectral form with a wide grin on his face. _"The further they give into their natural urges, the more my resurrection is facilitated!"_ He added.

Yubi chuckled as well. "Man, guess that makes seven!" He exclaimed.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Seven? What do you mean by that?" She inquired.

The white and black haired teen continued chuckling. "Well, with you kissing me there are seven females who have kissed me up until now, albeit most of them not on my lips in a manner like this!" He remarked in a joking tone.

"Seven? Wait..." Rin said, counting with her fingers. "Kumo, me, your mother Aoi... Wait, that's only three!" She cried out.

Yubi chuckled again. "I guess you missed a few people! Here, take a look at that picture!" He said, pulling out a photograph and showing it to her. As Rin looked at it, she saw several people in the picture. She saw Yubi, surrounded by Ryoken, Aoi and two other females. Then in the right side of the picture was another major group of people, Yubi's uncle Akira Zaizen if she recalled it correctly, a brown haired woman and another female next to them.

"Wait, who are those two girls next to you?" Rin exclaimed before she noticed another detail. "And why is that one girl looking so much like your mother?! Don't tell me they are...!"

Yubi laughed. "My sisters? Yes, they are! The one you are referring to is Aoi, having the same name as my mother due to her obvious similarities in looks! She uses the same archetype as my mom and is pretty much a double of her in any other aspect as well! Except one!" He stated.

"And what is that one aspect?" Rin asked.

"It's her general attitude and a bit of fashion I guess. You know, my mom used to be very cheerful as well when she was younger, hence why she is showing so much empathy with Kumo. One day however, my two grandparents, meaning her and Akira's mother and father, died in a car crash. Uncle Akira had to take control over SOL Technologies' CEO-position at a comparably young age of 18 because of that. My mom who was eight years old as that happened became quite depressed and lost her former joy as a result, having no parents or other relatives to spend time with her since Akira was very occupied with his new job, especially with the hectic situation that came from the abrupt change of leadership. The fact that her best friend Miyu had to move out of Den City because of her parents getting a job abroad only worsened her situation. She might have been famous in the Link VRAINS network as Blue Angel, but even if she was happy and had many admirers in the virtual life, it was a whole different story in the real world where she was constantly alone. I gave you that singers-example a few minutes before for a reason, considering my mom was in a very similar dilemma as those people. During the next years she was always alone and repelled most people from herself because she believed that they only wanted to befriend her to get a job at SOL Technologies through her connections to its CEO, her brother Akira. The first person that managed to get through to her met my mother when she was about 16 years old." Yubi narrated.

"Your father." Rin said, prompting Yubi to nod.

"Yes, and through him she finally began trusting others again. They got together over the next few years and when the outlines of war became visible on the horizon as the A.I.s prepared themselves for the Great Cyberse War, he saved her as one of the A.I. Leaders, an Ignis called Ai, came to the real world in order to abduct her and use her as a leverage since the A.I.s knew about her connections to my dad and were aware of the problem the developing group called Knights of Hanoi posed to their campaign. They fought together in the Great Cyberse War and my father defeated the seven Ignis Leaders in a final duel using the monster I summoned today, Topologic Savior Dragon." Yubi said, pulling out the card and looking at it briefly before pocketing it again. He then chuckled. "It's funny, isn't it? My mother was so alone during that time and now she connects so many people with each other through familiar bonds!" He digressed, looking at the picture. He then continued with his prior story. "They married shortly after the war and had a child not long afterwards. It was Akemi, my oldest sister, the one with the dark blue, pink, white and azure hair who's looking rather apathetic." Yubi said, pointing to a girl of said hair colors and black eyes who simply stared ahead with a rather neutral expression, Ryoken having his arm wrapped around her.

"Yes, I see her. Why does she look so uncomfortable?" Rin inquired.

Yubi briefly chuckled. "Well, Akemi Kogami is not really the person who likes to be in the spotlight or too much in public. She prefers to be alone or in smaller groups at least most of the time, though that doesn't make her a bad sister by any means. She was always very kind towards me, her four years younger brother. Talking about time, she has her 19th birthday in roughly one month, so it would be great if we could finish our job here in Standard before that so I could return to my home and congratulate her. She is a really strong duelist and uses a Cyberse Deck my dad took as a trophy from the war. It was used by the Dark Ignis Ai and contains several Link 3 Talker-Monsters as smaller aces. Her real ace is Link 4 though, a monster called Firewall Dragon. Anyway, as I said before, the girl wearing the old school uniform of my mother who has her arms wrapped around me from behind and looks at me with a cheeky grin is Aoi Kogami Jr., my second sister! She is around eleven months younger than Akemi and had her 18th birthday only a few days prior to our meeting in the Link-Dimension. She is very cheerful and fun loving, having the characteristics of my mother when she was younger. That's why she has this one difference that I've mentioned before. Even though she also has the same eye color and wears her light brown hair in a bob-cut as my mother, she still has something that distinguishes her from the elder Aoi." Yubi stated.

"The two blue ribbons she has in her hair?" Rin asked.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, exactly! Back when my mom was younger and still happy, she had her hair in a twintail style and wore these very same ribbons of blue color. So when my parents saw that their child looked exactly like my mother, they not only decided to name her after her predecessor, but also to give her those two reminders of my mother's happy early years. Due to the different environment my sister grow up in, she had a lot of friends and was very popular – regardless of her heritage. She just has this little something that makes you like her in an instant. Her dueling is – much like Akemi's and mine – on a remarkable level and she was one of the best in her school, wiping the floor with her opponents using a Trickstar Deck which is focused on burn damage, much like your Windwitches. She is also very intelligent, albeit not as much as Akemi, but hey, that girl is the director of the American Headquarters of SOL Technologies by now! Aoi followed her older sister and is now working as her assistant, co-leading SOL Technologies on the American continent. That's why you didn't see them at my home by the way." He explained. "Said thing might change though since they will probably become part of the Paladins of Hanoi, taking into account how strong they both are dueling-wise."

Rin smirked. "That's gotta be a nice thought for you, having your two older sisters as your subordinates since you are the Paladins of Hanoi's leader!" She stated in an amused tone.

Yubi grinned. "You bet! I cannot wait to pay them back for a few tricks they've played on me when we were younger! Oh sweet revenge, I hear you coming!" He exclaimed with audible anticipation in his voice.

"Anyway, who are the two other girls? The ones with your uncle I mean!" Rin addressed him.

"Oh, these two?" Yubi asked, pointing at the two females next to Akira. "Well, the first is my aunt Hayami. She worked at SOL Technologies in a comparably low position before and used to be not very important in the hierarchy. However, once Akira had to take over the company she guided him through his new job and assisted him with various tasks. Unlike other advisers my uncle had at that time she wasn't motivated by selfish motives like some of them, but only by her love for him since she had a secret crush on my uncle. Since Akira liked her genuine reasons for helping him he gave her promotion after promotion over the years as he got used to being the SOL Technologies-CEO and eventually, he married her. She was already in the highest position within the hierarchy aside from Akira himself of course when the Great Cyberse War began. While she often supported him during the war by being the eye for him that observed the vast situation and coordinated our troops, she also became active at some point of time and joined the Hydra Squad, an elite troupe of SOL Technology Members led by my uncle. Together with the Knights of Hanoi they gradually pushed back the A.I.s before they eventually eliminated them and finished the war, even though a few survived as you have seen with Kumo. After the war they had a kid as well, my cousin Aligheria Zaizen!" He stated, pointing at a young adult female with hair colors combining her parents', meaning dark blue and green on the upper part with a few brownish strands on the lower. She looked relatively formal and had a confident look on her face.

"Aligheria?" Rin repeated. "That reminds me about something, but I cannot say what it is!" She stated in a deliberating tone.

Yubi chuckled. "I'm giving you a clue: Divine Comedy!" He said in an amused tone.

"Oh right, now I remember!" Rin exclaimed in realization. "Is she named after the Italian poet Dante Alighieri by chance?" She asked.

Yubi nodded. "Exactly. You know, my uncle's part of the Zaizen family tree is kinda addicted to arts. My uncle Akira himself is a lot into operas and music while my cousin likes literature like crazy, with said Italian poet's work being her favorite. She is usually rather casual, despite her position as the future SOL Technology CEO. However, she has a strong sense of justice as a result of reading said book. Usually, when somebody shows inappropriate behavior around her, she tells them in which circle of hell they would belong for their acts, according to the Divine Comedy that is."

"I see. What deck does she use?" Rin inquired. "Is it fitting for her?" She added.

Yubi chuckled. "You bet! She plays something called Burning Abyss, a swarming deck with a lot of level three monsters." He replied.

"Burning Abyss?! I've heard about that deck in my dimension and from Ruri I know that it existed in her dimension as well! It revolves around monsters like Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss in my dimension or monsters like Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss or Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal in Ruri's dimension! But if she has neither of those, what Extra Deck Monsters is she playing?"

Yubi made a dismissive gesture. "That would take a while to explain." He replied.

"Then go for it, we have time after all!" Rin responded before she heard a cry.

"Rin! Yubi! Are you coming?" They heard Shiryu addressing them in a loud voice. The two looked up startled at that exclamation, redirecting their gazes to the source of the noise. The azure and white haired girl and Kumo were standing at the end of the alleyway, looking back to the two others in confusion. They seemed to have waited for them for a while already, but out of politeness neither of the two Bracelet-Girls wanted to interrupt Yubi's and Rin's conversation, up until now that is.

"Yeah! We're coming right away!" Yubi responded, him and Rin overcoming the distance between their old location and the two other girls' at fast paste. As they drew closer, Kumo addressed them in a curious tone.

"Hey, Yubi, Rin, what were you doing there?" She inquired.

Rin blushed slightly and fidgeted with one of her lighter colored hair strands. "Oh..., nothing much I guess..." She retorted in a nervous tone. "Me and Yubi merely talked a bit."

Kumo raised an eyebrow. "You know, I could see you kissing there, Rin." She retorted.

Rin's blush intensified, the girl bowing her head at that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to try anything on him, especially not now when you need him way more than I do! He was just so admirable when he got that Synchro from his bonds with me and told us how he cared for you, so...!" She started apologizing. However, the other girl raised her hand and interrupted her.

"It's okay, Rin. I already told you that I was okay with you being with Yubi. We both had our problems when we were younger, you having to live in the Commons and I suffering from my trauma, so it would be rude to deny you access to him and keeping Yubi for me alone." She then began chuckling. "Also...!" Her laughing intensified. "...it was just so cute to see the both of you like that! You two really make a nice couple as well!" She giggled.

"Yeah, that's for sure! You have no idea how much I ship the two of you right now!" Shiryu chimed in, laughing like the other girl.

As Yubi began chuckling as well, Rin's face flushed even more, a tiny bit of indignation in her voice as she now addressed the male. "Hey Yubi, you do realize that they are teasing both of us?! Why are you laughing as well?!" She asked him.

Yubi continued laughing before he responded. "Don't you see it, Rin? Kumo is smiling!" He exclaimed in a joyous tone.

Rin's eyes widened in realization. "You are right! She is actually laughing!" She cried out, glad for the traumatized girl that she was not only back to normal, but even happy. Rin didn't even care if it was at her or Yubi's expense.

The group continued laughing for a while before Yubi spoke up again. "I think we can go now! We should not stay here for ages or else Sora might wake up with us still there!" He advised.

Shiryu halted her laughing and nodded. "Yeah, good point! Let's get going, guys!" She addressed the group.

"Sure!" Kumo chimed in, still in a good mood despite stopping her laughter.

"Yeah, we have stayed in this alleyway for long enough! Let's get going!" Rin agreed, the group taking its leave at that.

"Oh, and by the way, I'm going to sleep in your bed tonight, Kumo! You know, just in case you have a relapse and nightmares!" Yubi spoke up, wrapping his arm around the girl at that.

Kumo nodded. "Sure! Thank you very much!" She retorted in a thankful tone, the group leaving the alleyway and taking a turn to the right, vanishing into the distance. Suddenly Rin walked up to him and addressed him with one question.

"Err, Yubi? Can I ask you a question please?" She spoke up.

Yubi turned his head. "Sure! Go ahead, Rin!" He replied.

Rin nodded. "Okay! Can you tell me what this one thing on the upper left part of your back is? When I was embracing you and I had my head over your left shoulder, I gazed down under your dark blue T-Shirt for a second and saw a strange symbol looking like an ornate S in black color. Is it a tattoo meaning "Strategy" or something like that by chance?" She theorized.

Yubi shook his head. "No, it isn't a tattoo. Unfortunately I cannot answer you any questions about its origins, I asked my parents already and they said I was simply born with that black S on the backside of my left shoulder." He replied.

"Strange..." Rin uttered. Then she perked up as she seemed to remember something. "Wait, if I recall my early years correctly I saw Yugo with such a symbol as well! He had it on about the middle of his back on the right side and it looked like an ornate I! Do you think that could be connected to the counterpart-thing as well?"

Yubi nodded. "Most certainly. But I guess just making any rash assumptions won't help, so let's close that case for now!" He suggested.

"Okay, I suppose you have a point there." Rin agreed, she and the rest of her group continuing their advance through Maiami City after that.

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And here is the first part! We see some new cards on Yuya's behalf and him and Yuga synchronized, granting them both a few monsters. As you might assume, I will shift Yuya's deck to his Odd-Eyes Cards since I think they are way more intriguing than Performapals. Today you saw the first few of them, more will come shortly. We have a little teaser for the Synchro-Arc and for future developments as well. Sora uses a few new monsters, but even with them he loses. If he hadn't been knocked out he would have probably said that with another Frightfur Patchwork, he would have won, just like most Fluffal players I guess.**

 **Music-wise we get a few new things as well. Yuya gets a new theme, namely Escalon from – you probably guessed it – Bleach. I picked it because I like the general style of the track, it sounds playful, it sounds serious, it just has it both. In other words, it fits better to the new image I want Yuya to have. Academia also gets its own theme. Fallen Angels was just way too fitting for them, especially some of its lines hit the nail on the head like "Obliterate everything good and great" (Heartland Invasion) or "Soldiers of misfortune casting misery to court the devil, the fallen angels lead your soul to the abyss", referring to both the Duel Soldier-thing as well as the fact that they support Leo who is quite the demon (in here he got influenced by Zarc, but as we all know Leo would have started Revival Zero on his own behalf anyway if it wasn't for him), plus of course the carding-thing with the abyss and stuff. One soldier of it got his own theme in this chapter as well. When I thought about what track Sora could use it instantly hit me: Lucifer's Dance Part C. Its melody and especially that one wind instrument give one the idea of a positive song, sounding almost Christmas-like. The lyrics then turn it into a really fucked up Christmas Song. To me it felt like the perfect mix for a person that looks nice on the outside, but is a psycho on the inside. Kumo gets her more serious track, the one I will use whenever she snaps. Since its original name is "Hendrickson" (shoutouts to all Nanatsu no Taizai fans reading this) I will give it the same treatment as other tracks before and refer to it as "Storm Cloud" from now on as that is Yubi's nickname for her psycho state. She will have a theme for her normal state as well though, just like any other Bracelet-Girl. Finally Yubi gets a new track as well. It's his comeback music and well, Playmaker would be proud on him for using it I guess.**

 **About new characters like Akemi: I will not say too much about her yet. Aoi Kogami (Jr.) is mainly here because I realized that I definitely wanted Trickstars in here but thought it would be weird having a squad of teens and young adults traveling through the dimensions with that one fourty years old woman that is the older Aoi. Aligheria and the other previously mentioned new character will appear in a new introduction video I'm gonna make, but since new characters will also be introduced in the second part of this chapter I will wait with that until then. Aoi Kogami will probably not appear in that video though as she is merely current Vrains Aoi two years older with her mom's old blue ribbons in her hair and a happier childhood, but otherwise pretty much the exact same. A quick note about Hayami, in Vrains the ship between her and Akira is kinda canon suggested, albeit very one-sided on her behalf. I changed that a bit and now they're together as well.**

 **But the main topic of this chapter is Yubi and Kumo I guess. Yeah, first off Yubi showcases another aspect of his personality, his immense pride that almost led to him losing. He manages to overcome his pinch both through his bonds with Rin (Don't worry by the way, Appleshipping is still safe despite recent events, Fangirlshipping just overwhelmed it for a moment through Yubi's possessive dragon nature. Said feelings were then reflected back onto Rin through her bracelet's powers, resulting in a little lovey-dovey moment) and later on through his bonds with the whole rest of his squad and his family (hence the name of this chapter). Much like his previous dragons Ryoken's old aces from Vrains have slightly different and more powerful effects which are derived from his more powerful Storm Access, which isn't a skill like in Vrains, but more like an ability he can use whenever he needs it and has enough power to manifest a new card. Any new card by the way, as you have seen from him making a Synchro. Also we are introduced to Connection Overdrive Link Summon, a special method similar to Accel Synchro or Rank-Up Xyz Change. The monster summoned by said method is admittedly strong, but then again Savior Dragon is Link 9 and a special case that won't appear that often. (Small note, in the past it didn't require this "summon all three of the classic Varrel-Dragons before you can summon Topologic Savior"-clause, meaning it was way easier to summon for Ryoken, even though it had one effect less.) Topologic Savior is definitely OP nevertheless, but then again Firewall Dragon is still unbanned in real life as of now, and that card is real and not solely in a fanfiction. I decided to introduce it earlier and Varrelload Savage is here because of the Vrains hype. So Yubi will be Twelve Tails instead of only Ten Tails during this arc (the two new Topologics will come later). Then we also see Kumo's backstory and learn why she is so quiet, un-outgoing and prefers being nearby Yubi like a satellite. She's simply too afraid and mentally unstable without him. Yubi also has his own problems, namely with being acknowledged by people only for himself, not for what his parents did or for social achievements like being the world champion. This makes them both a bit more unique from the other counterparts.**

 **Next chapter we will see the rest of the events, rounding up an overview over all seven dimensions! It just felt right to me to do that after explaining the whole universal backstory in the previous chapter.**

 **Just a little question, do your prefer long or short chapters? You know that I am more of a talkative guy, but I do not really know how many people dislike this or if you maybe even like it. So I made a little poll. Would be neat if you could give me some feedback regarding that! You can find the poll on my profile. Or just tell me via review, do what you like best.**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm back with the newest chapter! It took a while longer than expected as I was busy reading through previous chapters and correcting mistakes, also changing the summary as I felt like it was a bit of a lackluster and didn't do that much of a good job, not saying much as it was only a quote from Zarc and mostly referred to the backstory, only hinting at the war. So now it is a bit more generic and says more about the general plot of this story with Yuga and his friends. I also restructured the first chapter and added in a little poem about the whole universal backstory. You might want to look at it if you haven't already. So now, after doing all of that stuff, Chapter 12 is finally finished and ready to be read! Combined with the last chapter you will get an overview about all seven dimensions with it! Now then, in response to your reviews!**

 **-To ZarcEternal: Yeah, it is definitely a difficult task to include Link into ARC-V, forcing me to change some rules. About that little mistake with the revival into the Extra Monster Zones, there is a reason for that which will be explained this chapter. Honestly, I'm surprised that you spotted that error, but overlooked the fact that Yubi, when he already controlled all three major Varrel Dragons, summoned three monsters as materials for Gatlingvarrel, making him use six Main Monster Zones which is obviously not allowed. I fixed that mistake with a Link 2-Monster though called Desperado Dragon, so you won't be able to see it anymore.**

 **-To Ashera090: We'll see. But definitely no counterpart will be killed off as miserably as Yuto did.**

 **-To Germancardfightfan: It's half-half. One parent of Kumo is an OC. The other is a Legacy Character. Some of you might know who it is already.**

 **Now then, a general note: I have made a poll about whether you prefer long or short chapters. I added the announcement about it into the notes at the end of the last chapter a few days after its release, if I recall it correctly that is. You can find it on my account profile and it would be great if you voted as I am very curious about the general opinion you have about that subject. I know that I'm very talkative, so even if it turns out that you actually do not dislike my attitude, I'll try to keep things a bit shorter from now on, starting with the notes. This chapter will be a bit longer than the last, but it will also have a lot of scene breaks, enabling you to make a brief reading pause easier if you don't feel like reading your eyes dry. Have fun with this chapter and see you again in the notes at the end of it!**

 **Opening: ( 10)**

* * *

Chapter 12: Bonds Between Family – Part 2

 _Synchro Dimension..._

"Damn, what is that feeling?! I just felt like as if somebody took away something that belonged to me! MAN, NOW I AM PISSED!" Yugo cried out in exasperation, punching the frame of his D-Wheel which he was currently riding. He was driving on a highway track, flanked by two approaching Duel Chasers. Meanwhile a certain somebody couldn't resist the opportunity and manifested in his spectral form next to the male.

" _You thought that it would be you who would get Rin's first kiss!"_ Zarc addressed him, Yugo obviously not aware of the spectral figure. Zarc's expression turned into a grin as he altered his appearance into his Link-Fragment's, continuing after that. _"BUT IT WAS ME, YUBI!"_ Zarc cried out, pointing at himself with his thumb.

Ray appeared as well. _"Gosh Zarc, stop your shitty anime references at once! You really start getting on my nerves with your crap!"_ She snapped at him.

" _Shitty anime references?! Crap?! Shut up, Ray, don't insult the only good thing you humans have ever done!"_ He shot back at her, turning back to his normal form once more.

" _Only good thing?! Man, you are truly shortsighted if you say that, overlooking the majority of good deeds humanity has done up until now! But I guess it fits you, oh almighty otaku who became one with the primal dragon god of darkness to henceforth be known as Zarc Genesis Haoryu, the Spiritual Savior Dragon Otaku who plans on wiping out all of us!"_ Ray mocked him.

" _Shut up! Don't ridicule me because my human part was a lot into freaking anime! You are one to talk, making Serena Wolverine by giving her retractable claws and shit! But anyway, that all won't matter once I complete my plan, kill all humans, make you my spirit bride and repopulate the earth with the Twilightspawn! Goodbye, oh Marvel-Reading Angel Goddess of all Nature!"_ Zarc exclaimed, deriding her in the same manner as Ray had done before.

In the meantime Yugo was addressed by one of the two Duel Chasers which chased after him on their bikes.

"Stop right there, criminal scum!" The first cried out, bearing the number of 49 on his bike.

"Yeah, give up and deactivate your engine, filthy Common!" The other chimed in, being the Duel Chaser of the number 405.

A thick vein briefly pulsated on Yugo's forehead. "Man, now you two get on my nerves too! First Rin, then this weird feeling and now you as well! STOP PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF!" Yugo snapped at them, causing them both to flinch. After a while the first policeman recovered and addressed him anew.

"Your babbling doesn't matter to us! Now prepare to duel and take a trip to the facility afterwards!" He said, activating the hacking device of his bike, forcing Yugo into a duel.

"A DUEL?! FINE, IF YOU WANNA GET WRECKED SO BADLY, HAVE YOUR BEATING!" Yugo snapped at them, readying himself.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **YUGO VS. SECURITY**

 **YUGO: 4000**

 **DUEL CHASER 49: 4000**

 **DUEL CHASER 405: 4000**

"I will start this duel!" Officer Nr. 49 declared.

"Fine! You two can go first so I can have the first Battle Phase of the duel! That's great since I can beat you even quicker this way!" Yugo retorted.

"Don't underestimate us, Commons Brat!" Duel Chaser 49 shot back. "I summon Jutte Lord from my hand!" He declared.

 _Jutte Lord_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"And its effect activates! Since it was summoned, I get to special summon a "Jutte"-Monster from my hand! Come, Jutte Fighter!"

 _Jutte Fighter_

 _Earth/Level 2/ATK 700/DEF 900/Warrior/Tuner/Effect_

"And then I tune my Jutte Lord with my Jutte Fighter!" He yelled, his monsters undergoing the standard transformation into rings and stars. "Behold, this is the power of authority! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! A surprise encounter pulling you into the captivity of law! Level 6, Goyo Guardian!" The policeman shouted as one of the classic Security monsters was summoned, wielding a long rope with a piece of metal on its tip which was normally used to pull the destroyed monsters onto Goyo Guardian's side of the field.

 _Goyo Guardian_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2800/DEF 2000/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

"Another shitty Goyo-Monster!" Yugo cursed. "Seriously, summon something else than monsters which steal your opponents' cards!" He addressed them in outrage.

"Why should we? It fits perfectly, doesn't it? We're seizing the lawbreakers and pulling them into our custody!" Duel Chaser 405 chimed in.

Yugo hummed. "It actually fits perfectly, albeit in another way! You Tops Bootlicker Bastards take away the few things we Commons still have! You won't stop taking our stuff until there's literally nothing left for us!" He responded in indignation and anger.

A vein briefly pulsated on the first officer's forehead. "You Commons Scum, how dare you talking to us like that?! I will make sure to throw you into the darkest pit in the facility once we're done with you!" He threatened Yugo.

Yugo merely chuckled. "Man, that's actually so funny! The twenty Duel Chasers that came before you said the exact same thing to me! But anyway, can you end your turn please? I have to look for someone after all!" He said.

"Why you...! I place one card face-down and end my turn! Show him the power of Security, college!" Duel Chaser 49 addressed his comrade.

"Right on it!" He replied. "My turn! I draw! From my hand I summon Jutte Lord!"

 _Jutte Lord_

 _Earth/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1200/Warrior/Effect_

"Since it was summoned, I get to special summon a "Jutte"-Monster from my hand! Come, Jutte Fighter!" He went on.

 _Jutte Fighter_

 _Earth/Level 2/ATK 700/DEF 900/Warrior/Tuner/Effect_

Yugo clutched the sides of his head melodramatically. "Oh my god, what a never before seen play! Somebody give this guy a trophy for his genius move please!" He exclaimed in sarcasm.

"Shut up, criminal!" Duel Chaser 405 snapped at him. "I will now tune my Jutte Lord with my Jutte Fighter! You who bares the fangs of a wild beast, seize your prey! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Level 6, Goyo Predator!"

 _Goyo Predator_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

Yugo clapped ironically. "Impressive! A Synchro-Monster that is even weaker than its predecessor!" He remarked in a derisive tone.

"You will soon shut up once I do this!" The policeman shot back, revealing a card in his hand. "By revealing this card, **Jutte Reinforcer** , I can either raise one of my "Goyo"-Monsters by one level or lower it by one level! I pick the latter option and make my Goyo Predator one level lower!"

 _Goyo Predator: Lvl 6 → 5_

"And while my Jutte Reinforcer is revealed by this effect, I can special summon it from my hand! Come forth!" He yelled, his monster appearing at that.

 _Jutte Reinforcer_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1300/Warrior/Tuner/Effect_

"Now I will tune my Goyo Predator with my Jutte Reinforcer! This is your end of the line! Surrender now, lawbreaker! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Level 8, Goyo King!"

 _Goyo King_

 _Earth/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2000/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

"Next I will discard **Jutte Rescuer**! By discarding this monster, I can revive a "Jutte"- or "Goyo"-Monster from my graveyard other than itself! Come again, Goyo Predator!"

 _Goyo Predator_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1200/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

"Then I place one card face-down and end my turn! Make your last turn before you visit the facility, Commons Scum!" Duel Chaser 405 announced.

"Me going to the facility?! Unlikely I'd say! There's no way I'm going to get caught by you!" Yugo retorted in a joking manner. Then his expression turned serious. "Besides, as long as Rin is still somewhere out there, imprisoned god knows where, I cannot be arrested! I mustn't stop until I finally find her again! I must save her! Draw!" He yelled fiercely, inspecting his hand at that. "Hmm, looks like this is going to be over faster than I expected! Since only you control monsters, I can special summon Speedroid Terrortop from my hand!"

 _Speedroid Terrortop_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 600/Machine/Effect_

"Hmm, this monster is so weak that it isn't even worth to waste my Goyo King's effect for it!" Duel Chaser 405 remarked in condescension.

Yugo smirked. "Oh, we'll see about that!" He replied before continuing. "Now I can search out a Speedroid from my deck by its effect! I choose Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!" Then I normal summon it!

 _Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Machine/Tuner/Effect_

"And when my dice is summoned I get to target a Speedroid besides itself and make it a level from one to six for the rest of this turn! I make Terrortop level six!" Yugo declared.

 _Speedroid Terrortop: Lvl 3 → 6_

"He will tune his Terrortop with Red-Eyed Dice now." Roger stated, observing the duel through his surveillance system. Placido, who stood next to him, frowned.

"I can feel an energy coming from that boy." He said. "A really unpleasant energy!" The cyborg added, gritting his teeth.

"And now I will tune my level six Speedroid Terrortop with my level one Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice!" Yugo exclaimed, the former monster transforming into a sextet of stars while the dice became a single ring of green color. As the summoning was conducted, Placido felt another sensation.

"Yes, it is one of them! There's no mistake!" He hissed, his teeth audibly grinding against each other.

"Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down our foes at the speed of light! With your wings beat up a hurricane of destruction! The radiant dragon soars through the sky and vanquishes all of its enemies in a lethal spiral across the heavens! Now shine and annihilate them with your wrathful descent! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! APPEAR! LEVEL 7! **CLEAR WING SYNCHRO DRAGON!** " Yugo shouted, his eyes widening as a white dragon with green wings appeared.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon_

 _Wind/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Dragon/Synchro/Effect_

"It is one of them!" Placido murmured, his fists clenching as he seemed to recall something. "One of the seven dragons of the Dark Eradicator!" He spoke, pronouncing the name of the mysterious figure in immeasurable disdain.

Roger looked sideways with interest for a while, observing the cyborg's reaction before he turned back to the screen. _'I see!_ _So this is one of those dragons he fears so much! I probably need to get rid of them eventually if I want to seize world domination!'_ Roger debated with himself, eyeing Yugo and his monster.

"This dragon! It looks dangerous!" Duel Chaser 49 cried out.

His college nodded. "Yeah! I better get rid of it then! Goyo King's effect! I tribute my Goyo Predator!" He declared, the monster being sacrificed at that. "Now I can target one monster of level eight or lower you control and take control over it! I target your Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" He shouted, pointing at the white dragon.

A grin formed on Yugo's face. "Right into my trap!" He murmured before stretching out his arm upwards. "Clear Wing's effect! When a monster targets a level five or higher monster with its effect, I can negate that effect and destroy the monster! Dichroic Mirror!" Yugo shouted, his dragon's wings flashing to life and sending radiant beams of light that vanquished the Goyo-Monster.

"What?!" The officer cried out in shock.

"Your dragon has an ability like that?!" Duel Chaser 49 chimed in.

Yugo nodded. "Uh huh! And that's not even the worst part! Thanks to Clear Wing's other effect he gains the ATK of your Goyo King! Hyperspeed Siphon!" Yugo shouted, his dragon being enveloped by a thick green-whitish aura at that.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: ATK 2500 → 5300_

-"5300 ATK?!"- Both policemen cried out in unison.

"Yup! But I'm far from finished! By lowering the level of a Wind Monster I control by either one or two, I can special summon this baby from my hand! Behold my awesome **Speedroid Lotterider**!" Yugo cried out in an enthusiastic voice, holding up a card. A monster looking like a unicycle with an iron box instead of a seat appeared.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: Lvl 7 → 6_

 _Speedroid Lotterider_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 700/Machine/Tuner/Effect_

"Next up I will activate the spell card Double Attack! By discarding a monster from my hand, I can target one monster I control! Said monster then gains an additional attack during this turn! But that only works on a monster with a lower level than the discarded one's!" Yugo went on.

"Is that why you lowered your dragon's level?!" Officer Nr. 49 addressed him.

"Damn right! I now discard Speedroid Skull Marbles of level seven! Meaning Clear Wing gains an additional attack!" Yugo declared before he grinned. "But that wasn't all! I not only summoned Lotterider to make my dragon a target for my spell! I also have an effect on my Speedroid and I will make use of it! Once per turn, by targeting a Wind Monster, I can roll a dice! Said monster then gains 300 ATK times the result until the End Phase! I target Clear Wing and roll my dice!" Yugo announced, the Real Solid Vision System conducting the dice roll for him. As the blue dice was thrown upwards Yugo looked at it and whispered something. "Please let it be a six! I want to teach these jerks the lesson of not messing with us Commons!" He uttered in a somewhat praying manner.

Zarc watched the scene with interest, his expression turning into a smirk. _"You want to demolish some humans? Then go ahead, I'll give you a six!"_ He shouted, snapping his fingers to manipulate the result, just as in Yuya's duel at an earlier point of the day.

The three duelists looked at the result with eyes wide open, Yugo smiling in joy as the dice landed on the six. Out of Lotterider's box which had a slit on its top, a small paper was ejected. The paper hovered upwards, depicting a crested 6 of various colors. A small shower of bright particles rained down from the paper onto Clear Wing, increasing its ATK. Meanwhile Placido frowned as he watched the events from the control room in Security Headquarters.

"I smell something fishy about that dice roll! He wished for a six and he got one! It looked almost too easy!" The cyborg remarked.

Roger nodded. "Indeed, there seems to be something... unusual that helped him." He retorted. "And it definitely wasn't luck." The Security Director added.

Zarc appeared next to them at that. _"How right you are! Unfortunately you are both too weak to sense me!"_ He remarked with a small grin of condescension on his face, looking at the two men.

"ALRIGHT!" Yugo yelled in enthusiasm. "Now my Clear Wing receives 1800 extra attack!" He shouted.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: ATK 5300 → 7100_

"And now, as an icing on the cake, I will activate my spell High Speed Re-Level! I utilize the high level of seven that my Skull Marbles has and banish it from my grave! I can now make one of my Synchro-Monsters the same level as Marbles and grant it 500 ATK times Marbles' level! I obviously target Clear Wing with this effect!" Yugo went on, the Security Employees sweating as his dragon became more powerful with every move Yugo made.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: Lvl 6 → 7; ATK 7100 → 10600_

"IT'S OVER TEN THOUSAND!" Duel Chaser 405 exclaimed in terror.

( 35, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #18 Yuto's Passionate Soul)

"You're goddamn right! Now you jerks will receive something what we Commons like to call a fat L! Battle! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon directly attacks you!" The Synchro-Duelist yelled, pointing at the officer with the number of four hundred and five.

"I'm not going to let you! Reverse card open! I activate **Goyo Reincarnate**! This trap not only brings back my Goyo King in attack mode, but also gives it 300 ATK times its level! Meaning my King powers up by 2400 points! However, after the end of this turn my King's total ATK will be halved!" The policeman declared.

 _Goyo King_

 _Earth/Level 8/ATK 2800 → 5200/DEF 2000/Warrior/Synchro/Effect_

"So he summoned back a monster to defend him. But it isn't enough yet. He still has too few LP to endure this attack." Roger remarked.

"In addition to that I will banish Jutte Rescuer from my graveyard! When I do this, I can grant a battling "Goyo"-Monster 1000 ATK!" The officer went on.

 _Goyo King: ATK 5200 → 6200_

"What was the point of that? It's still not enough!" Yugo pointed out.

"Not really! You see, Goyo King gains 400 ATK for every "Goyo"-Monster I control when it battles!" Duel Chaser 405 responded.

"That still means that your King will only power up by 400 points and reach the exact ATK for you hitting the perfect 0 LP defeat!" Yugo shot back.

The officer smirked. "I believe you are mistaken! I don't control one "Goyo"-Monster...!" Duel Chaser 405 began, a grin gradually crawling onto his face.

"He controls two!" His college finished for him, smirking from ear to ear as well.

"Huh?! What the fuck are you talking about?! I'm not that bright when it comes to math myself, but even I can count and say for sure that he controls only one monster!" Yugo snapped back.

The former policeman shook his head. "You seem to misunderstand something! I may only have Goyo King, but that doesn't matter as we're currently in the Battle Royal Team Mode!" He declared.

"What?! Battle Royal Team Mode?! What is that supposed to be?!" Yugo cried out in a shocked tone.

The second officer chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? It's a form of Battle Royal where players can take sides and team up with others! They may still have separate decks, Extra Decks, fields, hands, graveyards and Banish Zones, but their cards can interact with each other as if they belonged to both! That's why my Goyo Guardian also counts as my college's monster! Say thank you to our Security Director Jean-Michel Roger, it's his newest invention to take care of Commons Scum like you!" Duel Chaser 49 stated in a victorious tone.

"Kuh! I should have expected such a cheap trick coming from you guys! It's Security we're talking about after all!" Yugo cursed.

"My, such a sore loser you are!" Duel Chaser 405 replied with a grin before continuing. "Now my Goyo King gains 800 ATK and I survive your assault! How do you like that, you dirty Common?!" He mocked Yugo.

The yellow and blue haired male smirked. "Actually I like it quite fine! Thanks for the effect, you just threw yourself even deeper into the trash bin with your move!" Yugo responded.

-"WHAT?!"- His two opponents cried out in shock.

"Damn right, you did me a favor with your move to be honest! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's effect once more! Not only can it negate the activations of monster effects that target level five or higher monsters, but also effects activated by level five or higher monsters! Your Goyo King is level eight and used its effect! Which means it's a goner! Dichroic Mirror! Hyperspeed Siphon!" Yugo yelled, his dragon's special abilities taking down the officer's monster again while strengthening the white dragon.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: ATK 10600 → 16800_

"No way...!" Duel Chaser 405 murmured in disbelief, looking at the white dragon which was now surrounded by two layers of energy.

Yugo's eyes narrowed. "Now continue, Clear Wing! Direct attack on that idiot! Eat shit, you Tops Bootlicker Bastard! HELL DIVE WHIRLWIND SLASHER!" He yelled, his monster spiraling through the sky before colliding with the D-Wheel of the policeman, piercing into it like a drill. The officer's LP were depleted and his D-Wheel decelerated, the usual functions upon losing a duel activating.

 **DUEL CHASER 405 LP: 4000 → 0**

"You little shit! You will pay for that!" Duel Chaser 49 cried out in anger.

Yugo merely raised an eyebrow. "Already forgot that Clear Wing can attack twice due to Double Attack?" He asked, pointing forward again. "Now end this, Clear Wing! Get that stupid officer out of my sight so I can look for Rin again!"

"Not so fast, criminal! Trap card open! Defense Draw! I negate the battle damage and draw a card!" The policeman shouted in response. His Goyo Guardian was wiped out, but he survived unharmed.

Yugo clicked his tongue. "You really need to piss me off by stalling even more, do you?! But that's no biggie! First Clear Wing's secondary effect activates again! Since he destroyed a monster, he gains its attack points! Hyperspeed Siphon!" Yugo shouted, his dragon gaining a third aura of thick white-greenish light.

 _Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: ATK 16800 → 19600_

"What?! This effect also works with battle destruction?!" His remaining opponent cried out in terror.

Yugo nodded. "Yes, and these attack bonuses last for a while as well! You see, at the end of each turn my Clear Wing only loses the newest boost he gained by his own effect, meaning the boost from your Goyo Guardian! He may lose the boosts from my Lotterider and High Speed Re-Level as well since they are not derived from his own effect, but the two former boosts from destroying your partner's Goyo King twice will remain! During the following End Phases they will fall off step by step, Clear Wing losing one aura after the other until he's eventually back to normal! That's the power of my dragon!" Yugo exclaimed.

"Impossible...!" The officer uttered in disbelief, his body shaking visibly.

"It's not impossible! I've seen it with my very eyes, long before he summoned it during this duel right now!" Placido whispered in an outraged tone, clenching his fists again.

"But even if your dragon got stronger, you still cannot attack with it!" Duel Chaser 49 pointed out, having regained his composure.

Yugo laughed. "Good joke! Let me show you my quick-play spell **Speed Surprise Attack** , it will definitely enlighten you! By banishing a Wind Monster from my graveyard another Wind Monster which I control gains an additional attack during this turn! I banish Speedroid Terrortop so that Clear Wing can attack again!" Yugo announced, his dragon ascending into the sky again, becoming a death spiral as it initiated its signature attack. The Security Member gulped as he saw the dragon drawing nearer, charging at him.

"Let this be a reminder for you to not mess with us Commons! Time to rev it up and put you in the dirt! Go, Clear Wing! End this with an attack straight outta Commons! HELL DIVE WHIRLWIND SLASHER!" Yugo screamed, his monster striking down on the D-Wheel of his opponent, sending it skidding.

 **DUEL CHASER 49 LP: 4000 → 0**

 **YUGO WIN!**

( 35, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #18 Yuto's Passionate Soul end)

Yugo looked back and grinned before he redirected his head forward again. "Nice! Now with those goons outta the way I can finally look for Rin again! Let's get the fuck outta here!" He exclaimed before he jumped down the highway track with his D-Wheel, stretching out his Heavenly Dragon Card into the sky. "Go, Clear Wing! Teleport me somewhere please! Rin's location would be great!" He shouted, the dragon card beginning to glow at that as the power Zarc shifted from Yuri's prowess onto Clear Wing activated, creating a portal into another world beneath the male. The D-Wheel dropped into it, Yugo vanishing from the Synchro-Dimension with it. Meanwhile Roger and his ally discussed about the sudden disappearance of Yugo.

"Where did he go?! He vanished from our cameras for a second as he jumped down the track and now his signature is gone completely!" Placido exclaimed in confusion.

Roger hummed. "Yes, he is gone indeed. I suppose he has access to dimensional traveling and went to another world." He theorized.

Placido smirked. "I see! Then let's prepare a nice little opening party for him once that brat comes back to this world!" He suggested with a devilish grin.

The Security Director nodded. "Sounds good! I will arrange something!" He declared, standing up from his desk at that. "Anyway, there are other matters I have to attend to! Can you take care of the city while I'm gone?" He addressed the cyborg.

"Humph, if it must be, fine!" Placido agreed a little bit unwillingly, not much of a fan of supervising minute stuff within Neo Domino City.

"Great! I'll see you again for our next steps in a few hours!" Roger retorted, leaving the room at that.

* * *

 _A few minutes after Yuya's victory, Sakaki Residence..._

"...and then the attack collided and boom, I won my first qualification match!" An excited Yuya exclaimed as he was lying on his bed, talking to someone he had called using his duel disk.

The addressed person giggled. "Geez, you're really excited about your win, little brother! But then again I am as well, so I can't really blame you for that! Good job Yuya, you have surely improved a lot since I saw you for the last time!" The girl replied to him.

"Thank you, Yukina! Anyway, how are things going at your school? Still passing all the elite tests with ease?" He inquired as he looked on the display of his disk, a young adult girl on the other end of the line. Her main hair had a dark green color with one bang hanging down on both sides of her hair. The hinder part of it on the contrary had a bright red color and she also had a twintail of said color. Furthermore she had several white ribbons on the sides of her hair as well as a white hairband. She faced him with her dark red eyes and a gentle smile on her expression. Regarding her clothes, she wore a white schoolgirl-oufit with a blue collar possessing white stripes and a red band that meandered around her neck and was tied together at her front side, hanging down her chest. The uniform was long sleeved and had blue stripes at the area where the sleeves ended, meaning at her wrists. He couldn't see more of her, but Yuya knew that she was probably wearing her usual short dark green skirt and her white kneesocks reaching up to her thighs, plus the simple black shoes that she preferred to wear.

"Oh, it's going pretty well indeed!" Yukina responded. "Just one more win and I get my invitation to the final rounds!" She exclaimed in joyous anticipation.

Yuya smiled. "That's good! Honestly, I was kinda jealous on you for being able to not only enter the Maiami Championship that easily, but also getting a free ticket to the final rounds without all that stuff you normally have to do for it!" He joked.

She chuckled. "I guess that's true! But then again I'm in the legendary LDS Elite Faculty a few hundred miles north from Maiami City, and getting in there while also being one of the top students is kinda hard, you know? Also you rejected your free invitation to the normal rounds at the beginning, remember? But then again I like it a lot that you try to get into the tournament the normal way! It will definitely hone your skills!" Yukina responded with a giggle before her tone turned more serious at the latter two sentences.

Yuya laughed. "Guess that's true. You were always the more gifted from the two of us, so you deserve to skip the stuff I have to go through now! You don't need to prove yourself as I do after all!"

"But even if you have to do that annoying getting-into-the-tournament-thing, I think that you're in a good spot for it! If you keep up your current dueling, you can get there with ease! By the way, great duel today!" Yukina praised him.

"Wait big sis, you watched my duel?!" Yuya exclaimed in a surprised tone.

She nodded. "Yeah, and it was really good, especially the final part! Honestly, I'm glad that you've stepped away from your old choice of monsters and style of dueling! Nothing against the little silliness you display sometimes or dad's Performapals which you also use, but they're a little bit childish, not gonna lie!" Yukina remarked.

Yuya sweat dropped, rubbing his cheek in embarrassment. "Yeah, I guess you might have a point there!" He admitted.

"Don't misunderstand me, I don't dislike dad's Entertainment Dueling, but in my opinion you need to impress the audience with cool monsters and skillful dueling, not with circus tricks and illusions. If you want to see those, you can go to the circus or a magician show! You're almost 15 after all, so time for you to grow up! But as I said, you're on a good way now! If you train well, you might be able to become a pro-duelist as well, even without taking the shortcut for elite duelists as I did! So keep on honing your skills and continue to win, then I will see you again at the Maiami Championship!" Yukina encouraged her younger brother.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah! I will definitely get there! Though I don't hope such weird things like in my duel today happen again! You know what I mean?" He asked her.

Yukina nodded. "Yeah, I've seen it. That weird glow, very strange indeed. Just as weird as the fact that your Odd-Eyes evolved into a Pendulum-Monster, or the whole Pendulum-Monster-story in general. I still have no clue why some of my monsters transformed as well, but hey, I take it if I can get a method nobody else in my school has, right?" She grinned at her brother.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah. Speaking about Odd-Eyes, I hope that I get to face you in the finals with him! Man, it would be so epic if we got matched up against each other and decided the duel with a clash of our respective dragons!"

Yukina chuckled. "Agreed! Though I think your Odd-Eyes would get the short end of the stick against my red dragon!" She laughed.

"Yeah, your dragon is very terrifying indeed! I wish that I would have inherited it from dad!" He stated in a dreamy voice.

Yukina giggled. "Well, to get the crazy price card dad won at his greatest tournament ever you should have been born before me! But luckily I'm the 18 years old girl and you the 14 years old brother – and not the other way around!"

Yuya sweat dropped. "I guess that's true!" He said.

"Oh and by the way..." She began before she was interrupted.

"Oi! Stop talking to somebody on the other end of the world and focus on your current activity! We're still in a duel!" A male voice called out to her. Yukina looked up and faced the speaker, a teen of about her age on the other side of the arena's field where she was currently dueling. She scowled as she looked upon her opponent.

"First off, don't tell me what I can and cannot do, Mr. Jerk! I was just talking to my younger brother who won his first qualification match for the Maiami Championship!" She snapped at him.

"Oh, so what?! That hardly matters in comparison to the current match, doesn't it?! After all, this duel is the qualification match for the free ticket to the Maiami Championship Finals, so don't ignore me!" He shot back at her.

"Err, Yukina?" Yuya spoke from her disk, still there due to none of them having hung up yet.

"Well Yuya, I have to end this call for now. Hear you soon!" She spoke in an eerie tone.

"Yeah... Bye, Yukina..." Yuya said nervously, hanging up at that.

Yukina clenched her fists, glaring daggers at her opponent. "You idiot, how do you dare to disturb my privacy?! Do you have any idea how much my brother means to me?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW PISSED I AM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE YOU FAGGOT INTERUPTED MY CALL?!" She screamed at him at the top of her lungs, causing her opponent to flinch visibly.

"Oh, now he's done it! He wakened the dragon!" One of the female students watching the duel from one of the seats surrounding the dueling field said.

"Yeah, now he's pretty much fucked!" Another student next to her added.

"You really don't see the whole picture, do you?!" Yukina continued. "You think that just because you're the elite student from another top school gives you the capability of just coming here, beating me and getting into the final rounds of the championship, don't you?! Then let me shatter your delusions! DRAW!" She yelled in an intense voice.

"Man, the way Yukina Sakaki can change from that super cute girl into a savage duelist who crushes her opponents really gives me the chills!" A male student in the spectator's seats remarked, sweating quite a bit as he watched Yukina.

"Yeah, you should really avoid getting on her wrong side by trying to cut short her calls with her brother! She has like a really deep fraternal relationship with him and tramples down anyone who tries to harm it in any shape or form!" His friend sitting next to him added, sweating heavily as well.

"Now then, let me show you the difference between a newcomer like you and the undisputed queen of this school who thrones on top of the food chain ever since I arrived here! With my Scale 1 **Divine Servant Geb** and my Scale 10 **Divine Servant Nut** , I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yukina cried out, slamming down two cards on the ends of her duel disk, the word "Pendulum" flashing to life on her blade in rainbow colors. Two monsters arose in the light blue columns of light, the first one being a tanned skinned male wearing white robes and holding an ankh in his right hand. The second was a female of the same skin color, albeit with fewer clothes that revealed more of her body, also holding an ankh.

"So you can Pendulum Summon like that one boy Yuya Sakaki?!" Her opponent cried out in a shocked tone.

"Like that one boy?!" Yukina repeated angrily. "Have you even done one bit of research about me before the duel?! I AM HIS FUCKING SISTER! **I AM YUKINA SAKAKI!** " She yelled at him, causing him to flinch once more.

"But even if you can Pendulum Summon, how can you hope to beat my 4600 ATK Machina Force?!" He shot back at her after a few moments, having regained a bit of his composure.

She merely scoffed at him in response. "You think just because you summoned a beatstick with over 4000 attack points it means that you're safe now?! How naive!" Yukina exclaimed. "I now use my two Pendulum-Monsters to perform my Pendulum Summon! Great power of the ages! Be revived once more and descend from a shining arc across the ether!" She yelled, raising her hand. "PENDULUM SHŌKAN!" Yukina exclaimed as three rays of light appeared from the portal within the air. "Come to me, my monsters! First is my **Divine Servant Shu**!" She declared as another tanned skinned monster wearing white robes and holding an ankh like the two prior servants appeared. Distinguishing him from them, he had a variety of feathers on his head though, fixed on a headband.

 _Divine Servant Shu_

 _Divine/Level 7/Scale 1/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect_

"Next up is his wife! Say hello to **Divine Servant Tefnut**!" Yukina continued as the female counterpart of the previous monster appeared. It also wore robes, but had the head of a lioness.

 _Divine Servant Tefnut_

 _Divine/Level 3/Scale 10/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect_

"And finally, the falcon god! Please welcome our dear **Divine Servant Horus**!" Yukina concluded as she summoned the last Divine Servant, one with a falcon head.

 _Divine Servant Horus_

 _Divine/Level 3/Scale 1/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect_

"Three monsters at once!" Her opponent uttered in disbelief. "So this is Pendulum Summon...!" He whispered. "But none of your monsters is strong enough to defeat my Machina Force!" He addressed her after a short pause to regain his composure.

She scoffed at him in response. "Think again! These monsters are more than they look like! The fact alone that they have the Divine-Attribute is proof of that!" Yukina stated.

"Divine? What's that, I've never heard of it!" He replied to her.

"Naturally not! It is incredibly rare after all! I might even be the only person who has that many of them! But my Divine Servants aren't the ones who will finish you off! That's the job of a much greater being!" Yukina declared.

"Much greater being?! What do you mean by that?!" He addressed her in terror.

"Just wait and see!" The green and red haired girl retorted before raising her arm. "The Pendulum-Effect of my Divine Servant Geb! Once per turn, I can add a very specific type of monster to my hand!" She stated, her disk's A.I. searching out the card for her, which she then took into her hand. "Now then, if you think that your Machina Force is impressive, it's time for you to see how a real monster looks like! I sacrifice my Divine Servant Shu, Tefnut and Horus!" She declared, her three monsters vanishing one after the other.

"Wait, are you summoning something that can also be summoned by tributing three monsters instead of only two for some extra effects like Beast King Barbaros or Gilford the Lightning?!" Her opponent questioned her.

Yukina shook her head. "No, the monster I'm about to summon is far greater than any of those monsters! Behold, you're about to witness true magnificence now!" The girl declared.

Her opponent gulped as the sky slowly turned dark, gray clouds shrouding the air above them.

"She's really going to summon her ace!" One of the spectators exclaimed.

"Now that guy is surely done for!" Another student chimed in.

"GREAT DRAGON DWELLING IN THE SKY! HEAD MY CALLING AND DESCEND! RULING OVER THE AFTERLIFE AND WIELDING IMMEASURABLE POWER, ITS MIGHT IS INCOMPARABLE TO ANY OTHER MONSTER'S! NOW SHOW YOURSELF AND GIVE US A DISPLAY OF YOUR INFINITE POWERS! AS THE LIGHTNING STRIKES DOWN, THEY WILL BE NO MORE! THE HEAVENS TWIST AND THUNDER ROARS, SIGNALING THE COMING OF MY ANCIENT CREATURE, AND THE DAWN OF TRUE POWER!" Yukina shouted as a white column of light shot skywards.

( 36, Yugioh Duel Monsters Egyptian God Theme Dub Version)

" **GOD SHŌKAN!** " Yukina yelled at the top of her lungs as she slammed a red colored card on her blade. " **I NOW INVOKE _SKY_** _ ** _D_ RAGON OF OSIRIS!**_" She screamed as two great wings unfolded themselves and a gigantic red dragon slowly descended from the clouds, its body serpentine and being in a seemingly constant flow as it moved in a spiraling motion. Its head possessed two jaws, the upper mouth shut while the lower jaw was open, the dragon roaring menacingly. It also had a pair of arms on its upper body at the section where its wings sprouted from. Yukina's opponent trembled in fear as he faced the gaze of the dragon, its eyes seemingly glaring right into his soul from the look on the male's expression. The audience observed the great dragon in awe, the majority of them gasping in astonishment about the unequaled monster Yukina had just summoned.

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_

 _Divine/Level 10/ATK X000/DEF X000/Divine-Beast_

"What... is this...?!" Yukina's opponent whispered in fear.

"Oh, this? Nothing much, only an Egyptian God Card! You should know that there are only three of them as far as I know, and mine is the weakest of the three!" Yukina stated.

He gulped. "The weakest?! No way, the pressure this monster emits is unreal! I can actually feel the fear inside my body, almost as if it was a fluid in my body that drowned me from the inside!" He uttered in terror. "And you're telling me that there are even stronger monsters than this one?!"

Yukina nodded. "Yeah, but for now my Osiris should suffice! Oh, and by the way, I believe that fluid you've mentioned is actually not drowning you from the inside, but rather flowing into your pants as you keep wetting yourself in fear! Its effect! Its attack points are determined by the number of cards I hold in my hand times 1000! I currently have one, so that means its ATK is 1000!"

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_ _: ATK 0 → 1000_

He regained a bit of his composure at that. "So it only has 1000 ATK? That means it's worlds apart from my Machina Force, despite its impressive looks and size!" He pointed out.

Yukina chuckled. "Are you sure about that?" She stated, grinning at him. "I activate the spell Card of Demise!"

"What?! That card allows you to draw until you have five cards in your hand!" He exclaimed in terror.

Yukina nodded. "So you know it, despite its rarity! That's good! I draw five cards now! With that, my Osiris' ATK rises up to 5000!"

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_ _: ATK 1000 → 0 → 5000_

"It surpassed my monster...!" He whispered in fear.

"Yeah, but that's not all! For messing with me, I will put you WAY deeper in the dirt than I already would!" Yukina declared, causing her opponent to flinch. "I now activate this spell card!" She showed him the card at that. " **Ankh of Calling**! This enables me to either search out a level ten monster of the Attribute Divine, meaning an Egyptian God, or two Divine Servants instead, with the downside of not being able to summon anything other than Divine monsters for the rest of the turn that is! I'll add **Divine Servant Set** and **Divine Servant Nephthys** to my hand! And then, since I also control a God Card at the moment, I may draw an extra card from my deck! Meaning my god will get even stronger!" She stated, her Osiris powering up again.

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_ _: ATK 5000 → 4000 → 7000_

"Next up the effect of my Divine Servant Horus that is currently in my Extra Deck since I tributed him for my god! During the turn he was sacrificed for a Divine monster, I can activate his effect once and draw a card with it!" Yukina yelled as she drew another card, strengthening Osiris once more.

 _The Heavenly Dragon God of Osiris: ATK 7000 → 8000_

"And to round it off, I activate this card right here! Pot of Greed!"

Her opponent gulped again. "Pot of Greed?! As in "Only four copies of that card exist in the entire world"-Pot of Greed?!" He uttered fearfully.

Yukina nodded. "Yeah, the probably rarest generic spell in the world! I happen to have one of them due to my father winning it as a price card back in his prime ten years ago! Now then, I draw two cards, bringing up my Heavenly Dragon God of Osiris to 9000 ATK!"

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_ _: ATK 8000 → 7000 → 9000_

"She actually did it! Now she can OTK her opponent, even over his 4600 ATK beatstick!" One of the students watching the duel exclaimed in awe.

"It gets even worse! The Pendulum-Effect of my Divine Servant Nut! Once per turn, I can target one monster you control and a level ten Divine monster I control – meaning a God Card – in order to drain half of your monster's ATK and give them to mine!"

"No way..." He whispered in fear as the dragon god powered up even further.

 _Machina Force: ATK 4600 → 2300_

Sky _Dragon of Osiris_ _: ATK 9000 → 11300_

" _It's over 9000!"_ Zarc commented as he flew by like usually. Then he addressed the red dragon. _"Bye the way, you look great today, Osiris! Having a nice day so far?"_

The dragon's eyes turned sideways, gazing at the spectral form. _"Pretty much, Lord Zarc! Especially since I'm about to put that human brat ten feet in the dirt!"_ He replied.

" _That's good! Then have fun wrecking the human scum and enjoy the rest of the day, Osiris!"_ Zarc retorted, turning around at that.

" _Have a nice day as well, Master Zarc!"_ The dragon retorted before his master vanished.

"Now then, time for the finale! Sky Dragon of Osiris attacks your Machina Force! Let this be a reminder to you why disturbing conversations between me and my brother leads to major obliteration!"

Her opponent began sweating as the dragon started charging up a yellow beam of light, its power spiraling around in lightning-like waves as it grew in intensity.

"Wait! I activate the trap card Sakuretsu Armor! This card destroys an attacking monster! So your Osiris is wiped out!" He shouted.

Yukina merely chuckled at that. "Useless!" She replied.

"WHAT?!"

"That's right, an Egyptian God Card is completely unaffected by all spells and traps that would remove or switch control of them, as well as by monster effects that remove it from the field, tribute or change control over it! The only thing that works are other monster effects than the before mentioned or spells and traps that do the same, but even the latter of those two only work for one turn!"

" **NO WAY!** " Her opponent cried out in disbelief.

"Yes way! Now then, prepare for getting wrecked!" She shot back at him. As her monster finished charging up its attack, Yukina's eyes widened while she stretched out her right hand towards him. "THE COUP DE GRACE! **SUPER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION WAVE – THUNDER FORCE!** " She yelled as Osiris fired its attack, obliterating Machina Force and wiping out all of her opponent's lifepoints in an instant.

 **YUKINA'S OPPONENT LP: 4000 → 0**

 **YUKINA WIN!**

( 36, Yugioh Duel Monsters Egyptian God Theme Dub Version end)

The students watching the duel clapped for her as the monster dissolved and she turned around, huffing while she puffed up her cheeks.

"Nobody tells me that I mustn't talk with my little brother!" She whispered to herself, pouting about her opponent's behavior. She left the arena through a side exit after that. After a few steps down the hallway, she encountered a person awaiting her with a grin.

"So you've really managed to get your ticket for the finals as well! As to be expected of you, Yukina!" A female voice called out to her.

Yukina looked up to face another young adult girl standing a few meters away from her. She also wore a school uniform, albeit a different model consisting of a pink jacket with white lines over it, wearing a white dress shirt underneath it. She furthermore had a bow tie-like ribbon of blue color around her neck, as well as a short blue skirt plus black thigh-high socks and purple shoes. The girl ran through her brown hair with her left hand, assuring that she maintained her usual style of having two-parted hair with some bangs running leftwards in a winglike form. Yukina grinned as she faced the light blue eyes of her friend. "So you really bothered waiting for me! That's so nice of you, Anzu!" She addressed her.

"Naturally!" Anzu retorted. "You're my best friend after all, so of course I'm waiting for you! Congrats by the way, you really showed that jerk how a true duelist looks like!" She praised her. "Oh, and congratulations to your younger brother as well! I know that you must be very proud on him for passing his first qualification match!" She added.

Yukina smiled at her. "I do! He really grew a lot after I left three years ago to go to this school! I might even face him when the two of us enter the Maiami Championship at the final rounds!"

Anzu nodded. "Quite likely if he really is as good as he appears to be! Anyway, to celebrate your won duel and entry into the Maiami Championship Finals, how about getting a slushy, Yukina? I'll invite you if you want!" Anzu offered.

Yukina's face lit up. "Oh my gosh, that's so nice of you, Anzu! I'll gladly take that offer! Let's go!" She exclaimed in a cheerful tone, beginning to advance further down the hallway, wrapping her arm around her friend.

"Ah, no problem! You're my best friend after all!" Anzu replied, walking by her side as they slowly left the area together. Meanwhile two spectral figures observed the scene.

" _Wait, was that really Anzu just now?! As in Anzu Mazaki, friend of Yugi Muto, female lead of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters-Anzu?!"_ Ray exclaimed in disbelief.

Zarc, hovering next to her, nodded. _"Yeah, that was An_ _zu Mazaki, Thea_ _Gardner or whatever you wanna call her! Did you think that the Apocalyptic Prowesses were the only things I based on anime?! Nope, with the power I gained from becoming one with Genesis Omega Dragon I was able to control the formation of a major part of the newly created universe! So I based it on anime as well, thus we have characters from all the Yu-Gi-Oh!-series here, like Jack Atlas, Kaito Tenjo or Anzu Mazaki for instance! Though in Anzu's case it's actually the Dark Side of Dimensions-Movie I based her design on as you can tell from her hairdo!"_

" _Zarc, this power you have is unreal!"_ Ray stated in awe and a bit of terror as well.

" _Naturally!"_ Zarc exclaimed, his eyes changing into the multicolored Genesis Eyes once more. _"Did you already forget that I merged with God himself?! This is the power of Divine Transcendence, so manipulating the world to my wishes isn't that difficult, although this world is a little bit mixed up and not a fully perfected copy of said animes! Actually I only intended to have a very few special persons in this new world, the whole rest of former characters were born because of your will to rescue the world, meaning they came to life to aid you in defeating me!"_

" _Only a few special characters? What do mean by that?"_ Ray asked in a shocked tone.

" _Sorry, not gonna tell ya yet!"_ Zarc taunted her. _"Anyway, time for me to go!"_ Zarc declared as he vanished.

* * *

 _LDS Control Room..._

"Sir! We've detected several outbursts of enormous energy during your absence!" A worker sitting at one of the monitors exclaimed as Reiji entered the dark room.

"I see." He stated, pushing up his glasses. "And what kinds of energy readings did you detect while I was gone?" He inquired, beginning to advance towards his control board within the room.

"Well, first we detected a few Synchro- and Xyz Summonings of unusual strength! Especially one of them stood out and even overloaded the power supply system of Maiami City and burned our sensors!" The worker stated.

"I understand. So that's why we had a blackout for a couple of minutes. Well, are the sensors back to normal as well now?" He asked his employee.

He nodded. "Yes, they are, Sir! After they were working again, we detected several more summonings! In a place called Kirigakure Cooking School that boy Yuya Sakaki conducted two Ritual- and one Synchro Summon!" The man replied. "And one of those Ritual-Monsters he summoned had the same type of energy readings as these weird ones from two days ago! Also there were some Fusion Summonings that exceeded the average level by far!" He added.

"Oh, is that so?" Reiji cried out in a curious tone. "Anything else?" He inquired.

The worker nodded. "Yeah, we also detected an immense summoning energy around three hundred miles away! It was conducted at our Special Elite Faculty in the north of Honshu!" He addressed his boss.

Reiji nodded, taking a seat on his chair at the central desk of the control room. _'_ _Synchro- and Xyz Summons of unusual strength, huh? While I'm used to the Xyz Summons now, the Synchros are new. Maybe there are people from the Synchro-Dimension here in Standard then! Plus unusually high Fusion Summonings means an Academia Spy here in Standard for sure! I better not let my guard down! Furthermore Yuya Sakaki seems to have discovered the hidden potential beyond Pendulum or is very close to reaching it at the very least. Plus that Ritual Summon of equal signature as that previous one is also very intriguing! He will probably be an even bigger help for my Lancers than I originally expected!_ _'_ He thought, a smirk crawling onto his face at that. Then he addressed his assistant Nakajima standing next to his control board. "Tell me Nakajima, was the one energy reading in the north of the Japanese main island originating from what person I think it was?" He asked, pushing up his glasses again.

Nakajima nodded. "Yes, it was! Yukina Sakaki summoned her ace monster "The Heavenly Dragon God of Osiris" once more!" He responded.

"I see. I take it that she won her last qualification duel for the final rounds of the championship with ease as usually?" He inquired.

"Yes, Sir!" Nakajima replied.

"As to be expected of her. She is the firstborn child of the great Yusho Sakaki after all. She was always an interesting candidate for my Lancers, owning an Egyptian God, one of the three monsters so powerful that my father named the affiliation of his students after them, as I learned when I came to Academia when I was a young adult of 17 years, around three years ago. But now that she also has Pendulum-Monsters like her little brother, she is even more interesting to me. She will surely become a Lancer, alongside that other honor student from my elite school who passed her qualification duels like Yukina, Anzu Mazaki. With them and the rest of the duelists out there in this dimension, I'm sure we can defeat my accursed father and his nefarious Duel Soldier Army!" Reiji declared in a resolute tone.

"Agreed, Sir!" Nakajima chimed in before both of them returned to their normal supervising activities they usually did when they were in the LDS Control Room.

* * *

 _Gishiki Dimension, Royal Palace, one hour before Yubi dueled against Sora..._

Ghidorah was wandering around in a yard of his spacious castle. Suddenly a bright light attracted his attention, prompting him to turn around. Out of a bluish portal, a girl appeared, landing a few feet away from him.

"Oh, it's you, Rin! What brings you here?" He addressed the green haired girl in a friendly tone.

Rin looked up and faced the white haired man. "Hello, King Ghidorah! Well, to answer your question, I met Ruri's friend Yuto in Standard whom I'm not allowed to get in contact with, so I had to duel my way out and ported back to safety. Now I want to go back to our base in Standard and meet up with the rest of my group again." Rin explained.

The king nodded. "I see. I take it that everything went well so far?" He inquired.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, it did. Anyway, how are things going here? Any Fusion Soldiers having shown up yet?" She asked the king.

Ghidorah shook his head. "Not yet. But I have a feeling that they might come soon." He responded. Suddenly he heard something, turning around. Rin's gaze followed his as a purple portal opened on the other side of the yard.

Rin scowled as she observed three persons emerging from it, wearing blue-whitish uniforms and masks of blue and and silver color, having a gem of green, yellow and red respectively on their foreheads. "Speak of the devil... Obelisk Force...!" She uttered through gritted teeth.

"Well, well, well, so this is the Ritual-Dimension!" The soldier with the red gem in the middle of the formation spoke up.

"Looks pretty nice! Or rather it STILL looks pretty nice! Time to change that!" The one on the left with the yellow gem continued.

"Hey guys, look over there!" The third one with the green gem exclaimed, pointing at the two people standing on the other side of the yard.

"Oh? Looks like these are the natives of this dimension!" Yellow chimed in again.

"Wait a minute, isn't that girl over there one of those girls whom we're supposed to be looking for?" Green asked.

Red nodded, grinning devilishly. "She is! Hey, you over there!" He addressed Ghidorah. "Hand over that girl right now and we might consider letting your dimension alone!"

Ghidorah shook his head and faced them with a fierce expression. "No way in hell I'm going to give you Rin!" He replied to them.

"That's right! You cunts can fuck right off!" Rin yelled at the Obelisk Force.

The leader of the Obelisk Force Squad scowled. "Very well! Then we will just take her by force!" He declared, readying his duel disk.

"Fine by me!" Rin shot back, raising her disk as well. However, Ghidorah intercepted with that, putting his hand onto her disk and pushing it down. "Hey, what are you doing?! I want to duel those guys! I recognize some of their voices and know that they are a part of the Obelisk Force that was in charge for my cell! Let me at them! I want to pay those jerks back for it!" She yelled at him.

Ghidorah redirected his gaze at her as he gave her a side glance. "That might be true, but even if this is something personal between you and these guys, it would still be unfitting for someone like me to let a young lady like you fight and merely watch!" The king explained, causing her to blush very faintly. Then his expression intensified. "Besides, don't forget that these people from Academia tried to abduct my daughter, so this is very personal for me as well! Just stay back and observe how I erase these jerks from the face of the earth!" He addressed her.

Rin nodded. "Okay. Have it your way." She gave in. Ghidorah activated his duel disk after that.

"So it's decided! Us three against you, old man! It will be a 3 vs. 1 Battle Royal with only the first player being unable to attack!" The Obelisk Force with the green gem on his mask announced.

"Fine by me!" Ghidorah retorted. "Bring it on!"

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **GHIDORAH VS. OBELISK FORCE**

 **GHIDORAH: 4000**

 **OBELISK YELLOW: 4000**

 **OBELISK RED: 4000**

 **OBELISK GREEN: 4000**

"Gladly!" Yellow exclaimed. "I summon Ancient Gear Hound Dog!" He shouted, a mechanical dog appearing at that.

 _Ancient Gear Hound Dog_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Machine/Effect_

"Since I cannot attack during the first turn of the duel, I will use its effect! By disabling it from attacking this turn – which doesn't matter right now as I said before – you take 600 points of damage! Hound Flame!" He shouted as a flame thrower within the dog's mechanical maw launched a salvo at Ghidorah.

 **GHIDORAH LP: 4000 → 3400**

"I set a card face-down! Turn end!" Yellow declared, grinning victoriously.

"I'll take the next turn!" Green exclaimed. "I summon a Hound Dog as well!"

 _Ancient Gear Hound Dog_

 _Earth/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Machine/Effect_

"Direct attack!" He declared, his monster pouncing on Ghidorah.

 **GHIDORAH LP: 3400 → 2400**

"And?! How does it feel?!" He mocked the Gishiki King after he had received the attack.

Ghidorah raised his left eyebrow. "Not as bad as I thought. Your monsters are more bark than bite from the looks of it." He responded in a calm voice.

"Why you...!" Green cursed. "I set a card face-down and end my turn!" He uttered grudgingly.

"Then it's my turn!" Red announced. "Since you seem to be bored by our dogs, how about something else then?! I activate Polymerization!" He cried out, raising a green colored card above his head.

"This card, huh?" The Gishiki King whispered to himself. "Time to see how those Fusion-Monsters look like I guess."

"And using it, I fuse Ancient Gear Cannon and Ancient Gear Soldier! Ancient spirits within your mechanical bodies! Merge together and revive another legend from the mystical origins of our world! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" He yelled, clapping his hands together. "Come forth, legendary hero of the old times! Level 6! **Ancient Gear Hero Achilles**!" The Obelisk Force Member cried out as mechanical warrior appeared, wielding an iron spear and wearing a helmet and armor used in Ancient Greek, completely out of metal like the previous things.

 _Ancient Gear Hero Achilles_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2200/DEF 1500/Machine/Fusion/Effect_

"Achilles, huh? The ancient, nearly immortal hero described in Homer's Iliad who got killed by a poisonous arrow that hit his heel, the only place where he was still vulnerable. So this is the advanced kind of monsters the Obelisk Force uses, I see!" Ghidorah stated.

Red nodded. "Yeah, previously we only used Hound Dog-Fusions! But this time is over now! Hero Achilles, direct attack!" He exclaimed, his mechanical warrior charging forward with his spear aimed at Ghidorah.

 **GHIDORAH LP: 2400 → 200**

"Well, looks like you're almost done for, old geezer! I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Red declared.

"Hmm, not bad at all!" Ghidorah stated, rising up again from the previous attack. He looked at his opponents after that, facing them with a resolute expression. "You are a really good group, I gotta give you that! However, you failed to finish me off! And this shortcoming will be your demise! My turn!" He yelled, causing the three soldiers to flinch. Ghidorah looked backwards and noticed a few people arriving at the yard. "Oh, it's you Dorian! What brings you here?" He addressed the newly arrived court musician and the people standing behind him.

"I was going for a music rehearsal with my orchestra when we heard an uproar coming from here!" Dorian replied. "Is everything alright, your majesty?" He addressed the king in a concerned tone.

Ghidorah nodded. "Pretty much. I'm down a few lifepoints, but now it's finally my turn. But it's still good that you are here, Dorian! To build up some atmosphere, could you and your orchestra play something fitting, please? You know, like THE THEME!" He said, stressing the last part of his sentence.

"Of course, your majesty! Guys, positions please!" He addressed the crowd of musicians carrying various instruments who had been on their way to the hall where they normally practiced before they were interrupted. "And one, two, three, four!" He exclaimed, moving his baton to prepare them for the theme. The ensemble was obviously pretty experienced with the track as the began playing instantly after their conductor's count.

( 37, What can you see in their eyes - Bleach OST Extended)

"What... is that?!" Red addressed the king as the orchestra began playing.

"That? That's the national anthem of the Gishiki Empire! Although my ancestors mostly expanded the empire through peaceful means, there were a few occasions when we had to wage war. And this song is the ultimate proof of our superiority in that regard, that nobody is able to stand up to us in battle! And soon you will realize that this counts for you as well!" Ghidorah addressed the Obelisk Force. "Now then, let it begin! Draw!" He shouted, the choir behind beginning to sing at that, the lines of the text interrupted by short occasional breaks within some of them.

-"What can you see in their eyes, in defeat?"-

-"I can see their demise!"-

-"Even though not a blow has been struck as they have to...!"-

"I start off by activating the spell Melody of Awakening Dragon!" Ghidorah declared. "I discard a Blue-Eyes White Dragon so I can add up to two Dragon-Type monsters with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF from my deck to the hand! My choice are a second Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon!" He declared, taking a Normal- and a Ritual-Monster into his hand at that.

-"Fight like the wind, far too strong to resist!"-

"Then I will reveal the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand to special summon Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon from my hand!"

 _Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon_

 _Light/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Effect_

-"There's nowhere to hide from the force that will tear them apart and banish their souls!"-

"Using its effect, I can destroy one of your monsters by preventing it from attacking this turn! I vaporize your Hero Achilles!" He said, pointing at the mechanical warrior that got destroyed immediately afterwards, his orchestra beginning to play the interlude after that.

"Next up, I will use the spell card Trade-In to discard my second Blue-Eyes in order to draw two more cards!" He said, dumping his Normal-Monster into the grave. "Now, using the spell card Silver's Cry, I can revive my normal Blue-Eyes! Welcome back, my faithful friend and soul!"

 _Blue-Eyes White Dragon_

 _Light/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Normal_

( 38; this is merely for reference)

"Furthermore I will activate the ritual spell Chaos Form! Using this card, by tributing monsters from my hand or field or banishing Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my graveyard whose levels equal exactly eight, I can Ritual-Summon this card!" He showed them Chaos MAX at that. "I will banish the Blue-Eyes in my graveyard!" He announced, his dragon being enveloped by a purple sphere of light.

"The will of the king resides within the mighty dragon! Now break free from your bonds and be unleashed! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Descend! Level 8! BLUE-EYES CHAOS MAX DRAGON!" He yelled in a fierce voice as a portal opened on the sphere's surface, a blue dragon hovering in a galaxy filled with stars within that sphere becoming visible. It emerged and let loose a roar of enormous volume.

 _Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 4000/DEF 0/Dragon/Ritual/Effect_

"Then I activate Card of Demise, allowing me to draw cards until I have five in my hand again!" Ghidorah stated, his expression turning incredibly fierce after that. Unnoticed to everyone though, he briefly grinned as he saw a very specific card under the newly drawn ones. "And now you bastards will pay!" Ghidorah hissed through gritted teeth, gazing at his three opponents in anger. "Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon attacks Green's Hound Dog!" He declared, pointing at the Duel Soldier on the right. "MAXIMUM BURST OF CHAOS!" He shouted in a fierce voice.

"Hold it!" Green retorted. "I activate the quick-play spell which I set, Book of Moon! I change your attacking dragon into face-down defense position to cancel out your attack!" He shot back.

"Useless! My Chaos MAX cannot be targeted by card effects!" Ghidorah responded.

"What?!" Green cried out in disbelief. "Then I will simply target my own Hound Dog to avoid battle damage!" He stated, his monster changing into face-down defense position at that.

-"What can you see in their eyes, in defeat?"-

-"I can see their demise!"-

Ghidorah chuckled. "You just dug your own grave! When Chaos MAX battles a monster in defense position, it deals doubled piercing damage! In other words, you are doomed!" Ghidorah exclaimed as the dragon fired a blue stream of energy, smaller rays of light being sent out from its wings, piercing the monster and the duelist alike.

 **OBELISK GREEN LP: 4000 → 0**

-"Even though not a blow has been struck as they have to...!"-

"He... killed him!" Yellow whispered in horror, gazing at his comrade whose head had been pierced by the countless energy rays.

-"Fight like the wind, far too strong to resist!"-

Ghidorah nodded. "Naturally! I don't take prisoners if the people in question are bastards like you who tried to abduct my beloved daughter!" He then turned around to the girl standing behind him. "Oh, sorry if I disturbed you by the way!" He addressed Rin.

-"There's nowhere to hide from the force that will tear them apart and banish their souls!"-

Rin merely shook her head. "No, you needn't be. I already saw horrible things in my childhood back in the slums of Neo Domino, so I'm already used to such stuff. Besides, this is war and these jerks have killed millions of Ruri's people while planing on doing the same to all other dimensions as well, so you can blast them all into nonexistence for all I care!" She shouted fiercely, the anger of her own captivity and various other negative incidents connected to the Fusion-Dimension resurfacing within her mind.

Ghidorah sighed. "That's great! So since Rin isn't concerned about this, I can freely continue destroying you, that's a relief!" He remarked.

"Destroying us?! What do mean, you don't have any monsters that can attack left on the field! Now end your turn so we can get rid of the last 200 LP you have!" Yellow screamed at him.

Ghidorah chuckled. "No monsters? Think again! I activate the quick-play spell **Urgent Gishiki**!" He shouted, raising a card into the air. "This enables me to either activate a ritual spell during my Battle Phase or to conduct a Chō Gishiki! I select the latter option!" He stated, three smaller dragons slowly transforming into a sphere of bright blue light, their levels changing into 24 stars.

"So this is..." Yellow began.

"...that legendary Chō Gishiki?!" His comrade Red concluded.

Ghidorah nodded. "Indeed! I use monsters on my field as tributes to summon a Ritual-Monster whose level is equal or lower than the sum of its tributes! Though this Chō Gishiki is a little bit special! I need to use twice the material, meaning two levels for every level my new monster has! Meaning with level twelve, I have to tribute a total of twenty-four levels or more! Also my Chaos MAX is required for this new monster! So I sacrifice it along with Blue-Eyes White and Alternative Dragon!" He declared as the stars in the sky united, two of them each merging into a new star of a darker blue color than before. As all 24 had merged, the twelve new stars aligned above the blue sphere of light, the orchestra having finished the outro part and extending the theme by starting anew with the intro part as Ghidorah's monster transformed.

-"What can you see in their eyes, in defeat?"-

-"I can see their demise!"-

-"Even though not a blow has been struck as they have to fight like the wind, far too string to resist!"-

-"There's nowhere to hide from the force that will tear them apart and banish their souls!"-

"Sublime dragon born from the union of many mighty dragons that came before you! Draw your first breath and descend to this realm! They see their defeat drawing closer! They face their demise at your arrival! They tremble in fear before even a single blow has been struck by you! Your immeasurable power is far to strong to resist! Beneath your radiant stream of ultimate power, their hope is crushed, their bodies are torn apart and their souls are banished! Now come forth and herald their downfall!" Ghidorah chanted while a pair of wings unfolded from within the sphere. As the shining pillar of radiance struck down, he began the final part of his summoning chant. "APPEAR, THE INCARNATION OF MY SOUL MERGED WITH THE STRONGEST POWER! **GISHIKI SHŌKAN!** _**ARISE,**_ _ **BLUE-EYES CHAOS SUPREMUS DRAGON**_ **!** " He yelled at the top of his lungs as a gigantic, three-headed dragon with a torso of mostly blue and white color, having wings of dark blue color and golden lines over all of its body, appeared. Its eye color was still blue like its name suggested, but while the iris had said color, the scleras were actually golden as well. The black slits in the middle of the irises eyed the remaining two Obelisk Force Members with a vicious look, keen on obliterating them. The dragon landed on the ground after a moment, its golden talons digging into the plaster of the yard, its maw wide open as it unleashed a tremendous roar.

 _Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon_

 _Light/Level 12/Scale 0/ATK 4500/DEF 4500/Dragon/Ritual/Pendulum/Effect_

' _Geez, that dragon is insane! It was already impressive when I saw it for the first time, but from this close, it's looks even more powerful!'_ Rin thought, looking upwards to the dragon that towered above her and Ghidorah. _'If I recall correctly what Yuga said to me during yesterday's dinner, Chaos MAX is around eight meters in height, one meter more than Bile Throat, counting by the height of their heads instead of their wings of course. And from his words, Supremus Dragon is about four times its height, meaning thirty meters!'_ She continued. _'Yeah, looks like as if it's about accurate!'_ She concluded, eyeing the enormous dragon above her.

"I'm not finished! I now activate another quick-play spell! **Blue-Eyes Unification**! This card enables me to fuse "Blue-Eyes"-Monsters from my hand, field or graveyard! In addition to that, if I currently control a "Blue-Eyes"-Monster summoned from the Extra Deck, all "Blue-Eyes"-Monsters I use are automatically treated as Blue-Eyes White Dragons! I banish the three monsters which I just used for my Supremus Dragon, Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX, White and Alternative White Dragon!" He exclaimed, his three dragons spiraling together in a vortex.

"Wait, you can Fusion Summon?!" Red cried out incredulously.

Ghidorah nodded. "Yeah, I made the power of my enemies my own, just as you have Ritual-Monsters in your world! Now then, it's time for the debut of my newest dragon!" He shouted before he began chanting as the interlude that had played before ended and the refrain began once more.

-"What can you see in their eyes, in defeat?"-

-"I can see their demise!"-

-"Even though not a blow has been struck as they have to fight like the wind, far too string to resist!"-

-"There's nowhere to hide from the force that will tear them apart and banish their souls!"-

"The three shining dragons with blue eyes join together their heads! Merge within a radiant vortex and become the harbinger of their end! Feast your eyes on the most powerful of all dragons in its fully evolved glory! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" He screamed, clapping his hand together. "Show yourself! Level 12! NEO BLUE-EYES ULTIMATE DRAGON!" Ghidorah yelled as another three-headed white dragon appeared. Instead of golden lines it had light blue ones over its body, also it was smaller than the previous dragon, but still incredibly imposing.

 _Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon_

 _Light/Level 12/ATK 4500/DEF 3800/Dragon/Fusion/Effect_

The remaining two Obelisk Force Members gulped. Ghidorah noticed it and smirked. "Looks like you're pretty impressed by my new dragon! That's good, because it will attack you soon! But first the last effect of my Blue-Eyes Unification! When the Fusion-Monster I summoned with this effect happens to have equal or fewer ATK than a Blue-Eyes which I already control, I can draw a card!" He stated, doing just that, bringing his hand up to four again. "And?" He addressed them. " **How does it feel like to face the wrath of the Gishiki Empire?!** " He shouted at them in an intense voice, the two gigantic dragons hovering above his head, Ghidorah pointing up to them.

The two Obelisk Force Soldiers began sweating and looked upon the great dragons in terror, getting nervous at the thought of an incoming attack series by them. Meanwhile the orchestra played the last few seconds of the background theme before it slowly came to an end.

( 37, What can you see in their eyes - Bleach OST Extended end)

"Now battle as well!" Ghidorah exclaimed. "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacks Yellow's Ancient Gear Hound Dog!"

"I activate the trap card Damage Diet! Using this card, I take only half of the damage until the end of this turn!" Yellow shouted in response.

"You will still lose and die, you know that?" Ghidorah stated in a nonchalant tone.

Yellow gritted his teeth. "Probably. But I get to buy time for my comrade since you need two attacks for me now, even if you strengthen your dragon a bit!"

Ghidorah's expression changed at that. "Wow, you guys are actually so cooperative that you sacrifice yourselves for your comrades! Looks like I underestimated you a bit in that regard!" The Gishiki King exclaimed in a surprised tone. "But you're still a goner! Go, Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate! Blast him into nonexistence! HYPER ULTIMATE BURST!" He yelled as the dragon's three heads unleashed three beams of energy that united and destroyed Yellow's dog while taking away a major junk of his lifepoints as well, even with his trap.

 **OBELISK YELLOW LP: 4000 → 2250**

"Argh!" Yellow exclaimed as he was hurled back. He looked up again, only to break into sweat as he saw the next dragon charging up its attack.

"Now Supremus Dragon will finish the job! ULTIMATE CHAOS BURST STREAM OF SUPREMACY!" Ghidorah yelled as his dragon fired a white cone of energy from its left head looking into Yellow's direction.

"Wait 4500 divided by two, that's..." Rin began to deliberate. "WAIT, THAT'S EXACTLY 2250!" She cried out in realization.

Ghidorah nodded. "That's right! But your calculation was not necessary, Rin! Since my Supremus Dragon inflicts doubled damage!" He announced. At that moment the beam collided with Yellow, vaporizing his body.

 **OBELISK YELLOW LP: 2250 → 0**

"Looks like you're the only one left!" Ghidorah stated, facing the Duel Soldier standing in the middle of the former formation. "My Supremus Dragon can attack thrice per Battle Phase! Say goodbye!"

"In your dreams! Trap card open! **Ancient Gear Heroic Entrance**! This card revives an Ancient Gear Hero with 300 bonus ATK, in attack position that is! Furthermore it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn! Come, Ancient Gear Hero Achilles!" Red cried out as his spear-wielding monster showed up again.

 _Ancient Gear Hero Achilles_

 _Earth/Level 6/ATK 2200 → 2500/DEF 1500/Machine/Fusion/Effect_

"But you're still going to take major damage! 2000 to be exact! And because my Supremus Dragon doubles any battle damage it inflicts, you lose nevertheless!" Ghidorah pointed out.

"I don't think so!" Red shot back. "Since all battle damage I take from attacks involving the revived monster is halved as well until the End Phase!"

Ghidorah gritted his teeth. "Fine, have it the long and painful way! Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon attacks Ancient Great Hero Achilles! ULTIMATE CHAOS BURST STREAM OF SUPREMACY!" Ghidorah shouted, his dragon firing another cone of white energy from its right head.

 **OBELISK RED LP: 4000 → 2000**

"AND ONCE MORE! THIS IS THE END! **ULTIMATE CHAOS BURST STREAM OF SUPREMACY!** " Ghidorah yelled at the top of his lungs as his dragon fired the final attack from the maw of its middle head.

"Not yet! The effect of my Hero Achilles! Once per turn, I get to halve the battle damage from a battle involving an Ancient Gear-Monster! The damage I would take here is 2000! This damage is halved twice thanks to my Ancient Gear Heroic Entrance and Hero Achilles respectively and doubled once due to your Supremus Dragon! Meaning I take only 1000 points of damage and survive!" Red announced in a victorious tone, grinning at the Gishiki King.

 **OBELISK RED LP: 2000 → 1000**

"He really survived that barrage of attacks!" Rin uttered grudgingly.

"Now then, what will you do, old man?! You're out of options! During my next turn, I simply need to inflict 200 damage to you – with a simple Hound Dog for example – and then you lose! I hope you like being a card, because that is your fate!" Red mocked him in a jeering tone.

Ghidorah went silent for a while. Then he began laughing at once, holding his chest to contain his outburst of laughter. "Man, you really pushed me into a corner, didn't you? Very well then, since you've held your ground firmer than I expected, I will show you my hidden ace now!" Ghidorah declared, laughing heartily.

"WHAT?! YOU HAVE AN EVEN STRONGER CARD THAN THAT DRAGON?!" Red exclaimed in terror, pointing at Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon.

Ghidorah nodded. "Yeah, my ancestors came into the possession of it after one of the few violent conflicts the Gishiki Empire had with other countries. It was a tribute from North Africa, a one-of-a-kind-monster! And since you fought so well, you're now going to see it!" Ghidorah declared.

Red gulped as the king took another card from his hand and put it onto his disk.

"Another quick-play spell! **Blue-Eyes Resurface**! This summons up to three of my banished Blue-Eyes for the cost of half my LP!" Ghidorah announced.

 **GHIDORAH LP: 200 → 100**

"Come again, two Blue-Eyes White Dragons and one Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon!"

 _Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon_

 _Light/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Effect_

 _Blue-Eyes White Dragon (X2)_

 _Light/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Normal_

Ghidorah's expression intensified. "And now I activate the final quick-play spell of this duel! **Sudden Emergence**! You remember that I didn't conduct a Normal Summon this turn, don't you? Well, this card allows me to do said thing during my Battle Phase right now! You are an Obelisk Force, right?" A huge grin formed on Ghidorah's face. "Then allow me to show you your namesake!" He declared with limitless anticipation in his voice.

"What do you mean by that?!" Red whispered in fear.

Ghidorah merely grinned. "Just observe!" He yelled back before he raised his hand. "I now tribute my two Blue-Eyes White Dragons and my Alternative White Dragon!" He announced as the three monsters dissolved, a white pillar of light shooting skywards like a beacon. The citizens of Gishiki City noticed and directed their gazes at it.

"Looks like the king is summoning his almighty creature again!" A man around one mile away remarked.

"Whoever his opponent might be, he surely won't have a pretty death!" A woman next to the man added.

Red's gaze trembled as the soil beneath him and the king slowly cracked, sweat rolling down the Duel Soldier's cheeks uncontrollably.

"This pressure! What is this?!" Rin uttered in disbelief.

The king turned around and looked at her. "This, Rin, is something you have never seen before in your life! Pay close attention and burn this monster into your very eyes, if you happen to somehow face it one day, you better be prepared!" Ghidorah addressed her.

Rin gulped as the king redirected his gaze towards his opponent and began chanting.

"ALMIGHTY GIANT SLUMBERING BENEATH OUR FEET! HEED MY CALLING AND APPEAR HERE IN OUR REALM ONCE MORE! EMERGE FROM THE GROUND AND SHATTER MY FOES UNDERNEATH THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT OF YOUR PALMS! TEACH THEM TRUE FEAR AS YOU OBLITERATE THEM WITH YOUR FISTS OF FURRY! THE DESCENT OF MY MIGHTY CREATURE SHALL BE HERALDED BY BURNING WINDS AND TWISTED LAND! AND WITH THE COMING OF THIS HORROR, THOSE WHO DRAW BREATH SHALL KNOW THE TRUE MEANING OF ETERNAL SLUMBER!" Ghidorah shouted, the ground breaking apart as a blue arm shot out of it, pushing the creature out of the earth.

Red gulped heavily as a second arm came the surface as well, assisting its counterpart, gradually stemming the being out of the hole in the ground.

Ghidorah's expression intensified again, the look in his eyes turning dead serious. " **GOD SHŌKAN! I NOW INVOKE A BEING OF UNPARALLELED POWER!** _**GIANT DIVINE SOLDIER OF OBELISK!**_ " He shouted at the top of his lungs, slamming a dark blue colored card on his blade.

( 39, God's Anger - Yugioh Duel Monsters OST, The Dark Side of Dimensions Version)

Red trembled in fear as a blue giant of even greater height than Blue-Eyes Chaos Supremus Dragon emerged from the ground, standing tall on the field with a grim look on its face. It was incredibly muscular and bulky and had blue wings on its back, its red eyes glowing menacingly and petrifying Ghidorah's opponent with the sheer power they emitted, Red unable to move due to the horror he currently experienced as the god stared at him. It had armor-like spikes on some parts of his body, the ones on its head roughly resembling the design of Red's mask. The blue giant opened its mouth and roared skywards, its cry echoing loudly over the surrounding city.

 _Giant Divine Soldier of Obelisk_

 _Divine/Level 10/ATK 4000/DEF 4000/Divine-Beast_

"What is this abomination?!" The Duel Soldier stammered in terror.

"That is Obelisk, one of the three Egyptian God Cards!" Ghidorah replied. "They're a very special kind of monsters of unparalleled might! In fact, your leader Leo Akaba named your houses in Academia after them! There is Osiris – in some parts of the world also known as Slifer – Ra, and this one, Obelisk, my God Card! These monsters are scattered around the dimensions. My ancestors were able to acquire this one in particular by defeating the Egyptians in a war, taking it with them as a trophy! So far, I have only used it in two duels! Rejoice, now you will be obliterated by my strongest ace monster and your own namesake! Attack him, oh mighty Tormentor!" Ghidorah declared, pointing at Red as Obelisk began winding up his fist.

"Impossible...!" Red stammered as he faced the blue giant that looked at him fiercely.

"Now then, you're about to be wiped out by your own namesake and an Egyptian God! Be glad, dying such a death is surely a great honor!" Ghidorah stated, the god close to finishing the preparations for the final strike.

(min 1:22)

"I... I... I ACTIVATE DIMENSIONAL PRISON!" Red shouted stammering, regaining enough composure to declare his move. "This trap card targets an attacking monster...!" He began.

"And banishes it?! Sorry, but Obelisk isn't a monster!" He declared, continuing after a short pause. " **IT'S A GOD!** " He yelled, causing Red to flinch visibly. "Your trap will not work! So since Obelisk is completely unaffected by all spells and traps that remove it from the field, while all others only work for a turn, this means that you still lose!" Ghidorah interrupted him.

Red took a step backwards in disbelief. "No way!"

"Well, actually it's yes way! You see, before an Egyptian God Card, your puny efforts are meaningless! NOW OBLITERATE HIM, OBELISK! _**GOD HAND CRUSHER!**_ " Ghidorah yelled, the giant fist of his blue monster beginning to head towards the last Obelisk Force Member.

"This can't be happening! I cannot die yet!" Red shouted frightfully, his eyes trembling in horror. His sweating had become uncontrollable, his body frozen stiff in fear. His eyes widened as he saw how the giant fist of the monster was heading towards him, a protracted scream escaping his lips at that. " _ **NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_ " He shouted in horror before it was canceled by an enormous impact.

 **OBELISK FORCE RED LP: 1000 → 0**

 **GHIDORAH WIN!**

( 39, God's Anger - Yugioh Duel Monsters OST, The Dark Side of Dimensions Version end)

"Well...", The king began, looking at a big hole in the plaster of the yard, "looks like all of the Obelisk Force are gone now. Even Green who wasn't fully destroyed like Yellow for instance got vaporized on a molecular level, alongside Red of course! I guess I'll have to fix that hole in my yard now!" He sighed in exasperation. He turned around at that. "Dorian, can you message the science department so that they fix my yard with Real Solid Vision please? I believe that hole ruins the looks of my castle, so it would be great to see it back to normal! And while you're already at it, contact the Link-Dimension and tell them about Academia's little visit here, will you?" He addressed his court musician.

Dorian nodded. "Yeah, right away, mylord!" He replied, running off into the distance.

"Great!" The Gishiki King whispered to himself. He then turned towards another person with a pale white face. "You seem to be quite shocked, my dear Rin!" He spoke to the green haired girl next to him.

She nodded weakly. "Yeah, you don't see something like that monster everyday, I can guarantee you." She uttered in a quiet tone, still taken aback by the events that had just happened.

She king nodded. "Understandably. If you want to take a rest before you go back to Standard, you can take a seat and calm down a bit!" He offered to her, pointing at a bench in the yard.

"Yeah, that would be nice." She thanked the king, walking over and sitting down with a heavy breath. Meanwhile another figure appeared, invisible to all others and addressing the giant still remaining on the field due to Ghidorah haven't deactivated his disk yet.

" _Wow, you're on fire today, Obelisk! You punched these humans into nonexistence!"_ He praised his former Captain.

Obelisk nodded to him. _"Yeah, guess I did. Thank you, Lord Zarc!"_ He replied to his master. Then he looked down upon Ghidorah. _"I just wish that I could destroy my controller as well! It doesn't feel like a complete triumph if one human is still alive after the fight!"_ He added.

" _I know what you mean, Obelisk! But don't worry, once I revive, they will all die, be assured of that!"_ He responded.

" _That's great! Anyway, have a nice day, Lord Zarc!"_ Obelisk finished as he dissolved because of Ghidorah deactivating his disk now.

" _Have a nice day as well, Obelisk!"_ Zarc replied as the giant gradually vanished. After he was gone completely, Zarc vanished as well.

* * *

 _Xyz-Dimension, Heartland..._

"Give up, Xyz Scum!" An Obelisk Force Soldier shouted, addressing a lone individual standing on a pile of rubble. "We have you surrounded, Kaito Tenjo! Today you will fall at last!" He declared, his comrades grinning at that.

"Fall? I will never do such a thing!" The blonde and dark green haired young adult replied in a fierce tone. "You have taken everything from me, my hope, my family, and not long ago even my best friend! I will not rest until all of you are gone! For your sins, you'll have to pay the price now! SO ARE YOU READY TO REPENT?!" He yelled at them intensely, prompting the two Obelisk Force Squads to flinch at his catchphrase.

"And how, if I may ask?!" One Obelisk Force with a yellow gem shot back in a challenging manner after a few moments.

( 40, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 #11 Dueling with your life on the line)

Kaito's eyes narrowed. "I will show you! Draw!" He inspected his hand cards and his opponents at that. ' _Hmm, six Obelisk Force, some of them having a face-down. Five Triple Bite Hound Dogs and one Hero Achilles. Nothing I cannot manage!_ _'_ He deliberated before he began his first turn of the duel. "Since you control a monster summoned from the Extra Deck while I control no monsters, I can special summon Cipher Twin Raptor from my hand!" Kaito stated, summoning his first monster.

 _Cipher Twin Raptor_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 800/Machine/Effect_

"Additionally it can summon one "Cipher"-Monster from my deck or hand once per turn! From my deck I summon **Cipher Mirage**!"

 _Cipher Mirage_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Its effect! Once per turn, I can target a monster other than itself with it! Then I can special summon a monster of the same original name as it from my deck or hand! Another Twin Raptor from my deck!" Kaito yelled.

 _Cipher Twin Raptor_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 800/Machine/Effect_

"And then, since I already control a "Cipher"-Monster, I can special summon Cipher Wing from my hand!" He showed them two copies of said card.

 _Cipher Wing (X2)_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1200/Machine/Effect_

"Five monsters at once!" One of the Obelisk Force Members exclaimed in shock.

"And all of them are level four!" Another added.

"Does this mean Xyz Summon?!" A soldier with a green gem finished.

Kaito nodded. "But before that, I will tribute one of my Cipher Wings to increase the levels of my other "Cipher"-Monsters by four!" He stated.

 _Cipher Mirage: Lvl 4 → 8_

 _Cipher Twin Raptor (X2): Lvl 4 → 8_

 _Cipher Wing: Lvl 4 → 8_

"A rank eight Xyz Summon!" One of the Duel Soldiers whispered in terror.

"Now I will overlay my two Cipher Twin Raptors!" Kaito declared, raising his arm as his two monsters swarmed into the galactic vortex which exploded loudly.

"It's coming! His signature monster!" A green-gemmed Obelisk Force uttered.

"GALAXY SHINING IN THE DARKNESS!" Kaito began, a galaxy taking the form of an eye. "EMBODY THE DEMON OF REVENGE AND BECOME MY VERY SERVANT!" He went on, the face of a dragon emerging from the nebula that enveloped it for a second, the wingspans of two golden wings flaring to life in multiple colors, a dark blue tail with a magenta structure on its tip uncurling itself. "XYZ SHŌKAN! DESCEND, RANK 8, GALAXY-EYES CIPHER DRAGON!" He shouted as the nebula vanished and a light blue dragon with several dark blue, magenta and golden parts emerged, spinning around once and roaring angrily.

 _Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon_

 _Light/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

"There it is! The reason why he bears the nickname Demon of Revenge!" One of Kaito's opponents cried out.

"The effect of my Cipher Dragon! Once per turn I can detach an Xyz Material from it to take control of one monster my opponent controls until the End Phase, its name and ATK becoming the same as my Cipher Dragon's while its effects are negated! I target your Ancient Gear Hero Achilles with it! Cipher Projection!" Kaito announced as his dragon emitted rays of light from its wings, causing the mechanical monster to disappear and emerge again on Kaito's side of the field.

"Damn it!" The red-gemmed Obelisk Force Soldier who owned the monster cursed.

 _Ancient Gear Hero Achilles (treated as Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon): ATK 2200 → 3000_

"Next up I will activate the spell card Cipher Interfere, combined with another continuous spell called **Galaxy Interfere**! Using the former, when I control two or more "Cipher"-Monsters with the same name and one of them battles, I can double the attack of the battling monster! The latter on the other hand allows me to multiply the ATK of a "Galaxy-Eyes" Xyz-Monster by the amount of such monsters I have on my side of the field!" Kaito explained. "With that, the conditions for your defeat have been met! **Prepare to repent for what you did to me, my friends and family!** " He shouted in an intimidating tone.

( 40, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 #11 Dueling with your life on the line end)

"But you still missed out one thing about your so seemingly perfect strategy! You only have two strong monster to attack with, but six opponents to defeat! Also you cannot use Galaxy Interfere since the stolen Hero Achilles may be a "Galaxy-Eyes"-Monster now, but isn't treated as an Xyz, rendering that card of yours useless!" He pointed out.

"Not really! I banish Cipher Mirage from my graveyard! By doing so, I can treat one monster I control as an Xyz-Monster until the End Phase! I target the former Hero Achilles of course, making it a fully compatible card for my continuous spells now! Also it can attack an additional time this turn!" Kaito declared.

"But even then, you still have too few monsters!" The Academia Fighter yelled back at him.

"Are you sure about that?" Kaito retorted, prompting the man to flinch. "After all, I still have two level eight monsters left." He continued.

"Wait, do you mean...?!" He asked.

"Yes! Another Xyz Summon is imminent!" Kaito replied.

"One more Cipher Dragon?!" Another Obelisk Force Member addressed him in shock.

Kaito shook his head. "No! I will summon a monster a good friend of mine used to summon a lot!" Then his expression changed as sheer outrage became visible on it. " **BEFORE YOU BASTARDS KILLED HIM!** " He screamed, shocking his opponents to the core before he continued, raising his right arm, holding two cards in it.

( 41, min 0:48; again reference)

"I WILL NOW OVERLAY MY CIPHER WING AND CIPHER MIRAGE!" Kaito yelled, his body being surrounded by a thick red aura. "WITH THESE TWO MONSTERS, I WILL BUILD THE OVERLAY NETWORK! XYZ SHŌKAN!" He shouted as the two monsters transformed into yellowish beams of light heading skywards into a galaxy-like portal, the mini-galaxy exploding at the last sentence. Kaito spread his two arms upwards, just like his friend had done so many times when summoning this monster before he continued. "ROAR THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE! BE REBORN FROM THE PREVIOUS TIMES AND TRAVEL THROUGH THE GALAXIES ONCE MORE! MANIFEST, DRAGON THAT CAN BEND TIME ITSELF, AND WITH YOUR POWER, LEAD ME TO VICTORY!" Kaito shouted, the surroundings of him and the Obelisk Force changing into space during the summoning, a bright yellow light flashing to life behind the avenger as he finished the last part.

" **NUMBER 107!** " Kaito yelled with a fierce look on his face as a purple glowing symbol appeared within the air, depicting said number with several blunted symbols expressing three numerals, a one, a zero and a seven. Behind the Xyz-Duelist, something that looked like a reversed, steep pyramid of black color spun around in the sky, having a formation on top of the square and red and blue panels on the opposite triangle sides. Two Overlay Units circled around the object before it slowly unfolded itself, taking the form of a black, purplish dragon with the number 107 in blue color on the side of its head. Its red eyes gleamed dangerously and looked upon the Obelisk Force with hatred, the dragon roaring at them several times. " **GALAXY-EYES TACHYON DRAGON!** " Kaito finished as the black dragon hovered above his head, accompanying his two Cipher Dragons.

 _Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon_

 _Light/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

"Number?!" One of the Duel Soldiers uttered in horror.

"Special Xyz-Monsters that can only be destroyed by battle among themselves." One of the other Obelisk Force Members explained. He eyed his comrade. "You weren't among the first waves of the Xyz Invasion, were you?" He addressed him.

The other soldier shook his head. "No, I've only been lately promoted to the Obelisk Force, so I wasn't involved into that much battles in the Xyz-Dimension yet." He responded.

The more experienced soldier hummed. "As I expected, you didn't fight one of them yet. You should know that when the invasion began, me and the other soldiers of the first wave had our fair share of problems with these Numbers. There are 100 of them, most of them outstanding in terms of strength and fairly hard to get rid of considering our monsters couldn't destroy them by battle. Gradually we defeated all duelists who wielded such Numbers and brought these cards to Academia to have them contained. However, a few of them still remain in the hands of the Xyz Scum, that monster over there being one of them from the looks of it." He explained.

"But you said there were only 100 Numbers! How can such a monster exist then?!" The other shot back.

"I don't know myself. I only heard about this card right there from rumors, but always dismissed them as stupid nonsense. But it looks like if they were real after all." The senior soldier responded.

"Hey you! Stop chatting, we're still in the middle of a duel right now!" Kaito yelled at them, prompting the soldiers to turn back to him. "First I will activate the spell card Xyz Gift, allowing me to draw one card for every Xyz-Monster on the field! With three, that makes three cards!" He cried out before continuing. "Now battle! My fake Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon attacks your Triple Bite Hound Dog!" He yelled, pointing at the first green-gemmed soldier's monster. "At this moment, the effect of Cipher Interfere activates, doubling my monster's ATK! Also I use Galaxy Interfere on my original dragon, tripling its ATK! Now destroy him, my dragon!"

 _Ancient Gear Hero Achilles (treated as Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon): ATK 3000 → 6000_

 _Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon: ATK 3000 → 9000_

"Not so fast! I activate my set card, the quick-play spell Limiter Removal! This card doubles the ATK of all Machine-Type monsters I control, but destroys them during the End Phase! I furthermore activate the continuous trap card **Ancient Gear Collective**! With this card, whenever an "Ancient Gear"-Monster's ATK rises, all other Ancient Gears receive that bonus as well! Meaning my allies' monsters are also strengthened!"

 _Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog (X5): ATK 1800 → 3600_

"It's still far from being enough!" Kaito remarked. "You will only lower the damage you take!"

"That's what you think!" The Duel Soldier with the red gem from the other squad shot back. "I will assist my ally with the same card! Limiter Removal! By Ancient Gear Collective, all five Hound Dogs become stronger!" He cried out, five monsters powering up again.

 _Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog (X5): ATK 3600 → 7200_

"It's strong enough to defeat him now!" The Obelisk Force with the yellow gem on his mask from the first soldier's squad declared. "But it doesn't end here! We will defeat you by having you run into your own demise! I activate Limiter Removal as well, doubling our monsters' ATK one last time!"

 _Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog (X5): ATK 7200 → 14400_

"IT'S OVER FOR YOU, TENJO!" He yelled as Green's Triple Bite Hound Dog began its retaliation on the now much weaker dragon.

( 42, min 1:38; reference)

In response, Kaito smirked with a grin that seemed to belong to someone else. "How naive! Do you really think you will survive like that?!" He commented in a derisive tone.

"WHAT?!" The Obelisk Force Soldier exclaimed in shock.

"The effect of Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!" Kaito shouted, stretching out his right arm. "Once per turn, during the Battle Phase, I can detach an Overlay Unit from it to negate all monster effects of your cards until the end of this turn and return their ATK and DEF to normal! **TACHYON TRANSMIGRATION!** " He exclaimed, his monster reverting to its sealed form and spinning at slow pace around once more, bathing their surroundings in a rainbow-like glow that weakened all five dogs again by traveling back in time.

 _Ancient Gear Triple Bite Hound Dog (X5): ATK 14400 → 1800_

-"NO WAY!"- The Academia Soldiers shouted as their monsters lost their newly gained power again.

"And then, for each card activated during the Battle Phase, my Tachyon Dragon gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn! With your three Limiter Removals, your Ancient Gear Collective and my Cipher and Galaxy Interfere, that's six! Reflect through space and time and be reborn! Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!" He yelled as six beams of light shot at the reversed pyramid before his dragon changed into its normal form again, roaring once more as it became even more powerful.

 _Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon: ATK 3000 → 9000_

"Impossible! This monster can travel through time and rewrite it, selecting a future where it has all the advantages instead of its opponents?!" One of the Obelisk Force Members exclaimed in terror.

"Exactly! And now my Cipher Dragon's attack continues on your Hound Dog! With its original attack points of 1800, you are history! CIPHER STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!" Kaito shouted fiercely, his dragon launching a beam of light that destroyed the dog and finished off the first of his six opponents.

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#1) LP: 4000 → 0**

"Next up my original Cipher Dragon with its ATK tripled by Galaxy Interfere will attack you directly!" Kaito stated, pointing at the first red-gemmed soldier whom he had stolen his monster from. "CIPHER STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!" He yelled as another opponent lost.

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#1) LP: 4000 → 0**

"Then my Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon will battle your Triple Bite Hound Dog!" Kaito continued as his monster eyed the yellow-gemmed soldier's. Tachyon spiraled upwards, spinning around its own axis while charging up a purple burst of energy. "TACHYON SPIRAL OF DESTRUCTION!" He yelled as the dragon's head bent itself backwards and shot forward again, launching a purple stream of light and defeating the next opponent.

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#1) LP: 4000 → 0**

"In addition to its previous effects, my Tachyon Dragon can attack twice during the turn Tachyon Transmigration is activated!" Kaito stated with a savage grin normally unfitting for him.

-" **WHAT?!** "- The three remaining opponents yelled in horror.

"Now go, Tachyon Dragon! **TACHYON SPIRAL OF DESTRUCTION!** " Kaito screamed, his face twisted devilishly. Another soldier wearing a green gem was defeated at that.

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#2) LP: 4000 → 0**

"And finally my fake Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon will declare its second attack it got from Cipher Mirage's effect! CIPHER STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!" He yelled, destroying another Obelisk Force Member.

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#2) LP: 4000 → 0**

"But now your attacks are all declared and your Battle Phase is over!" The remaining man shouted loudly.

"Do you really think so? I'm just getting started after all!" Kaito retorted with a confident smirk on his face.

" **WHAT?!** " He shouted in response, afraid of what might happen next.

( 43; reference)

"I will activate this card!" Kaito declared, rising up a card of green color. "The quick-play spell **Rank-Up-Magic Sudden Galaxy Expansion**! It takes a "Galaxy-Eyes"-Monster and ranks it up into an Xyz-Monster one rank higher which has at least one word in its name that matches the previous monster's other than "Galaxy-Eyes" or "Dragon"! I will now use my Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon and rebuild the Overlay Network with it! CHAOS XYZ CHANGE!" Kaito announced, his dragon becoming a red stream of light that flew upwards into a dark galactic portal, said thing exploding with green and black color.

"Chaos Xyz Change..." The red-gemmed soldier whispered in fear. He had heard terrible rumors connected to that term. It was an advanced form of Rank-Up Xyz Change that was conducted when ranking up Numbers. As the scenery around them changed into a dark plain with red glowing lights, he began sweating even more. From what the soldier knew from several ominous rumors among the Obelisk Force, this was a place called the Barian World. His apprehensive thoughts continued as their surroundings moved, slowly advancing down a narrow path with steep cliffs on both sides, Kaito meanwhile uttering his summoning chant.

"SURGE THROUGH THE UNIVERSE AND BE REVIVED FROM BEYOND THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME! THE STAR-LIKE DRAGON BRIGHTER THAN LIGHT THAT SURPASSES EVEN ETERNITY!" Kaito shouted. There was something strange with his voice, something that had been recognizable before as well. When he had summoned Tachyon Dragon, a very faint voice had spoken along with him, not more than a whisper. Now it was louder, still quiet, but audible, sounding like an echo as if it were two persons instead of one. The path within the dark realm ended, a strange blue symbol that had a red gem in its middle hanging resplendent on a door that posed the entrance to a section even deeper in that world. The chains locking the door burst open as Kaito finished his chant, a golden beam of light emerging from it and spiraling outwards. " **MANIFEST BEFORE US, CHAOS NUMBER 107!** " He shouted as a being advanced into the normal world. As the Obelisk Force Member looked upon his face, he could swear that a second pair of eyes widened behind Kaito's, a bit darker and even more piercing than his. A purple number of 107 shone in the sky again, this time even darker and more eerily than before. As their surroundings had changed back to normal, another great object hovered above the two duelists. It was also an upside-down pyramid, though much steeper than the last one and having a golden color, the structure on its top being far more complex. It spun around shortly before unfolding as well, slowly changing into a dragon. Its color was golden, possessing three heads and four tails, some parts of its body having a red and black color as well. It had three pairs of luminous wings and a red 107 near its chest. Two stars of red color plus four jags with yellow parts on their borders hovered next to it instead of the usual spheres that were the normal Overlay Units. The dragon's three heads roared repeatedly, gazing at the last remaining foe with yellow eyes. " **NEO GALAXY-EYES TACHYON DRAGON!** " Kaito concluded as his monster made its entrance.

 _Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon_

 _Light/Rank 9/ATK 4500/DEF 3000/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

"What is that monster...?!" The final opponent of Kaito uttered in horror.

"This", Kaito spoke up, the other voice audible in his tone again, "is a Barian Number! An Over-Hundred Number in its Chaos Form! This is the legendary time dragon's next stage! This is Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!" He announced, the dragon roaring again.

The Academia Fighter flinched before he continued after a while. "But this monster has only 4500 ATK! So since my Hound Dog has 1800, I will still survive your assault!" He addressed the Xyz-Duelist.

"Wrong!" Kaito shot back. "I detach a Chaos Overlay Unit to activate the effect of Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon! **TIME TYRANT!** " He yelled as his dragon consumed one of the stars next to it before it began emitting a colorful glow that shrouded everything around them in its light.

" **What's happening?!** " The soldier exclaimed in terror.

"My Neo Tachyon negates the effects of all cards face-up on your side of the field until the end of this turn!" Kaito began his explanation. "And all cards return to the state they had at the beginning of this turn, meaning ATK and DEF values return to normal and already activated cards can be used once more! Furthermore, I can select which cards on the field can still be activated until the End Phase comes, preventing you from using any set cards that you still have!" He stated.

"NO! YOU MUST BE LYING! SUCH A POWER CANNOT POSSIBLY EXIST!" His opponent shouted back in disbelief.

Kaito merely chuckled. "But it is possible!" He declared in a calm voice. "The reason for such surreal things to come true is my monster! It can freely rewind time and select any future it wants! Because this dragon is the unquestioned ruler of time itself!" He said, prompting his opponent to flinch visibly. Kaito continued after a moment of silence. "Now I use my Galaxy Interfere's effect once more! I multiply the ATK of a Galaxy-Eyes by the amount of such monsters I have on the field! With two Cipher Dragons and my Neo Tachyon itself, that's three! I select Neo Tachyon with this effect and triple its ATK until the end of this turn!"

 _Number C107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon: ATK 4500 → 13500_

"Over 13000 ATK...!" The last soldier with a red gem on his helmet uttered in horror.

" **Are you prepared to repent?!** " Kaito addressed him in a fierce tone, causing his fear to progress even further, the avenger pointing at him. " **ULTIMATE TACHYON SPIRAL OF DESTRUCTION!** " He yelled, three yellow streams of light coming from the dragon's maws uniting and striking down upon him.

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#2) LP: 4000 → 0**

Kaito sighed in a pleased tone. "That makes six more carded Obelisks!" Before he could press any button though, he realized that no win signal had appeared on his disk. He raised an eyebrow indifferently. "I see. So that's how it is." He said in a monologue as a variety of sounds echoed through the air not two seconds after.

 **-** " **INTRUSION PENALTY!** " **-** He heard several robotic voices say.

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#3): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#3): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#3): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#4): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#4): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#4): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#5): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#5): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#5): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#6): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#6): 2000**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#6): 2000**

"Reinforcements, huh?" Kaito spoke up, eyeing the four new squads of Obelisk Force who had arrived just before the final attack had connected.

"That's right! With all your load blown, you are done for! Now end your turn so we can finish you off, Xyz Scum!" One of the squad leaders bearing a red gem addressed the male.

Kaito chuckled. "All my load? Not really, I can still tribute two of my monsters by my Neo Tachyon's other effect to allow it attacking two additional times!" He stated with a grin on his face.

"No way!" One of them exclaimed.

"Yes way! **ULTIMATE TACHYON SPIRAL OF DESTRUCTION!** " Kaito yelled, his dragon firing two more salvos of bright light that vanquished another duo of Duel Soldiers.

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#3) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#3) LP: 2000 → 0**

"Kuh! You damn brat!" One of the men cursed as he saw two more of his comrades falling. "But now you're done for! Prepare to be overrun by a barrage of attacks on our next turns!" He yelled at him victoriously with a wide grin on his face.

Kaito gave him a cold look. "The next turn? You are surely dreaming, such a thing will never come!" He replied in a stoic tone.

"Wait, what?!" He cried out in a confused and horrified voice before Kaito continued.

"You see, why should the state of a mere Chaos Number be the limit for one of the seven Over-Hundred Numbers? If you ever thought that this Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon right here was the final form of the temporal dragon that rules over space, you were greatly mistaken!" He announced to his ten opponents.

-" **WHAT?! NO WAY!** "- They screamed in unison before Kaito rose up a shining card.

"Look at this card right here and burn it into your eyes, you will only see it once in your life after all!" Kaito announced, his looks changing at that. A white mask with a green gem above his forehead area and a wing prodding from the left side covered his face. In addition to that, a golden emblem with a red gem on it appeared on his chest, having the shape of a caduceus. The eyes of the ten Duel Soldiers widened in horror as they witnessed his transformation.

" **What... happened to you...?!** " One of them exclaimed in terror.

Kaito faced his gaze with a reserved look before he responded. "I partially transformed into the true form my old friend once had before he died and his soul got absorbed by me! Now face punishment for your crimes of killing him and my family and perish! By the power of one of the seven Barian Emperors, begone from this realm!" He shouted as the card he still held skywards began emitting an even more radiant glow.

( 44, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 4 #11 Barian Force)

" **I NOW ACTIVATE THE** _**RANK-UP-MAGIC BARIAN ASCENSION**_ **!** " Kaito screamed, the light intensifying. "USING THIS CARD, I CAN EITHER EVOLVE A NORMAL BARIAN NUMBER INTO A CHAOS NUMBER OR RANK-UP A BARIAN CHAOS NUMBER INTO ITS FINAL STAGE! USING THE LATTER OPTION, I RECONSTRUCT THE OVERLAY NETWORK WITH MY NEO GALAXY-EYES TACHYON DRAGON! **TWIN CHAOS XYZ CHANGE!** " He shouted, the dragon along with its remaining Chaos Overlay Unit transforming into a scarlet ray of light surrounded by a thick golden aura that advanced far into the sky, a black vortex swallowing them and exploding in a black-reddish color after that.

"Impossible..." An Academia Fighter whispered as they all took a journey to the Barian World once more, the visuals around them changing as they traveled down a path within the dark plain again, Kaito beginning the chant for his newest monster at that, his voice now a mix of about equal parts, the strange one not belonging to him a bit more dominant though as they uttered it together.

(min 0:28)

-"A MENACING CRY ECHOES THROUGHOUT SPACE! A DRAGON PIERCES THROUGH THE RAGING TORRENT OF GALAXIES, ITS SPEED AND RADIANCE EXCEEDING EVEN THE LIGHT! A BEHEMOTH THAT HAS SUBJUGATED TIME ITSELF AND BENDS IT TO ITS WILL ENTIRELY! A WRATHFUL CELESTIAL GOD THAT LEAVES NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTION IN ITS WAKE! ITS RAGE WILL SEND YOU INTO THE INTERSTELLAR ABYSS! ARISE, DIVINE DRAGON OF COSMOS, FOR WE SHALL CLAIM VICTORY FOR BARIAN!"- They screamed at the top of their lungs, an even bigger door than before being flung open at those words, an immense dragon emerging from it and heading into the human world afterwards. -" **NOW MANIFEST AND CRUSH THEM BENEATH THE WEIGHT OF YOUR IMMEASURABLE POWER, TWIN CHAOS NUMBER 107!** " **-** Kaito and the other voice shouted, their eyes widening immensely as a purplish 107 surrounded by a thick reddish layer glowed above them in the air. At once, a giant object resembling an enormous brilliant spun above their heads, its height easily over a hundred meters. A spectral being invisible to all others, even the spirits, eyed the object with a frown.

" _By the power of Ray's bracelets, the Barian Numbers got corrupted into helping humanity rather than opposing it."_ Zarc told. _"Now they are almost as bad as the Earthbound Immortals, with the exception that they only defy me because of Ray's influence, not out of their own free will like these scummy, rebellious earth demons! Once I revive, I will bring them all back to my side again! But up until then they are a threat to me, especially this dragon which is about as high in size and strong in power as the original Supreme Dragon King Zarc that my counterpart in that other world used!"_ He remarked.

Two other figures were watching the events from afar as well, one of them speaking up in a female voice.

"Sigh, looks like it's another day where Kaito is obsessed with his revenge and where he wants to avenge his family and Mizael! He's even summoning that monster!" She exclaimed in an exasperated tone, observing the bluish gem-like object spiraling in the sky.

"Uh! He's actually only focused on that thing! While your brother Yuto also got a bit fiercer with the ongoing of the war, Kaito is really overdoing it!" Allen commented. "I mean, not one of us is so bloody obsessed with revenge as him, not even Shun! And that speaks for itself, right Hikari?" He stated.

"Right." The girl with the black, purple and pink-reddish hair wearing a purple sweater covering most of her neck with a gray-blackish jacket above it replied. She also had a red Resistance Scarf around her neck and wore a shoulder strap above her jacket and pullover, her duel disk fixed on the backside of said strap. She also wore black pants and military boots. She was relatively tall for a woman of her age, being a few years older than her comrade standing next to her. Hikari's gray eyes gazed into the distance, looking at the levitating object. "I wish that he would just come back to us..." She stated in a melancholic tone. On the other side of Heartland City a different party was observing the great brilliant in the sky as well.

"Sir! Shall we send reinforcements to that location?" A high-ranked officer addressed Edo Phoenix, the commander-in-chief for Academia's forces in the Xyz-Dimension.

The gray haired male turned around to his subordinate. "Depends. How much time does the next Obelisk Force in the city need in order to get to their location?" He asked.

"Around five minutes!" The male replied to Edo.

"Then it's of no use. In five minutes, they will already be wiped out. When they arrive, Kaito Tenjo won't even be there anymore. The force his dragon possesses is just simply exceeding the definition of the word "powerful" too much, I know that better than anyone!" He remarked, pulling down the collar of his uniform for a moment to reveal a nasty scar on the side of his neck. "Don't bother to act! Our troops are doomed already!" He instructed his subordinate.

"Understood, Sir!" He retorted before returning to his prior work.

(min 2:25)

At the location of the duel, the great brilliant over their heads slowly transformed and unfolded, becoming a light blue dragon of shining color. It had five heads, the one in the middle slightly bigger than the four others. Ten radiant tails and five pairs of shining light wings sprouted from its main body, shimmering brightly. Its torso was relatively bulky, having two arms with shining claws. Its eyes were white and seemingly empty at first glance. After staring at them for a while though, a vast space with several galaxies in it became visible. It vanished again after a few moments, repeating in an endless cycle. A golden 107 was written on the right side of its medium head, shortly blinking as the monster emerged. On its chest it had two Cs, one of them reversed, creating a circle that was interrupted at its upper and lower part, the Barian Emblem located in the round space framed by the two letters. Its five heads let out a series of roars while Kaito uttered its name together with the other person who originally owned the Number.

 **-** " _ **BEAR WITNESS TO**_ _ **TWIN CHAOS NUMBER 107: PRIMORDIAL GALAXY-EYES TACHYON CRONUS DRAGON**_ **!** " **-** They yelled together as their dragon let loose a roar using all five heads at once, its sound echoing over Heartland City.

 _Number CC107: Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon_

 _Light/Rank 10/ATK 6000/DEF 4500/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

( 44, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 4 #11 Barian Force end)

"No way! What is that monster?!" One of the Academia Soldiers exclaimed in terror and disbelief while he gazed up the three hundred feet tall dragon.

-"This is Tachyon Cronus Dragon, the dragon which will send you all into the abyss!"- Kaito declared in unison with his partner.

"Don't joke around! Your monster may have 6000 ATK, but it still can attack once like any other monster! Even if it has an effect like your previous dragon, I highly doubt that it can finish off all ten of us!" A soldier with a yellow gem stated.

-"We shall see!"- Kaito retorted before raising his arm. -"The effect of Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon! Like any Chaos Number, it gains additional effects when it has its previous Number attached to it as a material!"- He declared, pointing at one of the two objects hovering next to the dragon. They looked like eight-jagged stars of golden color, their centers being a scarlet core and the border that separated the centers from the rest of the stars being pitch black. -"But a Twin Chaos Number, the final stage of the seven Over-Hundred Numbers, has an additional power! While both of their predecessors – meaning the Normal Number and the Chaos Number – are attached to them, they grow even stronger! Since my Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon has both Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon and Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon as its Twin Chaos Overlay Units, it now gains both of these bonuses! First off, while it has Neo Tachyon as a material, it can attack three times in a Battle Phase! But that's not all, since with the normal Tachyon Dragon as its material as well, this attacking bonus rises to five attacks!"- Kaito exclaimed.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" One of his opponents cried out in shock.

-"Now go and wreak havoc, Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus! Shatter them with your divine might! **PRIMORDIAL TACHYON SPIRAL OF CELESTIAL ERADICATION!** "- They yelled together, the dragon firing five beams of bluish light from its maws, one of them each heading for an Obelisk Force.

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#3) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#4) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#4) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#4) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#5) LP: 2000 → 0**

"You accursed bastard! You will pay for that!" One of the remaining five foes threatened Kaito.

"Now end your turn at last, your Battle Phase is over!" Another man shouted.

Kaito chuckled in unison with the other voice. -"Hmm, you seem to forget that the word "over" is related to the past, time so to speak!"- His eyes widened. -"And my dragon can manipulate and rewrite such things with ease!"-

"What do you mean by that?!" A green-gemmed man addressed him.

( 45, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 4 #22 Duel of the Souls Extended)

-"I will show it to you! I detach my normal Tachyon Dragon as a Twin Chaos Overlay Unit to activate the special ability of Tachyon Cronus Dragon that surpasses even Neo Tachyon's control over the flow of our realm! Rewind time to the origin of all things and let us travel to the very beginning of the universe and back again! **TRANSCENDENTAL TEMPORAL TYRANNY – PRIMORDIAL TACHYON TRANSMIGRATION!** " **-** They yelled together while their dragon roared and began emitting the rainbow particles of his predecessors, the area around the duelists changing at that. Everything seemed to move backwards, the destroyed landscape of Heartland City returning to its peaceful state. Kaito smiled briefly at that sight before they traveled back even further. Human culture collapsed, former cities becoming nature again. The Obelisk Force gasped as they saw ancient creatures repopulating the earth again, moving in reverse to their shock, a Pteranodon – a flying reptile from the times of the dinosaurs – soaring through the sky backwards instead of advancing forward. Ages gradually passed in reverse as their surroundings altered in a constant flow. The animals around them became simpler and simpler, evolution happening backwards. Eventually no living thing existed anymore and Planet Earth became a desolate place with only volcanoes, earth, water and occasional lightnings striking down from above. The solar system imploded, its star – the sun – alongside all of its planets ceasing to exist and returning to a mere collection of gathered matter. The same thing happened one level higher, the milky way returning to its primordial state as well. All matter flew towards the center of the universe after that. Then, nothing was existing anymore.

" **What is this?!** " One of the Academia Fighters uttered in terror.

-"This is the beginning of all time! The state of everything that exists now before the Big Bang! The origin of all time and space!"- Kaito replied to him with the other voice still mixed with his. -"Now send us back, Tachyon Cronus!"- He ordered his dragon. It roared again, this time echoing in reverse, now fast forwarding instead of rewinding time. What nobody of them saw though, was that in the now existing emptiness two enormous creatures hovered – Genesis Omega Dragon and his friend. The two beings of light and darkness flapped their wings, sending shockwaves of their respective power at each other. As they collided, a huge explosion occurred, referred to as the Big Bang by the humans, creating the universe with it. But as that happened, the supreme creature of light immediately perished and vanished into nonexistence, leaving back Genesis Omega alone. As the primordial explosion had occurred, the surroundings of the six duelists changed once again, slowly reverting back to normal. Galaxies slowly formed from collections of matter, a small planet called Earth coming into existence in one of them. From its rough and original inhabitable state, it slowly changed into a planet that met the conditions of allowing life on it, simple living beings showing up after that. They developed and became more complex as time went on, the Obelisk Force seeing several of them as they traveled back to their time. Huge ancient squids swam through the water, at first the only place on earth where life existed. Giant fishes with bone-plates on their bodies roamed in the sea, some of them even exceeding a great white shark in terms of size. They saw how fishes transformed and made their first steps onto land, their feet evolving until they could eventually roam on the solid ground as well, becoming the first amphibians that ever existed. These beings adapted to the life over the sea surface, becoming reptilians. They saw how dinosaurs populated the land in a multitude of species. They saw a T-Rex roaring skywards as a huge meteor advanced downwards, the one that would bring the time of dinosaurs to an end. They saw how mammals took over the world after the dinosaurs' downfall, the ancestors of humans developing eventually. They saw how relatively simple humanoids, not fully evolved into their current state, battled sabretooths and mammoths with spears. They saw how the first human civilizations came into existence, a pyramid being build in the desert while a pharaoh supervised the process. They saw how Romans in their meticulous battle formations took over the Mediterranean World, only to have their empire collapsing a few centuries later. They saw how crusaders battled against Muslims for the ownership of the holy city of Jerusalem. They saw how a man from Italy named Christopher Columbus landed in America, initiating a new era as he re-discovered the continent the vikings had reached before. They saw how American soldiers fought the British rule in the War of Independence. They saw the fierce battle in the winter of Stalingrad. They saw a lone ship advancing towards a naval blockade of American ships – the Cuban Missile Crisis. They saw that and much more. Finally they saw the peaceful city of Heartland coming into existence. It was then invaded by Academia, Kaito gritting his teeth and scowling heavily as the events repeated. Then it was over and the surroundings looked exactly like before again.

" **What just happened?!** " One of Kaito's opponents spoke up in an incredulous tone.

-"My dragon sent us to the origin of all things and back again! This is its effect Transcendental Temporal Tyranny – Divine Tachyon Transmigration! It not only resets cards on the field, but even resets the total situation of the duel in a way that you've never seen before! My dragons might have attacked already, but since Tachyon Cronus rewound time, they can charge forward and attack you once more! Behold, this is the power to defy time itself!"- Kaito declared.

-" **No way!** "- They yelled in terror.

-"And that isn't all! My Cronus Dragon furthermore receives a power-up of 1000 ATK for every card that has been played this turn!"- The Xyz-Duelist continued.

-" **WHAT?!** "- His five opponents shouted in unison.

-"This counts for card effects as well as card activations of monsters on the field or graveyard and summonings, so let's count, shall we?"- Kaito and his friend within him declared before their dragon emitted a rainbowish glow once again, the duelist re-experiencing the duel at that. -"First, I summoned my Cipher Twin Raptor using its own effect!"- They began, everyone observing how it happened again. -"Then it used its effect, special summoning Cipher Mirage! Said monster then used its effect to special summon another Twin Raptor from my deck, followed up by me summoning two Cipher Wings from my hand! I then tributed one of them using its effect to bump up my levels by four! Next up, I Xyz Summoned Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon, using its effect to take control over an Ancient Gear Hero Achilles! I activated my two continuous spells Cipher Interfere and Galaxy Interfere! Then I banished Cipher Mirage to grant my fake Cipher Dragon the attribute of being an Xyz-Monster and a second attack during this turn! Furthermore I Xyz Summoned my Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon, followed up by the spell card Xyz Gift that enabled me to draw three cards from my deck! Then I used the effect of Cipher Interfere during the battle between the first Triple Bite Hound Dog and my fake Cipher Dragon, using Galaxy Interfere in tandem to triple my real Cipher Dragon's ATK! Your comrades reacted with the continuous trap Ancient Gear Collective and three copies of Limiter Removal! I countered their move with the effect of Tachyon Dragon! Then, after all attacks were over, I used Rank-Up-Magic Sudden Galaxy Expansion to evolve my Tachyon Dragon into its Chaos Form! Said monster then used its first effect immediately after summoning, negating all of your comrade's cards with it and resetting all cards on the field! I used Galaxy Interfere once more, boosting its ATK to 13500! Then you came in as I finished off your friend! I used the second effect of Neo Tachyon, tributing my two Cipher Dragons to grant my other dragon two more attacks! Then the Rank-Up-Magic Barian Ascension was activated, raising my Neo Tachyon to a higher form of existence! Lastly Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon's effect itself was activated! Meaning with a total of twenty-eight actions during this turn, my dragon's ATK...!"- They began, making a dramatic pause, the Obelisk Force breaking into heavy sweat. -" **...WILL INCREASE BY 28000!** "- They concluded, their monster powering up at that.

 _Number CC107: Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon: ATK 6000 → 34000_

"IMPOSSIBLE! IT'S OVER THIRTY THOUSAND!" A soldier bearing a red gem on his face exclaimed in horror.

-"That's not all! All monsters which I own that left the field this turn other than by becoming summoning material are brought back! REVIVE, GALAXY-EYES CIPHER DRAGON!"- They yelled as the smaller dragon reappeared.

 _Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon_

 _Light/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Xyz/Effect_

-"And finally all of my cards that were banished this turn return to the place they were banished from! Meaning my Cipher Mirage will return to the graveyard!"- They finished. Then Kaito faced the five remaining opponents with an intense stare. -"Do you see it now?! Before the power of a Barian Emperor, your efforts were useless from the very beginning! There was no possible future in which you could have beaten me, for my dragon is the sovereign of time itself!"- They shouted at them.

( 45, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 4 #22 Duel of the Souls Extended end at 6:29, meaning two loops of the original)

"This cannot be real...!" One of the Obelisk Force murmured to himself before Kaito continued.

-"I'll banish Cipher Mirage again, granting my revived Cipher Dragon a second attack! Now do it! **CIPHER STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!** "- They yelled, two more beams of light sending the next soldiers flying.

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#5) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#5) LP: 2000 → 0**

-"And then finally I will use my Galaxy Interfere for a third time, doubling my Tachyon Cronus Dragon's ATK with it!"-

 _Number CC107: Primordial Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Cronus Dragon: ATK 34000 → 68000_

"This must be a dream! A dragon that can attack five or three times depending on material with the power to rewind time and even the Battle Phase...!" One of the final three soldiers whispered in fear, prompting the avenger to address him.

-"NO, THIS ISN'T A DREAM! THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! NOW PREPARE TO VANISH FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH AS MY DRAGON DELIVERS THE FINAL BLOW! **ARE YOU READY TO REPENT?!** "- He shouted at them fiercely, causing them to flinch as he raised his right arm. -" _ **PRIMORDIAL TACHYON SPIRAL OF CELESTIAL ERADICATION!**_ "- They yelled at the top of their lungs as the five dragon heads launched five rays of light, two from the outer heads uniting into one respectively while the bigger head's stream remained solo. As the three attacks collided, they sent the Obelisk Force flying, depleting their lifepoints.

 **OBELISK FORCE GREEN (#6) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE RED (#6) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **OBELISK FORCE YELLOW (#6) LP: 2000 → 0**

 **KAITO WIN!**

The avenger stared down on his opponents before pressing a button on his disk, emitting a dark shine that enveloped the fallen enemies. A stack of cards formed on his palm, the terrified faces of the fallen soldiers trapped within the artworks of them.

"With that, I'm six Obelisk Force Squads closer to avenging Mizael and my family." Kaito said to himself, looking upon the eighteen cards in his hand. "Only a few hundreds more and my revenge will be complete." He concluded, wandering off into the distance after that.

* * *

 _Fusion Dimension, Academia, Schoolyard..._

"Give up, you brat!" A male teacher with yellow hair bound in a ponytail yelled at Serena, being engaged in a duel with her at the moment. It was Serena's turn and she was down to 100 lifepoints, having just barely survived her opponent's turn. She controlled Lunalight Leo Dancer with 3500 ATK, the strongest monster that she currently possessed. She faced a dueling professor using a special Ancient Gear Deck, him controlling an Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem with 4400 ATK and an Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon with 3000 ATK. Her opponent furthermore controlled an Ancient Gear Megaton Golem, sitting at 3300 ATK. To top it all off, he still had a good amount of lifepoints, all 4000 to be exact. Said male now addressed the purple haired girl again. "You are in a hopeless situation! I figure you shouldn't have mocked me by challenging me to a duel! Now you will have to pay the price for your cockiness!" He exclaimed.

" _Oh boy, looks like Ray's Fusion-Fragment got too bolt and challenged Dr. Cronos di Medici aka Dr. Vellian Crowler to a duel! Let's see if she can stand up him like Judai or not!"_ Zarc exclaimed as he observed the scene.

"Don't write me off that easily! I still have lifepoints left!" Serena shot back to the dueling professor from Academia.

"And?! You still only have your Leo Dancer while I have three Ancient Gears, one of them stronger than your monster and all of them powerful! Admit it, this duel is over for you!" Cronos replied to her.

"Not yet! I will definitely prove my worth to the Professor, no matter what! I DRAW!" She yelled with a fierce expression. Meanwhile Yuri and some other students watched how the duel carried on in the yard, the former of them smirking.

"Looks like she's finally improving! Was about time after all! Even I did a little bit of practice after losing to that shitty bastard Yuga twice!" The purple haired male whispered to himself, frowning at the final part. "This power he has, it shouldn't be his! IT SHOULD BE MINE!" He exclaimed, the last part in an intense voice full of envy.

"I will activate the spell card Lunalight Perfume! This card allow me to revive a "Lunalight"-Monster from my graveyard!" Serena declared as she slammed a card on her disk.

"Useless! Your Blue Cat was already banished by me! Without its ATK-doubling-effect, your card is meaningless!" Cronos shot back.

Serena smirked. "Who ever said that I was trying to revive her? The monster I will revive is Lunalight Cat Dancer!"

 _Lunalight Cat Dancer_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 2000/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect_

"Huh?! But why?!" Cronos cried out in confusion.

"Because of this!" Serena replied, raising a card. "Using the spell Lunalight Fusion, I fuse my Leo Dancer and Cat Dancer from my field and my **Lunalight Brown Eagle** from my deck! I can do the latter because you control a monster summoned from the Extra Deck!"

"WHAT?! A Fusion using two Fusion-Monsters plus another Lunalight?!"

"That's right!" Serena retorted as her three monsters spiraled upwards into a vortex and she began chanting.

"A new Fusion-Monster? Interesting!" Yuri remarked as he observed the events.

( 46, Hollowed/Break Through Even (Mix) - Bleach OST; if the video should be deleted you can pick either of the two mixed soundtracks)

"Nocturnal creatures dancing in the radiance of the moonlight! Spiral into the moon's gravity and become a new power! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" She yelled, clapping her hands together. "Come forth! The lone beast that waltzes in the dim luminescence of the shining moon, slicing its foes apart without mercy! Level 11! **LUNALIGHT TIGER DANCER**!" Serena shouted as a monster resembling a woman with the animal features of a feline appeared, wearing a golden dress that didn't cover her shoulders and having a long chain that meandered around both of her arms and led behind her back. Said chain had a few sharp blades of black color on the ends of it, the monster swinging them around to showcase its practice in using them.

 _Lunalight Tiger Dancer_

 _Dark/Level 11/ATK 3900/DEF 3600/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect_

"Level 11?! It's even higher than Dr. di Medici's Ancient Gear Ultimate Golem!" One of the spectating students exclaimed in awe.

Cronos scowled at that comment. "But it still has less ATK than my Golem!" He pointed out.

"Not for long!" Serena retorted. "The effect of Brown Eagle activates now! Since I used her as a Fusion Material for my Tiger Dancer, she now can grant one of my Lunalights 100 ATK times that monster's level until the End Phase! I target Tiger Dancer, boosting her ATK by 1100!" She cried out.

 _Lunalight Tiger Dancer: ATK 3900 → 5000_

"Kuh! Then I will prevent her from attacking with this! Trap card open! **Ancient Gear Guard**! This card can change one of my Ancient Gears into defense mode to do the same with one of your monsters afterwards! I swap Ancient Gear Megaton Golem to defense position and target your Tiger Dancer!" Cronos yelled in response.

"Useless! My Tiger Dance cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects!" Serena shot back.

"Damn it!" Cronos cursed. "But it is still far too weak to defeat me! Especially since I now use the trap card Damage Diet to halve all damage I take during this turn!" He declared in response.

"Don't be too certain about that! I now normal summon **Lunalight Green Iguana**!" Serena shouted as a gymsuit-wearing girl with reptilian features was summoned to the field.

 _Lunalight Green Iguana_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 500/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"Then I will tribute her with my Tiger Dancer's special ability, enabling her to attack all of your monsters during this turn! Now go, Lunalight Tiger Dancer! At this moment, her effect activates! Whenever she declares an attack, her ATK goes up by a thousand, lasting for the rest of this turn! MOON SUPREMACY!" Serena shouted as her monster became even stronger.

 _Lunalight Tiger Dancer: ATK 5000 → 6000_

"WHAT?!" Cronos exclaimed as the monster charged towards his Ancient Gear Reactor Dragon.

"DEADLY MOON WALTZ!" She yelled, her monster spinning around, its chains swiping through the air, the blades on their ends slicing apart the mechanical dragon with ease. Despite his trap card, Cronos lost a good chunk of his LP with that attack.

 **CRONOS LP: 4000 → 2500**

"The next attack! I'll focus your Ancient Gear Megaton Golem now! My Tiger Dancer's effect kicks in once more! MOON SUPREMACY!"

 _Lunalight Tiger Dancer: ATK 6000 → 7000_

"Now finish his monster! DEADLY MOON WALTZ!"

Cronos gritted his teeth as his second monster was blown up by the attack. As he saw his lifepoint-counter dropping, his expression changed in disbelief. "Wait, your Tiger Dancer, does she...?!" He began.

"Inflict piercing damage?! Yes, she does!" Serena yelled as her opponent received the damage.

 **CRONOS LP: 2500 → 650**

"Damn! This cannot happen! I cannot lose to a simple student!" Cronos exclaimed.

Serena faced his gaze with a dead serious expression. "I think you are mistaken! Now Tiger Dancer, attack one last time! Due to her effect, she gains power once more! MOON SUPREMACY!"

 _Lunalight Tiger Dancer: ATK 7000 → 8000_

"NO! NOT LIKE THIS! I CANNOT LOSE AGAINST YOU!" Cronos di Medici screamed in outrage, unable to do anything against Serena's monster.

"I beg to differ!" Serena replied in a quiet, yet threatening tone before she pointed at Ultimate Golem. "NOW FINISH THIS, TIGER DANCER! **DEADLY MOON WALTZ!** " She screamed, the bladed chains bisecting the robot, resulting in a loud explosion that hurled Cronos backwards.

 **CRONOS LP: 650 → 0**

 **SERENA WIN!**

( 46, Hollowed/Break Through Even (Mix) - Bleach OST end)

The surrounding students clapped nervously, none of them keen on facing the purple haired girl with the green eyes which shone with confidence and strength now. As Serena walked away, a person approached her while she took her leave.

"That was quite the duel you gave us there! You really got better over the last few days!" Yuri addressed her, stepping in front of Serena and stroking over her cheek with his hand. "Honestly, that evolution of yours is quite intriguing if I do say so myself!" He remarked.

"Don't touch me, you jerk!" Serena retorted angrily, slapping him in the face before simply walking away with an upset huff.

Yuri rubbed his cheek and looked at her while she took her leave, smirking in his usual manner. "My, such a violent girl! Doesn't even have one bit of humor inside her body!" He commented with a grin.

" _Wait, why did Yuri just act like that? I thought he and Serena didn't know each other very well."_ Ray spoke up in her spectral form.

Zarc nodded before he replied to her. _"Yes, but since he's part of me, he unconsciously desires your fragment nevertheless! His human half might care about her not one bit, but his dragon half is a whole other story! You know, Ray, dragons being possessive creatures isn't a myth! They are actually acting very much like that, I know that better than anyone! His other side internally screams at his human mind to claim her for himself, hence why he just did that stroke on her face! That's also part of the reason why Yugo for instance is so pissed whenever he encounters Rin's supposed kidnapper! Sure, because of my love for you that was partially passed onto him and your emotion-transmission-thing that happens because of the prowesses the girls have he likes her a lot, but his dragon side is also very possessive about her! Anyway, time to go!"_ Zarc declared, vanishing at that.

* * *

 _Maiami City, Docks..._

"Dang it, where is he? He promised to train with me and said we would meet up at 4 pm!" Yuzu murmured to herself, her right foot tapping on the ground in impatience. "Which was thirty minutes ago!" She added, puffing up her cheeks. She looked up as she heard the steps of an approaching person. "There you are! I was waiting for you since fifty minutes already! What the hell took you so...?" She began before her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, why do you look so beaten up?!" She addressed Sora in a shocked tone, her indignation vanishing all at once.

"I don't know." Sora replied, approaching the pink haired girl at that. "The only thing I remember is waking up like this in some alleyway with half of my money gone." The cyan haired male responded, rubbing his hurting cheek which had been burst open by Kumo's punch earlier this day.

"You've been robbed?!" Yuzu exclaimed in a terror. "Why do you show up then?! You could have just called me and canceled our training! Why do you insist on doing it nevertheless?!" She addressed him with lack of understanding in her voice.

"I don't know, I just wanted to do it." He replied, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "You are my friend and I like you a lot, so I felt responsible to conduct our training despite my injuries!" Sora chuckled, only to clutch his chest right afterwards, his torso still hurting from the stomps Kumo had inflicted upon it. Yuzu rushed over to him to support him as he saw him collapsing, wrapping an arm around him to prevent him from dropping to the ground.

"Are you okay?" She asked him in a concerned voice, looking rightwards to his face.

Sora faced her and nodded. "I'm fine. You can let go of me again." He replied, his tone clearly indicating that he was lying.

Yuzu shook her head. "You are obviously not in good shape, so forget about it!" She protested before she carefully placed him down and reached into a bag she carried with herself. "You are damn lucky that I have my emergency set at the ready! Now hold still while I bandage your wounds!" She announced.

Sora shook his head, raising his hands in a dismissive gesture, also blushing a bit. "No, I'm fine, believe me!" He rejected her offer, being too proud as an Academia Soldier to be nursed like that. Yuzu's face reddened in anger, Sora flinching visibly.

"Two options, my friend!" She announced, holding her hand with two of its fingers raised directly in front of his face. "Number one is letting me help you and accept medical aid! Number two...!" She continued, her voice increasing in volume and gaining a menacing tone as she reached for something else. Sora gulped as she pulled out an object and smacked it onto her open palm once for intimidation. "Number two is rejecting my offer and receiving the fan-treatment instead! So what do you prefer, medical aid or the fan?!" She addressed him in an intense voice.

Sora gulped again. "You know what, medical aid sounds really great all of a sudden! I think I'll take that option!" He hastily exclaimed, sweating heavily.

Yuzu smirked victoriously. "Great that we're on the same page now! Then let me deal with your injuries!" She cried out, opening her medical set and beginning her work. Meanwhile a few figures were watching the scene in the harbor area.

"Damn, that Academia Shit gets nursed by such a lovely girl?! The most undeserving people always seem to get all the positive stuff while we in the Resistance barely make it through! Guess the saying's true after all, life is a bitch!" Yuto cursed, observing the events with disdain on Sora's behalf. "But why is he even hurt though? Was it Shun?" He wondered. Yuto then eyed Yuzu. "Thinking about it, I probably have to look after her! Academia nearby someone often means chaos and death, so I need to protect that girl!" He added, being reminded about Ruri's abduction at that.

"Fuck my life, Sora gets medical treatment from Yuzu?! That jerk, he shouldn't get such nice things for carding people!" Yuga exclaimed in outrage, also spying on the two from a rooftop, unlike Yuto who hid behind a nearby storage hall. He then raised an eyebrow. "But that asks the question why he is hurt." Yuga went on. "Was it one of my friends? Probably, my squad is the only group capable of handling him. Then who was the culprit? When I left there were only Yubi, Kumo and Shiryu. Yubi is normally rather calm, but since he gets serious when facing an opponent he could be the one who screwed up Sora like this. Or Shiryu! Whenever I'm not around she does whatever she wants, impulsive as she is nowadays! That girl is so hard to handle if you ain't me or a very rational person like Yubi who can persuade her with reason! She might have dueled him and wrecked Sora as to be expected of her! But then I would have seen Susanoo in the city, and well, I didn't see a thirty meters tall samurai engulfed by blue flames! Meaning it can't be her! Maybe he met Rin? She is also very impulsive at times and has a direct way to express her feelings, which would be engaging and destroying him in a duel in Sora's case! Well, I will find out on today's evening I guess!" Yuga concluded with his pondering.

After a while Yuzu was done, putting her hands onto her sides and looking at her work in satisfaction. "That should do!" She exclaimed. "Now we can start with our training since you inquire on doing it so much!" She addressed Sora.

He nodded. "Okay! Then let's begin! Maybe I'll get into a better mood once we're on it!" Sora retorted. "Then let's make a little practice duel!" He shouted, activating his duel disk.

"Uh!" Yuzu cried out in enthusiasm, activating her disk as well.

* * *

"And now I activate the spell card Polymerization from my hand!" Yuzu declared, raising a card in her hand.

' _Finally! Let's see if she can do it now!_ _'_ Sora thought.

Yuto frowned. "Fusion? Damn, don't say that he's trying his Academia propaganda on her!" He hissed.

Yuga raised an eyebrow. "A Fusion from Yuzu? This ought to be interesting!" He exclaimed.

"I will fuse Aria the Melodious Diva and Sonata the Melodious Diva!" Yuzu continued, her two monsters swirling into a vortex together.

' _It's coming! I hope that she payed attention during my duels!_ _'_ Sora debated with himself, observing the summoning process.

"Enchanting melodies! Bloom in splendid glory and play in new harmony for us! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN!" Yuzu yelled. However, instead of a monster, she got an error message on her duel disk display, causing her to blush as a result. "Why?! Where is my Fusion-Monster?! It should get summoned now, right?!" She broke out in embarrassment, her head flushed from her failed attempt.

"Well, did you put it into your Extra Deck?" Sora inquired, speaking to her with a lollipop in his mouth.

"Wait, Extra Deck?" Yuzu retorted in surprise.

"Yeah, Extra Deck! Fusion-Monsters go there, you know?" Sora replied.

Yuzu blushed before pulling out her cards from the disk and checking her deck. Sure enough the monster she aimed for – Schuberta the Melodious Maestra – was amidst these cards. Yuzu let out a gasp of realization before she let her head hang down in shame and disappointment of herself.

"Well, that didn't work. If all Academia Students were as good as her in terms of Fusion Summoning, Heartland would probably still be fine." Yuto remarked a bit cynically. "I feel bad for her though, it really looked like she was trying hard." He added, showing some of his empathy despite the method she planned on using.

"Man, that was a flop and a half! Haven't seen someone fuck up like that in a while!" Yuga commented. "Though she is probably still confused about Yuto and all that dimension-stuff which excuses her mental absence. I feel you, Yuzu, I myself am confused as well! Why the hell did I sync with Yuya? Why are there six counterpart-couples? Why are there six dragons and six bracelets? Man, just thinking about it makes me even more confused, so I better stop with it and drop the subject for now!" He debated with himself. His thoughts returned to Yuzu's failed attempt on summoning a Fusion-Monster after that. He facepalmed and grinned, whispering two words while doing so. "How cute!" He remarked, thinking of Yuzu's flushed face when she had gotten the error message.

"Man, didn't you pay attention during my two qualification matches?" Sora exclaimed, pushing himself onto a container to sit on it. "Didn't you learn something from it?" He went on. "I could have won these duels without Fusion, but still used it so you could learn from me!" He complained with a little bit of exasperation about her lack in terms of learning in his voice.

"I'm very sorry." Yuzu quietly apologized.

"But...", Sora began anew, jumping down from the container again and facing her, "…I guess that's only natural since you still keep thinking about him, right?" He addressed her in a cheeky tone, confronting the girl about her encounters with Yuto. Yuzu blushed and looked away, prompting Sora to go on. "I knew it! You've been really absent ever since you met him! Who is he?" Sora asked.

"No idea." Yuzu replied.

"His name?" Sora inquired.

"Not a clue." Yuzu responded.

' _I see. She doesn't know any details about the guy which could help me with confirming his identity. Too bad, I would prefer searching in the database for information about his deck before I have to face that Xyz Scum eventually! Then let's try something else!'_ Sora debated with himself, continuing his questioning. "You've met him twice, right?"He asked.

"Yeah. The first one was with Sawatari..." She retorted, being reminded about her first encounter with Yuto.

* * *

"Step aside! I'll deal with these guys on your behalf!" Yuto declared, entering the storage hall with his mask and goggles put on.

"What? Why that?" Yuzu retorted to him in surprise.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt again!" Yuto responded to her.

* * *

"I see! So that's how he stole your heart!" Sora remarked in a joking manner, prompting Yuzu to blush again.

"Surely not! There's nothing like that between us!" The pinkette cried out in embarrassment and denial – though the thought kept lingering in her mind.

"Me and her?" Yuto murmured, blushing from the thought of it as well.

"Yuto and Yuzu? Damn, they would make a cute couple for sure! If more encounters between those two happen and Yuya doesn't take the initiative soon, my Standard-Counterpart may have had a potential girlfriend for the longest time!" Yuga commented. "Though Yuto wouldn't start anything with Yuzu as long as Ruri is still out there of course!" He added.

"But I can understand you! He makes me feel pretty excited too!" Sora went on, smirking a little at the thought of facing a strong foe. _'All the glory I would get in Academia for taking down an elite Resistance Member! Maybe I'll even get a promotion!'_ The cyan haired boy daydreamed before continuing. "I originally planned on dueling him, but then that Masumi Kotsu came in and ruined it all! Let's not forget about that strange girl!" Sora added.

"Right. Who was she?" Yuzu wondered before addressing Sora in panic, thinking about Yuto. "But you mustn't duel that strange guy! He's dangerous!" Yuzu cried out.

"Dangerous?" Sora retorted in a doubtful voice, playing the unknowing teen he was to Yuzu and the rest of the people in Standard – with the exception of Reiji who was already aware of his true identity. The boy raised an eyebrow. "He didn't seem that dangerous to me!"

"That's because I'm not dangerous! Well, except for Fusion Soldiers like you that is!" Yuto remarked from his hideout in a whispered tone.

"Believe me, he is! That monster he summoned, it was terrifying! It inflicted real damage and destroyed the storage hall!" Yuzu cried out in fear, the past resurfacing again.

* * *

-" **Fierce and untamed dragon with fangs formed in pitch-black darkness, cloaked in shadows and relentless in the persecution of your objective! Use your treacherous blade to carve your name into their skulls as you rise up to oppose this foolish oppression! Come forth, the dark dragon of defiance! Topple their rule and obliterate them! Its razor-sharp tusks will be your demise! Now begone with the thunderclap! XYZ SHŌKAN! DESCEND! RANK 4! DARK REBELLION XYZ DRAGON!** "-

* * *

Yuto's summoning chant echoed through her mind as she recalled her memories. She looked at Sora with concern and addressed him anew, her worries clearly audible in her voice. "Promise me to not duel that guy! Please!" She requested.

Sora sighed. "Fine! I promise to not engage him in a duel!" He retorted, prompting Yuzu to sigh in relief. _'For now that is!'_ He added in his thoughts, grinning deviously on the inside. Suddenly his thoughts were cut short by Yuzu's bracelet emitting a radiant light.

"What? What's happening?! Why is my bracelet shining?!" Yuzu cried out in confusion, looking down to the jewelry on her arm.

" _Oh, there it goes! Yuga and Yuto seem to be far enough away from each other, but now that egao-fool is coming in the requirements for Ray's shitty thing to be activated are met! Watch the deus ex machina bracelet do its work!"_ Zarc commented as Yuzu's shining bracelets warped Yuto and Yuga away, Yuya approaching the girl in the process.

"Hey Yuzu, why are you here again? You seem to be in love with the harbor recently since you always keep on coming here!" The green and red haired teen addressed his friend.

"Oh, it's you, Yuya. Sora and me were just practicing here. You know, I wanted to learn Fusion and get better for the championship." Yuzu replied to him.

Yuya nodded, smiling at her. "I see! You're really working hard for it! That's great! I made some progress regarding the championship as well! I won my first qualification match against that Michio Mokota!" The male said.

Yuzu smiled. "That's good! Now you only need three more wins! And I bet that you will get them as well!" She addressed him in a encouraging tone.

Yuya grinned. "You bet! Anyway, how about you, Sora? Have you won any of your six matches yet?" He asked the other male.

Sora hummed. "Yeah, two of them to be exact. Yuzu was accompanying me to learn Fusion. Unlucky for me she was still mentally absent because of her encounters a few days ago."

Yuya raised an eyebrow. "Encounters? What do you mean by that?" He inquired.

"Well, she met this one guy here in the harbor area. The first time was when she confronted Sawatari in that storage hall and the second time was in that other storage hall where we also met Masumi. Oh, and during the second encounter there also was this one weird girl who came in and defended that stranger against Masumi's rage." Sora explained.

"Hmm, I see. So that's why she was behaving so unusual during the past few days. And that story of the second encounter explains why Masumi was yelling at me about the whereabouts of that guy and that mysterious girl." Yuya contemplated.

"And then there's also her bracelet which glows whenever you appear!" Sora added.

"Her bracelet glows when I appear? Why that?" Yuya asked, tilting his head in confusion and turning it to Yuzu.

Yuzu shook her head sideways. "No idea. But anyway, how about your match, Yuya? How did it go?" Yuzu asked him, keen on dropping the subject that had confused her so much during the last days.

Yuya looked at her, his face lighting up. "Oh, glad that you asked! Well, it was actually much in Michio's favor at first since he used monsters that could repeatedly be summoned like my Pendulums and that destroyed my monsters by returning them to the hand. However, by using a luck-reliant card, I turned it around at a tight spot and summoned a few new monsters." He narrated.

"A few new monsters?" Yuzu inquired.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah, I shifted the focus of my deck to the Odd-Eyes archetype and implemented a few new monsters into my deck. I figured that I would need to get better for the Maiami Championship." He explained. "Also I thought that my Odd-Eyes-Cards might look a little bit cooler than my Performapals..." He added hesitantly.

Yuzu shot him an affirming gaze. "Yeah, they do! Was about time that you used a more mature deck! No offense to you or Uncle Yusho, but those things are so childish! Your Odd-Eyes-Monsters are also colorful, but they possess a grace that is both authoritative and brilliant – which is far more promising to astound the crowd than circus animals if you ask me. Remember, your goal as a You Show Student is to make the crowd laugh and smile **with** you, not **about** you!" The girl stated, stressing the two words of her last sentence.

Yuya sweat dropped. "Yeah, that was what Yukina said as well. Guess you two really have a similar mindset after all." The green haired male replied.

"Yukina?" Sora wondered.

"My big sister. She's an elite student at LDS' special facility in the north of Honshu. She will most likely enter the Maiami Championship at its final rounds." Yuya explained.

"Huh?! But why that?! Doesn't she need to do all the stuff we have to do in order to enter?!" Sora exclaimed in indignation.

Yuya chuckled. "I'm afraid not! That's the privilege of being an elite, you get a few benefits!" Yuya retorted.

Sora puffed up his cheeks. "Man, no fair!" He pouted for a while before returning to the prior subject. "Anyway, you said that you summoned a few monsters to win that duel. What monsters?" He asked, trying to find out intel about his potential enemy in the future.

"Well, I started with a few basic Effect-Monsters and used my Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as a material for a Ritual Summon. Later I performed a Synchro Summon with two of my monsters. And finally I conducted another Ritual Summon. Albeit a rather unusual one as I didn't need a Ritual Spell for it like with the previous one but rather used monsters on my field instead, simply sending them to the grave." Yuya told.

Sora gasped in shock. "What?! You have a Chō Gishiki-Monster?!" He cried out in surprise.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. But one question, how do you know how I named the method? You didn't watch my duel, did you?" He asked in a confused tone.

Sora sweat dropped. "Well, I just thought that it would be a nice name since the method you used is a better version of normal Ritual Summon, so I assumed you would have thought the same. Have you come up with the name that way as well?" Sora inquired in a nervous tone, aware that he had just blown his cover for a second and praying that they wouldn't notice it.

Yuya shook his head. "Actually I didn't come up with the name by my own. Some guy within the audience just yelled it while I was deliberating, so I took his suggestion. I didn't really look at him that much, but if I remember correctly, his hair was blue and gray." He told.

Sora's eyes widened in terror, though he concealed his emotions only a few moments after, hiding his shock. _'Wait, now it all makes sense! Me being robbed and a strange guy with blue and gray hair who knows Chō Gishiki! I must have been attacked by Yuga Gishiki or one of his friends and knocked out! And then they somehow erased my memories and took some of my money to make me think it was just a normal assault! As if anyone in Standard was physically strong enough to overwhelm me like that! I'm one Academia's best trained soldiers in close combat after all! Why didn't I think of it earlier?! It obviously must have been the Ritual Scum or one of his fellows!'_ Sora concluded within his mind. He then frowned. _'But that means that I have either lost in a duel or a classic fight! Either way I still need to get stronger to defeat my enemies from the looks of it! They are supervising this dimension, so I must be ready to fight them in case of a confrontation!'_ He went on, gritting his teeth in anger of his defeat at the hands of Yubi – though he obviously had no precise idea who his former opponent was.

Yuya looked at Sora more carefully. "Since we're already talking about looks, what about you, Sora? You look terrible! Did something bad happen to you?" He asked in concern.

Yuzu looked at him and nodded. "Yes, he was robbed on his way here. Someone knocked him out, beat him up and took half of his money." She addressed him.

"What?! He was robbed?!" He cried out in shock. He then grabbed the cyan haired boy by his shoulders. "Is everything alright, Sora?! You aren't hurt that badly, are you?! Do you need to go to the hospital?! We can bring you there if you want!" He offered in a worried tone.

Sora waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Oh, no need for that! Yuzu already patched me up and bandaged my injuries! It doesn't even hurt that much anymore!" He replied.

Yuya sighed in relief. "Good to hear that! Oh, and thank you, Yuzu, you did a great job! A really, really great job!" He addressed the female in gratitude that she helped their friend so much.

"For a friend like him anytime again!" Yuzu said, slightly bowing her head, flattered about the genuine praise coming from her friend.

Sora's mouth corners darted downwards. _'They are so nice to me despite the fact that they will eventually all be conquered by me and my comrades._ _They have treated me kinder than any person in Academia. It's a shame that I have to betray them when the time comes._ _'_ He thought in a sad tone. _'_ _Why am I feeling so weird all of a sudden? Is it weakness that consumes my body? Because if it is, I have to get rid of it immediately! Weakness is not tolerated in Academia! But at the same time another part of me doesn't want to get rid of it. What is this strange feeling of indecisiveness?'_ He pondered, conflicted about his loyalties to Academia because of the bonds he had established here in Standard, especially those with its two unsuspecting counterparts.

"Anyway, glad you're doing well again, Sora!" Yuya continued. "I hope that you still have enough money left after they stole half of yours! If not, you can borrow some from me!" He offered.

Sora shook his head. "No, I'm fine! The biggest problem about that whole incident were probably the injuries." He responded.

Yuya sighed in relief. "Good to hear that! Now then, how did your learning progress go? Have you taught Yuzu the mysteries behind Fusion Summon yet?" He asked.

Sora shook his head. "I have, but as I said before, she couldn't make use of them since she was still distracted by those two encounters. But I think that she will learn quicker the more time passes. She will eventually forget about them and stop being troubled by those experiences. Right, Yuzu?" Sora addressed the pink haired girl.

"Hopefully." She retorted in a rather uncertain tone before her voice grew more determined, looking at Yuya. "Oh, could you duel me please, Yuya? I want to see those new monsters you used in action, especially that Chō Gishiki or how it was called! And while we're already at it I could also practice my Fusion Summon! So what do you say?" She asked him.

Yuya sweat dropped a little before replying. "Sorry, Yuzu, but I'm not feeling like dueling now, even if it's only a practice duel! Honestly, I don't feel like doing much today at all. I only came here to look for you on the behalf of the principal. Now I just wanna go home and rest for the remainder of the day." He declared his intent.

Yuzu puffed up her cheeks. "Geez Yuya, you can be so lazy sometimes!" She huffed in indignation.

"Relax, Yuzu! I already had a hard duel today, so I don't feel up to neither a duel against you nor dueling class at You Show! And tomorrow will be a hard day again! Sorry, but I'll take my leave now! See you soon!" Yuya waved them goodbye, turning around at that. As he had made a few steps, a gale blew up his school jacket that he wore as a cape for a second, revealing his back. Yuzu addressed him again at that.

"Oh, and adjust that red T-Shirt of yours! It's pleated at the left side of your lower back and people can see you skin! So untidy, Geez!" Yuzu admonished him.

Yuya turned around and looked at her. "Oh, you are right! Thank you!" He addressed the girl, adjusting his shirt before continuing with his advance, vanishing from their sight not long after. A few moments later Sora began speaking to the remaining person, meaning Yuzu.

"Did I just hallucinate or did Yuya have a tattoo on his back? One looking like an ornate P if I'm not mistaken."

Yuzu shook her head. "It's not a tattoo. According to his parents he was simply born with it, for whatever reason that is. Regarding its looks though you are right, it is an ornate P." The girl replied.

"Strange." Sora murmured.

Yuzu nodded. "Very strange indeed, just like this glowing bracelet of mine. Anyway, let's get back to our training!" She cried out in enthusiasm.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Sora nodded, a smile of anticipation creeping on his face. He really had come to like some of Standard's inhabitants from the looks of it.

* * *

 _Maiami City, alleyways..._

"Woah, looks like I got warped again! Man, that bracelet surely is weird! At least the other girls' don't fool around like Yuzu's and Yubi made that jamming seal on them, otherwise it would get annoying really fast!" Yuga exclaimed as he appeared somewhere in the streets of Maiami City. He looked around to check his surroundings. "Oh, I think I know where I am! Then let's get going again and continue with my observations! Now then, first getting some high ground would be nice!" He said, climbing up a nearby house at that to get a better overview about the surrounding area. "Well, well, look who's over there! Our dear friend Yuto! Looks like her got warped as well!" He whispered to himself, spotting the other male in one of the alleyways beneath him. He turned around to see more figures. "And there is Shun and some other guy!" He added before the realization hit him. "Wait, he is still continuing to threaten LDS Members like before?!" Yuga cried out in shock as he observed how the teal haired male cornered Tio, the chief investigator regarding the accident with Professor Marco. "Damn, looks like I need to intercept him again!" Yuga cursed, preparing himself to jump down and confront the Xyz-Duelist. Before he could do that however, a voice spoke up out of nowhere.

"Hold up over there! Let that poor man alone!"

Just as his counterpart, Yuto widened his eyes in surprise. "Wait! That voice! That form! Is that really her?!" He whispered in shock, turning his head towards the person.

* * *

 _Area nearby, a few minutes before..._

Ruri was wandering down the streets of Maiami City, deliberating what she could do now. She had already discovered a good part of the city on her own, so it continuously became harder to find a new place that perked her interest. She looked onto her duel disk and opened the map she had downloaded back at the hotel.

"Hmm, where do I want to go next?" She murmured, scanning the map for a suitable place, rubbing her chin in a deliberating manner. Eventually she discovered her next goal. "Okay, so if I want to go to that park, I need to go through a few alleyways if I want to take the shortcut." Her eyes narrowed. "But these places are ideal for an ambush." She then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if I pay close attention I should be fine. And in case it gets really dangerous I can just port myself out of it. Yeah, let's take that way then!" She exclaimed, taking a turn into one of the nearby alleyways. As she advanced through it she noticed a few birds speeding across the sky above her, most of them looking pretty agitated. When two of them passed by relatively near to her, she imagined to hear voices inside her head.

" _Man, that guy in the blue trenchcoat looks like he's going to start some trouble soon!"_ One of the voices said.

" _Yeah, I don't want to be in the shoes of that guy he's challenging either! It's better if we get out of here!"_ The other voice retorted.

" _Huh, funny you use that saying! We birds don't even wear shoes!"_ The first voice replied, chuckling lightly.

Ruri's eyes widened as she turned around and directed her gaze at the two winged animals that gradually vanished into the distance. "Wait, did I just hear the voices of these birds?" She wondered in shock. She then shook her head vigorously. "No, I am just imagining things again, just like all these years ago!" She declared in negation of the truth she wasn't aware of yet. Obviously she had yet to know about her Creation Prowess of Nature. "But I still have a bad feeling about this! A guy in a blue trenchcoat causing trouble! This could be my brother, so I better hurry and check!" She cried out, beginning to run at that. As she drew closer to the end of the narrow alleyway, she started hearing voices. She reached the end and peeked around the edge cautiously. Her eyes widened as she observed the scene unfolding before her.

"Tell me where my sister is, you damn bastard! I know that you're with Academia!" Shun said, glaring daggers of hatred at Tio.

"What the hell are you talking about?! I have no idea what that Academia is supposed to be! And I know nothing about your sister either!" Tio shot back, obviously having no clue what Shun meant.

" **LIES!** TELL ME WHERE SHE IS OR I'LL SHOW YOU HOW HELL LOOKS LIKE!" Shun snapped in his usual aggressive manner, prompting the other man to flinch.

"No, he's threatening another innocent man?! Where will me brother stop in order to save me?! Is there really no border he wouldn't cross just to have me back?!" Ruri whispered to herself in a shocked tone. From her own experiences during the war and Yuga's story she already knew that her brother was reckless and violent, but she hadn't expected him to be that vicious. _'_ _When I can reveal myself to him, I'm gonna punch him in the face for that, his readiness to commit brutal acts is far beyond acceptable by now!_ _'_ She added as a mental note.

"Now prepare yourself! Either tell me about her whereabouts now or duel me! And I can promise you that it won't be pleasant for you if you lose!" Shun continued, readying his duel disk.

Tio gulped before a thought crept into his mind. _'_ _Wait, if this is the culprit for the assault on Professor Marco and I defeat him, I will not only end this whole issue with the attacks, but also receive a reward from the CEO! I just have to defeat him for that!_ _'_ He contemplated, preparing himself as well as he was blinded by his desire for promotion.

"Very well then, a duel it is! I will make you suffer just as I suffered when you bastards took away Ruri from me!" Shun stated in a furious voice. "Then let's...!"

"Hold up over there! Let that poor man alone!" Ruri interrupted her brother, approaching the two men as she stepped out of her hideout behind Tio. Shun's – as well as Yuto's and Yuga's eyes – widened as they observed how the female wearing the hood of her jacket over her head walked over to the assaulted man, Ruri's eyes covered by the sunglasses.

"Wait! That voice! That form! Is that really her?!" Yuto murmured in surprise, both shocked and happy from the prospect of seeing his loved friend again.

"Wait, Ruri is stepping in?! Damn, I was too late! I should have went in on her behalf and dueled that "Just rescuing my sister and carding everyone in the way"-maniac again! Now she has to face her own brother while denying her identity in front of him to keep up her cover! Curse me, why was I so slow?!" Yuga hissed, resenting himself for being too idle to save Ruri from the unpleasant experience soon about to come.

"What are you doing?! I can duel that guy myself!" Tio addressed the girl approaching him.

Ruri looked at the man and shot him a gaze through her sunglasses. "Believe me, this guy is out of your league! It's better for you to leave now! You don't want to die already, do you?" She addressed the male.

Tio's face became pale at those words. "Did you just say... 'die'?!" He stammered in horror.

Ruri nodded. "Yeah, that is pretty much what would have happened to you if you lost. And you would have lost, there's no doubt about that. You better repeat after your friend and let me handle the issue for you." She told the man. Tio nodded and left the area quickly after that, keen on avoiding a conflict with the male Xyz-Duelist now that he knew about the consequences of a loss.

Shun stared at the girl with eyes and jaw wide open, not believing the sight in front of him. After a while he finally mustered enough strength to talk to her, pulling down his scarf and sunglasses as well.

"Is this really you..." He began, still in utter disbelief that the person he cared about like nothing else in this world stood right before him again, so many months after being separated from her by Yuri's rather violent means of tearing the siblings apart. "...Ruri?" He finished, completely taken aback by the situation. Meanwhile Yuto was in a similar state.

"It's really her! After so many months she's finally back! Thank whoever god made this possible!" He whispered, doing a signum crucis despite being no christian. "With that I finally have the first thing I longed for!" He went on. Yuto's expression changed after that. "But I want more! I want my carded friends back! I want my father back! I want Heartland back in peace like it was before! I can't settle for just having Ruri back, I need more! I want her to be mine!" He cried out, his tone sounding almost greedy as a strange dark glow came from the right side of his lower back, his possessive dragon nature kicking in as well.

Ruri quivered slightly, visibly uncomfortable with the situation and remaining silent. This prompted Shun to repeat his previous words.

"Ruri, is this really you?" He said, slowly beginning to walk towards her. "No, why am I even asking, it obviously is you! How did you escape from Academia?" He asked before he shook his head. "Well, I think that can wait for now! Just come here and hug your big brother please! I'm so glad to see you again!" He stated, reaching out his right arm for her as he was gradually approaching her. Ruri gritted her teeth, knowing what she had to do now – and not liking it the least bit. But it had to be done, so she braced herself for a brief moment before she started yelling.

"Stay away from me! I'm not your stupid sister!" She snapped at Shun, causing her brother to flinch in surprise.

Shun stopped in his tracks and looked confused for a while before he let out a brief chuckle. "Oh, you definitely got better at making jokes while you were held captive!" He laughed. "But now let's stop with the jokes and have our reunion please!" Shun said, continuing his advance.

"I'M NOT MAKING A SHITTY JOKE! I'M NOT YOUR FUCKING SISTER!" She yelled at him at the top of her lungs, Shun flinching again at that. He recovered from his shock and addressed her again.

"Oh, please Ruri, that was a good joke! A really good joke! I can understand why you're so mad as well, considering the things you went through! But now it's time to stop with those jokes and come over to me!" He spoke, his voice still friendly and jocular, but a little bit of exasperation about her continuous denial in it.

A thick vein pulsated on Ruri's forehead. "I said..." She began in an eerie tone, scowling heavily in the process. "...I... AM... NOT... YOUR... FUCKING... **SISTER!** " She screamed in outrage, stressing the last word to point out his mistake.

Yuga observed the scene with worry. "She's playing her role so good. You can barely notice that she is showing any empathy towards her brother on the outside. But on the inside Ruri must hurt like someone stabbed with a thousand knives from the pain of denying her identity towards her own brother. Damn it, why couldn't I be faster with my interception on Shun?!" He cursed, hating himself for forcing her into such a situation in order to save the LDS Investigator.

As Shun didn't find the words to respond, another person stepped out of his hideout behind the Raidraptor-User and addressed the girl.

"Ruri, what is wrong with you? Aren't you happy that you're finally reunited with us? I clearly know that it's you, so just stop denying it please!" Yuto told her in a soft tone. "Please just come back to us! Shun hasn't been the same ever since you were abducted! Your brother needs you!" He begged, his voice gaining a slightly desperate tone. "I need you!" He added, pleading her to return to them.

Ruri gritted her teeth, deliberating for a while, conflicted about whether to act based on her duties or her wishes. In the end, the duties won.

"Didn't you two hear me the first time?! I said I'm not Ruri! So cut out the crap already!" She grudgingly snapped at her best friend and crush.

Yuto tumbled back from her outburst, a look of disbelief and sadness forming on his face. "Ruri... why?" He whispered, the hurt in his expression intensifying. Unseen to them Ruri briefly shifted her right hand under the sunglasses and wiped the tears of her own hurt from her face. Meanwhile Shun had regained some of his momentum.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but something definitely is! So I'll duel some sense into you again! And then you will definitely return to us!" He yelled at her.

"Me losing to you?! Keep on dreaming, birdbrain!" Ruri shot back, deliberately choosing to insult her own brother. She knew that he thought of her as an innocent, always polite girl, so a girl calling him like that couldn't possibly be his sister.

Shun scowled before he continued. "I have no idea why you behave like that, but soon you will see things clearly again! Let's start this already!" He cried out impatiently, taking a few steps back while activating and readying his duel disk once more. Ruri did the same with hers, prompting Yuto to widen his eyes.

' _Even her disk looks the same as Ruri's! Why is she denying her identity then? There is way too much evidence that speaks for that girl being Ruri, despite her disguise!'_ He thought, clueless about the behavior of the girl.

-" **DUEL!** "- Ruri and Shun exclaimed in unison.

* * *

 **RURI VS. SHUN**

 **RURI: 4000**

 **SHUN: 4000**

"I'll start!" Shun announced, taking the first turn with that declaration.

"Fine by me! Bring it on!" His sister challenged him.

"As you wish!" Shun retorted, revealing a card in his hand at that. "I normal summon Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"His standard opening..." Ruri murmured to herself.

"And then I use its effect! You know it quite well, don't you, Ruri?" He addressed the girl. "I can now special summon another Raidraptor from my hand during this turn! Come, **Raidraptor – Double Lanius**!"

 _Raidraptor – Double Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Double Lanius' effect! Upon summoning it calls forth another Raidraptor from my deck! Fly to me, Raidraptor – Draining Lanius!"

 _Raidraptor – Draining Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 600/Winged Beast/Effect_

Ruri frowned. _'_ _Another of these new monsters he acquired in my absence in order to save me! Yuga told me about this one already! It has a banish-effect that can destroy a monster and generate LP in the process! I wonder what its effect on the field looks like!_ _'_ She thought.

"Now I will use the effect of Raidraptor – Pain Lanius in my hand! I target one Raidraptor on the field and take damage equal to its ATK or DEF, whichever is lower! Then I special summon Pain Lanius with that monster's level! I target Raidraptor – Double Lanius and take 200 damage! Appear, Pain Lanius!" He yelled, the monster being summoned and taking a seat on Shun's head at that. It gave him a small peck on his skull, Shun taking damage in the process.

 **SHUN LP: 4000 → 3800**

 _Raidraptor – Pain Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 1 → 4/ATK 100/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Now I will compensate for this little loss of lifepoints! I activate the effect of Raidraptor – Draining Lanius! Once per turn, I can generate 100 LP for every level or rank my Raidraptors on the field have! I have four level four Raptors, meaning 1600 LP for me!" He declared.

 **SHUN LP: 3800 → 5400**

' _So he learned to rest and gather his strength again instead of fighting until exhaustion without any recovery! Guess my brother really got smarter from his obsession to save me!'_ Ruri debated with herself.

"And you know what comes now, don't you? That's right, I will overlay my four Raidraptors in two duos respectively, Vanishing and Double Lanius being the first and Draining and Pain Lanius being the second!" Shun declared as his four monster swarmed into two galaxy-like portals on the ground.

"So he's going for that play again. How predictable!" Yuga commented as he observed the duel.

"Avian Hunter of the afterlife, seek the truth with your dark eyes and grasp glory with your sharp talons! XYZ SHŌKAN! Take flight! Rank 4! Raidraptor – Force Strix!" Shun yelled as two mechanical owls were summoned to the field.

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix (X2)_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 100/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Force Strix gains 500 ATK and DEF for every Winged Beast other than itself on my side of the field! Meaning they both gain 500!" Shun went on.

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix (X2): ATK 100 → 600; DEF 2000 → 2500_

"Now their effects! I detach a material from my first Force Strix to add Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius to my hand!" Shun announced, sending his Double Lanius to the graveyard in the process. "Then I will detach Draining Lanius to add **Raidraptor – Great Strix** to my hand!" He went on, bringing his hand back to four. "Then I special summon Great Strix! I can do this when I have another Raidraptor on my field already!" He cried out as another mechanized bird of prey appeared.

 _Raidraptor – Great Strix_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Now my Force Strixes become stronger!" Shun declared, his mechanical owls powering up at that.

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix (X2): ATK 600 → 1100; DEF 2500 → 3000_

"Then my continuous spell Raidraptor – Nest! Once per turn, if I control two or more Raidraptors, I can add one of their comrades to my hand! My choice is **Raidraptor – Narrow Lanius**!"

' _More new cards! This could be harder than I expected! Shun was already a strong duelist before, so there might be a chance that I still cannot beat him, despite my own power-up!'_ Ruri contemplated, slightly gritting her teeth from the prospect of losing. Much like Rin before she had to win this duel after all, she couldn't afford to let anyone know about her being a Standard in order to not put their mission into jeopardy.

"Now Great Strix's main ability! By discarding a "Raidraptor"-Card, I can add a "Rank-Up-Magic"-Spell in my deck to the hand! I get rid of Narrow Lanius and add Rank-Up-Magic Lanius Force to my hand! Then I'll round off my turn with this! Raidraptor – Flock!"

' _Oh no! That's his insane resource renewal card he already used against Yuga! In exchange for not attacking during the turn it is activated, he can now draw one card for every two Raidraptors he summoned during this turn, also getting one extra card!'_ Ruri thought worriedly.

"By not attacking this turn – which is of course a redundant downside as it is the first turn – I get to draw one card plus one more for every duo of Raidraptors I summoned this turn! This turn I summoned Vanishing, Draining, Pain and Double Lanius! Furthermore Great Strix and two Force Strixes! With seven Raptors, I get to draw three cards! Plus the one I always get makes it four!" Shun declared, his hand going from two to six cards. "I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

"Okay! Then it's my turn! I draw!" Ruri stated, looking at her hand and taking a deep breath. _'You can do this, Ruri! With the new cards Yuga's science department made for you, you can definitely win this! Just focus and end this quickly!'_ She encouraged herself before beginning her move.

( 47, Number One - Bleach OST Nightcore)

"I'll start by discarding **Lyrical Luscinia – Golden Oriole**! By doing so, I can add another Lyrical Luscinia from my deck to the hand! I pick Turquoise Warbler!" Ruri said.

"Lyrical Luscinia?! That's it, you are definitely Ruri! Stop denying it, please, my dear sister!" Shun cried out in surprise.

"Gosh, can you shut your trap just once please so I can make my move?! You're beginning to get on my nerves!" Ruri shot back, silencing her brother again. "Anyway, I activate the spell card Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and discard two! My choices are **Lyrical Luscinia Lazuli Bunting** and **Lyrical Luscinia Amber Cuckoo**! Next is my continuous spell **Lyrical Luscinia – Nest**! You will see soon what it does! First I special summon Lyrical Luscinia Turquoise Warbler from my hand since I control no monsters!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Turquoise Warbler_

 _Wind/Level 1 /ATK 100/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Now since my Warbler was special summoned from my hand, I get to call one of her friends from my hand or graveyard! Come, Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo!" Ruri went on.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Now my Nest kicks in! It gets one Lyrilusc Counter for every Lyrical Luscinia I summon! So that's two counters right there!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 0 → 2_

"And using her effect I tribute Cuckoo in order to add a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Card from my deck to the hand! I pick **Lyrical Luscinia – Assault Formation**! Next up I will special summon Sapphire Swallow from my hand since I already control a Lyrical Luscinia! Her effect also allows her to bring a friend along! So from my hand I summon Sapphire Swallow and Cobalt Sparrow, also grating me two more counters!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 2 → 4_

"And when Cobalt Sparrow is special summoned, I get to add another Lyrical Luscinia from my deck to the hand! Now using said monster and therefore one of the remaining three cards in my hand, I'll special summon **Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin**! I can do that if I control two or more Lyrical Luscinias!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Giving me another counter! Furthermore upon Robin's special summon from the hand she revives one of her friends! Say hello to Golden Oriole! That also means another counter of course!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Golden Oriole_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 4 → 5 → 6_

"This playstyle! She definitely has the same archetype, but the plays are way more versatile than before! She still spams a lot of smaller monsters, but it's a way bigger variety, not just several Sapphire Swallows and Cobalt Sparrows! She really grew a lot – if that's even her that is!" Yuto debated with himself.

"Finally I will discard another copy of Golden Oriole in order to add another copy of Sapphire Swallow to my hand!" Ruri announced, exchanging one female in a bird-suit for another. Her eyes underneath the sunglasses narrowed. "And now it's time! Using my five monsters, Cobalt Sparrow, Sapphire Swallow, Turquoise Warbler, Ruby Robin and Golden Oriole, I will construct the Overlay Network!" Ruri announced, her Lyrical Luscinias flocking together in a galaxy-like portal within the sky.

-"It's coming! Her ace monster!"- Yuga, Shun and Yuto murmured in unison.

"Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! XYZ SHŌKAN! DANCE IN THE SKY! RANK 1! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – ASSEMBLY NIGHTINGALE**!" Ruri cried out as she summoned her ace. She briefly smiled. _'Finally! It's great to see you again after so many months!_ _'_ She addressed the monster. She received an emotion feeling like a friendly response from the bird, her monster being one of the few that weren't hostile towards mankind.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale_

 _Wind/Rank 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

(min 1:17)

"It's really her! It must be her!" Shun murmured to himself as he gazed upon the birdlike monster. Meanwhile Ruri continued with her move.

"First of all, my Assembly Nightingale gains 100 ATK for every material she has! But let's not forget about her materials' abilities! My Cobalt Sparrow makes her immune to targeting effects coming from you! Also my Sapphire Swallow allows me to attach another Lyrical Luscinia in my grave to the freshly summoned Nightingale! I pick the second copy of Golden Oriole which I discarded previously! And finally the first Golden Oriole boosts the attack of the monster summoned with it by 100 for every rank it has! Meaning with all these bonuses, my Assembly Nightingale gains 700 ATK!" Ruri declared.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 0 → 500 → 600 → 700_

Shun gulped at that sight. "700 ATK with six materials?! That's 4200 points of direct damage!" He whispered worriedly.

"Now you will see what my Nest can do at last! Once per turn, while I control a "Lyrical Luscinia" Xyz-Monster, I can remove five counters from it to draw two cards!" Ruri yelled, bringing her hand from two to four cards.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 6 → 1_

"Now, since I control a Lyrical Luscinia, I can revive the Lazuli Bunting I discarded at the beginning of this turn! Also I get to add a Luscinia to my hand when I special summon her! I select **Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay**!" Ruri went on.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 1 → 2_

"And then, once per turn if I control two or more Lyrical Luscinias, I can revive my Amber Cuckoo! Say hello to her again!" Ruri shouted as she re-summoned the monster she had sacrificed before.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nest: Lyrilusc Counters 2 → 3_

"And now I'll show you the card I added to my hand with her other effect! The continuous spell Lyrical Luscinia – Assault Formation!" She declared, activating the card.

Yuga observed her setup with interest. "Looks like she got the hang of her new cards quickly! With this setup, she can easily overrun Shun! Sayonara, Mr. Kurosaki, guess your little sister is the better out of you two "The Bird is the Word"-Siblings!" He commented.

(min 2:18)

Ruri's expression turned fierce as she pointed her right arm at Shun. "Battle! Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale can attack directly up to the number of Xyz Materials she has! Meaning six times!" She stated before pointing at the card before her. "At this moment my Assault Formation kicks in! If a Lyrical Luscinia from the Extra Deck attacks, she gains more attacking power from her comrades! Namely ATK equal to the ATK or DEF from each of them, whichever is higher! In other words, my Assembly Nightingale now receives 200 ATK from Amber Cuckoo since her highest stat is her ATK of 200 plus 300 ATK from Lazuli Bunting as her ATK of 300 is far higher than her defense of zero! Meaning Nightingale now has 1200 ATK!" Ruri cried out.

"WHAT?!" Shun yelled in disbelief as his sister's monster became even stronger.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 700 → 1200_

"My monster can attack you directly six times! I win!" Ruri cried out in a determined voice.

"Not so fast! Trap card open! Draining Shield! This card negates your attack and gives me LP equal to your monster's ATK!" Shun shouted in response.

 **SHUN LP: 5400 → 6600**

"Kuh!" Ruri cursed. "But you will still take a major amount of damage! Especially since I can do a little special, now that your trap is gone! By detaching one material from my Nightingale, I can grant her 700 ATK until the End Phase! Bird Assault!" Ruri exclaimed.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 1200 → 1100 → 1800_

"What?! But this monster doesn't have such an effect, I have seen you using it hundreds of times already!" Shun exclaimed in surprise, the same thing going for Yuto as well.

"Correction: You have seen that girl Ruri using it! And secondly this monster is different from the one your sister used!" Ruri replied, hoping to finally convince her brother that he wasn't dueling against her but another person, even though it was a lie.

Yuga smirked as he kept watching the duel from the rooftop. "Man, our science department sure did wonders with that card, same thing goes for Rin's Winter Bell! Now Shun will see what his sister is capable of first hand! Go, Ruri!" He cheered for her, keeping a moderate volume though to not alert the people beneath him.

"Assembly Nightingale only has four attacks left since she lost one due to your trap and another due to her having to detach one Golden Oriole! But these four attacks will be enough! First battle! Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale attacks directly! Gale Dance – Step One!" Ruri yelled as her monster entered a rhythm, dancing in the sky as it kept firing gusts of wind at Shun.

 **SHUN LP: 6600 → 4800**

"The second! Gale Dance – Step Two!" Ruri continued.

"Damn it!" Shun cursed as he was hit by another blast of wind.

 **SHUN LP: 4800 → 3000**

"The third! Gale Dance – Step Three!" The Xyz-Duelist went on.

"She's cornering him more and more!" Yuto cried out in a worried tone.

 **SHUN LP: 3000 → 1200**

"And now the fourth and final! Gale Dance – Step Four!" Ruri screamed as she signaled Nightingale to fire the final blast at Shun.

"This is it! She has won! I knew that she could do it!" Yuga exclaimed enthusiastically.

Shun's expression turned serious. "Hold up! Before you declare your attack, let me use an effect really quick! By banishing Raidraptor – Draining Lanius from my graveyard, I can target one monster and destroy it! Then I gain lifepoints equal to that monster's ATK! I target your Nightingale!" He shouted in response.

"That won't do anything! My Nightingale can simply detach a material to negate her destruction!" Ruri shot back.

Shun chuckled. "I see that you still have much to learn, my dear Ruri! Did you already forget that your Nightingale's number of attacks depends on her materials? So if you activate this effect, you will lose your final attack and miss the chance of finishing me off! However, if you don't use it, your Nightingale will be destroyed and the attack is canceled as well – and I also gain lifepoints! So no matter which option you pick, I will survive! You're caught between a rock and a hard place so to speak!" He explained.

Ruri gritted her teeth. "Then I activate her effect! I detach Cobalt Sparrow to negate her destruction and prevent you from healing! Bird Armor!" She stated, her monster protecting itself with its effect.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 1800 → 1700_

"I must admit that your Nightingale is even deadlier than before, even able to finish off your opponent during a single turn with your new cards! But it still wasn't enough for me! Now end your turn! You have nothing else to play anymore!" Shun demanded.

Ruri chuckled. "Did you seriously think I had no Plan B?! Of course I was prepared for things like your Draining Lanius!" She addressed him in a victorious tone.

-"WHAT?!"- Both Shun and Yuto exclaimed in unison.

Yuga smirked. "So she is going to use that card, huh? Was about time someone of her caliber used that type of cards, she is from Xyz after all!" He remarked.

Ruri rose her right arm upwards, showing her opponent a green colored card. "I use a quick-play spell! **RANK-UP-MAGIC LUSCINIA FORCE**! This card takes a "Lyrical Luscinia" Xyz-Monster and evolves it into a new one that is either one or two ranks higher! I target my Assembly Nightingale and reconstruct the Overlay Network with her!" Ruri announced.

"What, a Rank-Up-Spell?! Ruri never had one of them!" Shun exclaimed in a shocked tone.

"Ruri maybe not, but I do! Now I will summon a monster one rank higher than Nightingale!" Ruri responded as her monster transformed within a storm of feathers.

"Impossible!" Yuto uttered as he observed the summoning process.

"This is gonna be real interesting!" Yuga commented, grinning at how Ruri had mastered her new deck so quickly.

"Bird with beautiful wings! Transform on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! IRRITATE AND DECEIVE YOUR ENEMIES! RANK 2! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – MIMICRY COCKATOO**!" Ruri shouted as another female humanoid monster with ornithological looks appeared. Like Assembly Nightingale she looked rather adult compared to the smaller Luscinias in Ruri's Main Deck, having white color and a yellow head crest.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo_

 _Wind/Rank 2/ATK 500/DEF 500/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

( 47, Number One - Bleach OST Nightcore end)

"Impossible! A Lyrical Luscinia of more than rank one!" Shun whispered in disbelief.

Ruri scoffed at him. "I'll show you impossible! Mimicry Cockatoo's effect! She gains 200 ATK for every material she has! Meaning with five, she gains 1000!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 500 → 1500_

"Unfortunately she can neither attack you directly nor multiple times like her predecessor! So I will simply attack your Great Strix with her! Mimicry Slash!" Ruri yelled as her monster began flying at Shun's with her claws at the ready.

"It won't be enough! My Great Strix has 1200 ATK, so even with the additional ATK gained from Assault Formation and your smaller Luscinias I will only take 800 damage!" Shun pointed out.

Ruri smirked. "Are you sure? You should know that my monster isn't named Mimicry Cockatoo for nothing! By detaching one material from her while she battles, she gains ATK equal to her opponent! While she also loses 200 ATK as a result because of her other effect, this will still be enough to deplete your remaining 1200 LP! In other words, that's game! Luscinia Imitation!" She cried out in return.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 1500 → 2000 → 1800 → 3000_

Shun looked shocked for a while before he regaining his fierce expression. "I'm not going to lose! I won't stop until you are behaving normally again! From my graveyard I banish Raidraptor – Narrow Lanius! By doing so I can negate any attack coming from monsters other than the first one you declared an attack with this turn! So since you already used your Assembly Nightingale, your Mimicry Cockatoo is blocked from finishing her attack!" Shun yelled back.

Ruri gritted her teeth in exasperation. Meanwhile Yuga realized something above their heads. "I see! So that's why Shun looked so victorious when he blocked the first attack of my Bile Throat during our duel, despite me having a backup of four strong Gishki Magicians to finish him off! He had dumped Narrow Lanius into his grave with Final Confrontation and planned on blocking the other monsters with its effect! Good thing Bile Throat could attack twice then!" He said, reflecting on his duel with the other male.

"Now then, can you end your turn please?" Shun addressed her.

Ruri frowned. "If you want to have your turn so badly, go ahead! First I will activate a spell though! Card of Sanctity! Now the both of us draw until we have six cards in our hands again!" Ruri stated, she drawing four while Shun only got one card. "I place one card face-down! My Mimicry Cockatoo's ATK returns to normal! Turnover!" She announced.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 3000 → 1300_

Shun hummed. "Great! Finally my turn!" He eyed Ruri at that. "If you refuse to return to us, I will make you drop this unnecessary and annoying disguise! Draw!" He yelled, now sitting at seven hand cards. "First I will detach Vanishing and Pain Lanius from my two Force Strixes! By doing so I add Raidraptor – Retrofit Lanius and **Raidraptor – Calling Lanius** to my hand! Also using my Nest, I add **Raidraptor – Persecution Vulture** to my hand!" He declared.

"Ten hand cards! This could be problematic for Ruri to say the very least! Also he has Lanius Force in his hand, meaning he can rank-up a variety of Raidraptors into stronger ones with a rank up to the number of Raptors he controls higher than their predecessors!" Yuga contemplated.

"Now I special summon Singing Lanius since I already control an Xyz-Monster! And since I also control a Raidraptor I can call Fuzzy Lanius as well!" Shun went on.

 _Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 500/DEF 1500/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Raidraptor – Singing Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 100/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"My Force Strixes gain ATK and DEF now! But they won't need these stats for long!" Shun stated.

 _Raidraptor – Force Strix (X2): ATK 1100 → 2100; DEF 3000 → 4000_

"Because I will activate the spell card I added to my hand before!" Shun continued. "Rank-Up-Magic Lanius Force! This card can rank-up a number of Raidraptors into stronger versions with a rank that is up to a number of ranks higher than Raidraptors I control! Meaning since I control five, all of my Xyz-Monsters can be ranked up by up to five ranks now!" He declared.

"Hold it! Before that card resolves I will activate my trap! **Lyrical Luscinia – Bird Flight**! It summons a Lyrical Luscinia from my graveyard! Take flight again, Assembly Nightingale!" Ruri cried out as her ace appeared once more.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale_

 _Wind/Rank 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Whatever! Without materials she won't do anything!" Shun retorted. "Now I will rank-up my first Force Strix by two ranks and reconstruct the Overlay Network with it!" He declared as his monster was enveloped by a dark aura and transformed, a raging inferno beginning to burn at its former location.

"It's coming! His main ace monster!" Ruri murmured, bracing herself.

"Prideful falcon, spread your wings dyed in the blood of heroes, and with a blazing trail, charge through the path of revolution! Lock your gaze upon our ill-fated foes as you vanquish them all in the flames of revolution! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Rank 6! Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon!" Shun yelled as the dark mechanical falcon emerged from the flames.

 _Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 6/ATK 2000/DEF 3000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"And now I will reconstruct the Overlay Network with my second Force Strix and rank it up by four ranks!" Shun went on.

' _A Rank 8-Monster? This must be a new card of his! He didn't use it while I was still around!_ _'_ Ruri thought as the second monster transformed into a new Raidraptor.

"Ignite the flames of anger and become the flash of light that sears the lands to ash! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Soar! Rank 8! Raidraptor – Satellite Cannon Falcon!" Shun yelled as a mechanical falcon of mainly white color appeared.

 _Raidraptor – Satellite Cannon Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Its effect! Upon Xyz Summoning it with a Raidraptor as its material, it destroys all spells and traps you control! And you cannot activate any cards or effects in response to that! Say goodbye to your two continuous spells!" Shun cried out as his monster got rid of Ruri's Assault Formation and Nest.

"Damn it! But you are still no match for my monsters!" Ruri shot back.

"We'll see about that! Let me introduce you to my Revolution Falcon's effect since you have forgotten about it apparently! Once per turn it can destroy one of your monsters and inflict half of its ATK as damage to you! Your Mimicry Cockatoo is a goner!" Shun responded.

"Not under my watch! I discard Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay! By doing so I can negate the destruction of my Cockatoo and furthermore reduce all damage I take for the rest of this turn by a half!" Ruri countered.

"A good counter, Ruri! Not only did you save your monster, but also strengthened your defense by halving the damage soon about to come! But it will still be a painful experience, I can promise you that!" Shun stated in a praising tone that switched over to a threatening one over the sentences. "First I will make use of my Great Strix's special ability! Once per turn I can discard a "Raidraptor"-Card to add a "Rank-Up-Magic"-Spell to my hand! I discard Retrofit Lanius and add Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force to my hand! Then I will overlay my Great Strix, Singing and Fuzzy Lanius!" Shun exclaimed as his three monster swarmed together into the galactic vortex on the ground.

"And his second ace makes its appearance!" Yuga remarked.

"Obscured falcon, raise your talons sharpened by adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Now witness the falcon's ascension! From the shadows it soars up to the summit of power! XYZ SHŌKAN! Come forth! Rank 4! Raidraptor – Rise Falcon!" Shun yelled, his smaller ace entering the field with a cry.

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 100/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"I use its effect, detaching Fuzzy Lanius and gaining ATK equal to your special summoned monsters' ATK! Falcon's Rise!" Shun said, his monster powering up.

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon: ATK 100 → 1900_

"I now add another copy of Fuzzy Lanius to my hand using the effect of my recently detached one! Then I normal summon Raidraptor – Calling Lanius!" Shun continued.

 _Raidraptor – Calling Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Its effect! Once per turn, I can discard a Raidraptor in order to special summon one from my grave, also including the discarded monster! I get rid of Persecution Vulture and summon Raidraptor – Retrofit Lanius!" Shun said. "Furthermore the level of Calling Lanius becomes equal to the level of the monster summoned by this effect for the rest of this turn!"

 _Raidraptor – Retrofit Lanius_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 1200/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Raidraptor – Calling Lanius: Lvl 3 → 4_

"I banish Raidraptor – Persecution Vulture to activate its effect! I pay 500 LP, tribute my Calling Lanius and target my Satellite Cannon Falcon with it! You will maybe see why I did this, depending on if you are able to withstand my next moves! But probably not." Shun stated.

 **SHUN LP: 1200 → 700**

"Now I will build the Overlay Network! With my Retrofit Lanius' effect, I can treat it as two materials! I will now overlay it alone!" Shun went on, his lone monster ascending into a vortex within the sky.

"What is he going to summon? Another Force Strix?" Yuga wondered. Shun's next words answered that question for him.

"Blaze with crimson light! Set your thirsting wings aflame to light my soul! XYZ SHŌKAN! Descend! Rank 4! Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon!" Shun cried out as a dark blue colored mechanical falcon with white wings emerged, joining his three other falcons.

 _Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Now Blade Burner's effect! When Xyz Summoned while I have 3000 or more lifepoints less than you, I can increase its ATK by 3000!" Shun declared, his falcon receiving a major power-up at that.

 _Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon: ATK 1000 → 4000_

"I detach Force Strix from my Revolution Falcon, enabling my falcon to attack all of your monsters during this turn!" He announced.

"Damn! The storm is about to come!" Ruri cursed silently.

( 12, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion)

Shun's eyes narrowed. "Now battle! Raidraptor – Rise Falcon attacks your Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale! Brave Claw Revolution!" Shun yelled as his monster soared into the sky, enveloped by a flaming aura and launching down at the defenseless female monster.

"Too hasty! By banishing Lyrical Luscinia – Bird Flight from my graveyard, I can target a "Lyrical Luscinia" Xyz-Monster I control! I can then attach a number of Lyrical Luscinias from my grave to it that meet the minimum summoning requirements for the selected monster! Meaning my Assembly Nightingale gains Ruby Robin and Golden Oriole as her materials! Now I use her effect and detach Ruby Robin again in order to negate the destruction of Nightingale and reduce the battle damage to zero! Bird Armor!" Ruri cried out in response, her monster deflecting the attack with ease.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 0 → 200 → 100_

"Kuh! But you are still not out of this dilemma! First Rise Falcon kills off your smaller birds! Brave Claw Revolution!" Shun yelled as his monster launched at Amber Cuckoo and Lazuli Bunting.

"Since they are in defense mode, I take no damage!" Ruri shouted in response.

"Well, at least they are gone now! Next up Revolution Falcon attacks Assembly Nightingale! Revolutional Air Raid!" Shun shot back.

Ruri rose her hand once more. "Assembly Nightingale's effect once more! I detach Golden Oriole in order to protect myself again! Bird Armor!" Ruri shouted, blocking the second attack.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 100 → 0_

"But now you're out of ammo! Go, Blade Burner Falcon! Wipe out that Nightingale! Blaze Shot!"

"I will not be defeated thanks to the effect of my Copper Jay, halving the damage I take!" Ruri pointed out.

"Maybe! But you will still take damage!" Shun yelled back, cutting Ruri's lifepoints in half with his attack and destroying her ace monster.

 **RURI LP: 4000 → 2000**

"Looks like her brother is also playing with a lowered Real Solid Vision-Level at least!" Yuga whispered in relief as he saw that Ruri didn't suffer any injuries from Shun's attack.

"Then I activate Blade Burner's special ability!" Shun continued. "When it destroys a monster by battle, I can detach a number of Xyz Materials from it to destroy as many monsters on your side of the field as materials detached! I detach the only material Blade Burner has, Retrofit Lanius! Then I blast away your Mimicry Cockatoo! Blaze Whirlwind!" He yelled, his monster sending a firestorm at Ruri's Luscinia.

"Copper Jay's effect makes the monster I used it on immune to the type of destruction that triggered its effect – meaning effect destruction in this case – until the end of this turn!" Ruri retorted as her monster survived the inferno unharmed.

"Damn it! Then I will make her leave with an attack! My Revolution Falcon can attack all of your monsters since I detached a material this turn! Go again, Revolutional Air Raid!" Shun shouted. "Now the effect of Revolution Falcon! Special summoned monsters it battles lose their ATK and DEF!" He added.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 1300 → 0_

"You are willingly letting your falcon run into its own demise?! It will be a mutual destruction as I now activate Cockatoo's effect! I detach a material from her – which won't lead to my monster losing ATK as they are already at zero! Then my Cockatoo gains ATK equal to your monster's! Luscinia Imitation!" Ruri yelled in response.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 0 → 2000_

"Don't try to lecture me, Ruri! Of course I had a plan to bypass that effect of yours! Satellite Cannon Falcon, your skills are in demand now! Once per turn it can detach a material in order to lower the ATK of one of your monsters by 800 times the number of Raidraptors in my grave! And believe me, there are more than enough to bring down your Cockatoo to rock bottom again!" Shun countered her move.

"What?!" Ruri yelled in disbelief as her monster lost her newly gained powers once more.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 2000 → 0_

"Now finish her monster! Revolutional Air Raid!" Shun repeated as his monster vanquished the other in an inferno coming from its wings.

 **RURI LP: 2000 → 1000**

"The finale! Satellite Cannon Falcon attacks you directly!" Shun cried out, his monster speeding upwards into the orbit, preparing its attack. "With this last strike I will make you see sense again! Eternal Avenge!" He yelled as the metallic falcon unleashed a green beam of energy from space, piercing through the atmosphere and rapidly advancing towards Ruri.

"Not yet!" Ruri yelled in response. "You are not the only one who can make use of the fallen birds in ones graveyard! I banish Ruby Robin to activate her effect! I gain lifepoints equal to 200 times the number of Lyrical Luscinias resting in my graveyard! I have two Golden Orioles, one Sapphire Swallow, one Cobalt Sparrow, one Lazuli Bunting, one Copper Jay, one Turquoise Warbler, one Amber Cuckoo, one Assembly Nightingale and one Mimicry Cockatoo in there! With ten monsters, I now gain 2000 LP!" She exclaimed, her lifepoint-counter rising just in time for her to survive.

 **RURI LP: 1000 → 3000 → 1500**

"Damn it!" Shun cursed, visibly annoyed by her withstanding his attack. He was used to beating Ruri quite easily, so her being so resilient posed a surprise for him. He regained his composure after a few seconds, continuing his move. "Then I guess using my Persecution Vulture's effect on Satellite Cannon Falcon turned out to be a good preemptive move! The monster targeted by it can declare another attack with halved damage this turn! Also I recover 300 LP times its level or rank when that attack is declared! Due to our effects overlapping with each other the damage is halved twice, meaning you survive again! However, I recover a good amount of lifepoints! 2400 since Satellite Cannon is a Rank 8-Monster to be exact!" He remarked, his falcon firing another laser from space before returning to him.

 **SHUN LP: 700 → 3100**

 **RURI: 1500 → 750**

( 12, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 3 #2 Duel of Rebellion end)

"Looks like Shun managed to change the duel in his favor. However, Ruri is still in it, so I guess that is good enough!" Yuga commented.

"She's really good! Not even Shun's offensive of four falcons brought her down! She's not even remotely comparable to the old Ruri if you ask me!" Yuto debated with himself, astounded by her improvements in terms of dueling.

"I set two cards face-down and end my turn! My Rise Falcon's attack returns to normal!" Shun concluded.

 _Raidraptor – Rise Falcon: ATK 1900 → 100_

"Hmm, he didn't use all of his cards, but still has four left in his hand! Guess he learned something from our duel and saves his resources instead of going berserk and wasting them all like before! He seems to be in better control of his emotions now!" Yuga remarked, observing a Shun who kept his composure rather than losing it again.

( 48, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 #4 Intense Back and Forth)

"It's my turn! I draw!" Ruri yelled, her hand rising to five. "I start by normal summoning my second copy of Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay!" Ruri began.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Her effect! Upon her normal summon I can special summon a Luscinia from my deck, treating it as special summoned from my hand! Come, my second Ruby Robin!" She went on, another young girl in a bird-suit appearing.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And when Ruby Robin is summoned from my hand – which she is thanks to Copper Jay's effect clarification – I can special summon one of her friends from my graveyard! Come, Cobalt Sparrow!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"When Cobalt Sparrow is special summoned, I can add another Lyrical Luscinia from my deck to the hand! My choice is **Lyrical Luscinia – Emerald Lark**!" Ruri went on. "Then the effect of Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow in my hand! Since I already have some of my cute little birds out there, she can join the party and bring a friend in my hand along! Flock to the field, Sapphire Swallow and Emerald Lark!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Emerald Lark_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 300/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

' _Wow, her swarming is insane! Now only that, but she also recovered extremely fast from her relapse! The Ruri I know stands or falls with Assembly Nightingale. She either beats her opponent with it or loses it and the duel right after. But this Ruri is nothing like that! She already established a new formation and – as much as I hate to admit it – will probably start a strong offensive anytime soon!'_ Shun contemplated, observing his sister with interest.

"The effect of Emerald Lark! Once per turn I can exchange a Lyrical Luscinia in my hand for a new one from my deck! I dump another Amber Cuckoo into my grave to add **Lyrical Luscinia – Violet Loon** to my hand!" Ruri stated, taking the new card into her hand and looking at it for a moment. _'I don't want to use this card, but maybe I should add it to my hand, just in case I have to use it.'_ She debated with herself while staring at the card depicting a young girl in a purple bird costume. She looked up again with a resolute expression after that. "Now it's almost there! I activate the continuous spell card **Lyrical Luscinia – Bird Swarm**! Once per turn, while I control a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Monster, I can add a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Card from my deck to the hand! I pick Lyrical Luscinia – Bird Strike! Now I activate it! If I control a Lyrical Luscinia, this spell card negates the effects of all monsters you control! Let me disable that Revolution Falcon of yours, alongside all of its comrades!" Ruri declared, Shun's monsters losing their powers at that.

"Damn it! This card isn't new, but sure as hell annoying!" Shun cursed, gritting his teeth.

"If you already dislike that, you will absolutely hate my next move! My Bird Swarm has another effect! Once per turn, I can increase the levels of all my Lyrical Luscinias by up to the number of such monsters I control! Meaning with five of them, all of them can go up by up to five levels, selectable for each individually! I now make all of them level four by giving them three additional levels!" Ruri announced.

-"WHAT?! INCREASING THE LEVELS OF LYRICAL LUSCINIAS?!"- Shun and Yuto cried out in shocked unison, caught off guard by that strategy. Meanwhile Yuga grinned from ear to ear.

"Looks like my idea works better than I expected! Since Ruri told me about her brother's deck in one of our conversations and how much he relied on Rank-Up-Spells for his bigger falcons, I came up with a concept when ordering my dad's science department to make new cards and improve her old ones: Instead of having only one way to her higher ranked boss monsters, Ruri should have two. One by continuously using Rank-Up-Magic-Cards like her brother and one by using certain cards with a similar strategy as my Gishki Magicians on her smaller Luscinias, using level modulation to bring them up to a higher value and enabling Ruri to fulfill the normal summoning conditions of her Xyz-Monsters! This way she has it both since she can use two roads to success instead of only one like her brother!" Yuga stated in a monologue.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow: Lvl 1 → 4_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay: Lvl 1 → 4_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Emerald Lark: Lvl 1 → 4_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin: Lvl 1 → 4_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow: Lvl 1 → 4_

"And now I will overlay those five!" Ruri cried out, the birds flocking together as they ascended into the sky.

"No way! She's going even higher!" Shun murmured in terror. For someone used to seeing only Rank 1-Monsters from his sister it was quite surprising to see a monster with four times that rank after all.

' _The more I see of that girl, the less I want to fight her._ _'_ Yuto thought, also impressed by Ruri's new dueling skills.

"Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! XYZ SHŌKAN! SLICE THROUGH THE AIR! RANK 4! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – NIMBLE NUTHATCH**!" Ruri shouted as a gray and orange dressed female carrying a duo of sharp-edged blades in her hands appeared. Unlike her previous two Xyz-Monsters this one looked a bit more violent, having the calm composure of a silent killer, the lower part of her face obscured by a mask-like cloth as well.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch_

 _Wind/Rank 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Now the effects of my materials again! While I won't use my Sapphire Swallow to attach another Luscinia to my Nimble Nuthatch, I will still use Cobalt Sparrow and Emerald Lark! Cobalt Sparrow grants her immunity against targeting effects and Emerald Lark gives her 300 ATK for every material I used for her Xyz Summon! 300 times five is 1500, meaning her ATK doubles!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 1500 → 3000_

"This bonus lasts until the end of this turn! But I'm not done reaping the benefits of my Xyz Summon yet! Because whenever a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Monster is summoned from my Extra Deck while Rank-Up-Magic Luscinia Force rests inside my graveyard, I can add it back to my hand!" Ruri stated, reclaiming the card from her graveyard and adding it to her hand once more.

( 48, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 4 #4 Intense Back and Forth end)

"What?! A Rank-Up-Spell that recycles itself?!" Yuto cried out in surprise. He himself had a way to both rank-up and rank-down his monsters with his Rank-Alteration-Magic. But this was another thing he definitely wasn't seeing everyday, especially not by a person such as Ruri. Or rather the person whom he thought was Ruri, taking into account the constant denials about her identity the girl threw at them whenever they mentioned it.

"That's right!" Ruri retorted before moving on to her next play. "I revive my Lazuli Bunting from my grave as I already have a Luscinia on my field! And then, since I now control at least two Luscinias, I can also revive my two copies of Amber Cuckoo! Plus Lazuli Bunting searches another copy of Copper Jay!" Ruri went on as three of her birds reappeared, also adding a card to her hand, now sitting at five hand cards once again.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo (X2)_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Now I tribute my two Cuckoos to add two "Lyrical Luscinia"-Cards to my hand from the deck! I pick **Lyrical Luscinia – Reflecting Feathers** and **Lyrical Luscinia – Defensive Flock**!" She went on, showing him two traps before adding them to her hand. She then stretched out her arm. "Now battle! Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch attacks Raidraptor – Rise Falcon! Silent Assassination!" Ruri yelled as her monster took flight. It landed on the rooftop of a nearby house, not far from Yuga. Then it started running down the wall of the building at enormous speed – true to the bird it was based on. It readied its two blades before launching at the mechanical falcon with a strong push of its legs, preparing to slice up the falcon with its weapons. Shun raised his arm at that, initiating his countermeasure.

"Trap card open! **Raidraptor – Altitude Advantage**! This card destroys the monster my Rise Falcon battles without targeting it and allows me to draw one card as well!" He countered her move.

Ruri smirked. "Right into my trap! Nimble Nuthatch's effect! She can detach a material – in this case Ruby Robin – and negate the destruction of any "Lyrical Luscinia"-Monster while also granting the rescued monster 1000 ATK until the End Phase! So while you still get to draw a card, your other effect will fail and my monster not only survives, but becomes even more powerful! Survivor Empower!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 3000 → 4000_

"Damn it! Then Plan B! My second trap Damage Diet will halve all damage I take during this turn!" Shun shot back.

"Okay then! Lower the damage, but your monster is still toast! Silent Assassination!" Ruri cried out again, her Nuthatch slicing Rise Falcon into four parts which then exploded, Shun's lifepoints dropping as well.

 **SHUN LP: 3100 → 1150**

"Nimble Nuthatch forces you to discard one random card whenever she either deals battle damage or destroys a monster! This effect cannot be applied twice during a single battle, but it's still a good one if you ask me! So go ahead, discard one card from your hand!" She addressed Shun. He gritted his teeth and grudgingly sent one of his hand cards to the graveyard after the duel disk A.I. had determined the card he had to discard. "Good!" Ruri went on. "Furthermore my Nuthatch can attack twice, so here she goes again! The second attack! Nimble Nuthatch attacks Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon! Silent Assassination!" Ruri yelled as her monster started its ninja-like assault again. Ruri rose her hand again shortly after. "Her effect! She detaches another material – in this case Emerald Lark – to prevent her from being destroyed as both monsters have the same ATK! Survivor Empower! However, she doesn't gain more ATK as no monster can receive this bonus twice during one turn! But your falcon is still history! Also don't forget to discard your second card!" The female cried out as her monster sliced apart the next monster, resulting in another explosion and another of Shun's hand cards going down the drain.

"Man, she is so aggressive and fierce! If this is Ruri, she surely became a much better fighter while she was gone!" Yuto commented.

"And finally my Nimble Nuthatch can attack again! That's because of one of her effects! While no monster can receive her ATK boost twice during a single turn, they instead gain an additional attack! There is a maximum of one for those extra attacks though! Now go, Nimble Nuthatch! Third attack! Silent Assassination! This destroys your Satellite Cannon Falcon and reduces your hand to a mere two cards, also taking away a vast part of your remaining lifepoints!" Ruri cried out, her monster charging forward again.

 **SHUN LP: 1150 → 650**

"Now Ruri is 100 LP ahead and has the monster advantage, taking into account that Revolution Falcon will remain disabled! Stripped of its effects it's just a 2000 ATK beater, no match for Nimble Nuthatch which still has three of its materials left so to speak! And in terms of hand cards Ruri is ahead too!" Yuga exclaimed in enthusiasm.

' _I could theoretically rank-up my Nuthatch with Luscinia Force, but that would cause him no damage at all! So I better save it for now!'_ Ruri contemplated before declaring her finishing moves. "I place three cards face-down and end my turn! Nimble Nuthatch loses her bonuses again!" She announced, the ninja-like female bird returning to its former state.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 4000 → 1500_

( 49, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 2 #14 Duelist's Secret Feelings)

"My turn! Draw!" Shun yelled, his hand growing from the two cards remaining him after Nuthatch's multiple effect applications to three. "I normal summon Raidraptor – Necro Vulture!" Shun stated as a black-purplish monster appeared.

 _Raidraptor – Necro Vulture_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Necro Vulture uses its effect! I tribute one "Raidraptor"-Monster, namely itself, in order to add a "Rank-Up-Magic"-Card in my graveyard back to the hand! I target Rank-Up-Magic Lanius Force!" He declared.

"Not if a have a say about that! Reverse card open! Lyrical Luscinia – Reflecting Feathers! When my opponent activates either a spell or trap or any kind of effect while I control a Lyrical Luscinia, this counter trap negates your card and destroys it!" Ruri cried out in response, Shun's monster vanishing at that.

"I anticipated that you would negate my first move out of panic! You always get nervous when you think your opponent will turn things around, Ruri!" Shun remarked, prompting Ruri to grit her teeth. "Let me show you my real move, now that the bait has worked! I banish Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force and Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius from my graveyard! You remember Skip Force, don't you? You made me discard it with your Nimble Nuthatch! Well, if I banish it from the graveyard alongside a Raidraptor, I can special summon a "Raidraptor" Xyz-Monster from my graveyard! Come, Satellite Cannon Falcon!"

 _Raidraptor – Satellite Cannon Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Next up I will activate the effect of Raidraptor – Double Lanius in my graveyard! I banish it and target another Raidraptor in my graveyard! Then I can special summon another copy of the targeted monster from my deck! I target Great Strix! Now another Great Strix is summoned from my deck!"

 _Raidraptor – Great Strix_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 1600/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And its effect! I discard Raidraptor – Readiness in order to add another Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force to my hand! Since you are stubborn and refuse to admit your identity, I will bring out the big guns now! Now I will activate it! I target Raidraptor – Satellite Cannon Falcon and rank it up into a monster two ranks higher than it!" Shun declared.

Ruri gulped. "A Rank 10-Monster?! I better use my stuff in advance then before it's too late!" She contemplated quietly before speaking up again. "Hold it! First I will activate my other face-down, the continuous trap Lyrical Luscinia – Defensive Flock! It boosts the ATK and DEF of my Luscinias by 200!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting: ATK 300 → 500; DEF 0 → 200_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 1500 → 1700; DEF 1500 → 1700_

"Then I activate my third trap, Rising Energy! I discard Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow to increase my Nimble Nuthatch's ATK by another 1500!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 1700 → 3200_

"Furthermore I will banish the second Ruby Robin! By doing so, I gain 200 LP for every Lyrical Luscinia in my graveyard! I have my Assembly Nightingale, my Mimicry Cockatoo, one Sapphire Swallow, one Cobalt Sparrow, one Copper Jay, one Emerald Lark, one Turquoise Warbler, two Golden Orioles and two Amber Cuckoos! Since I have eleven of such monsters, I gain 2200 LP!" Ruri cried out in response to Shun's move.

 **RURI LP: 750 → 2950**

"You recovered some lifepoints! But now it is time for my monster! I rebuild the Overlay Network with my Satellite Cannon Falcon!" Shun shouted as his monster soared into the air and transformed.

"This is it! I can feel the climax of the duel approaching!" Yuga commented.

"He is really going to summon that one against her? Man, not what I would define as going easy on your sister, but oh well." Yuto remarked.

As Ruri waited for the incoming storm, bracing herself, Shun began with the summoning chant of his monster.

(min 1:32)

"Falcon of ultimate creation, carry on the wishes of your fallen comrades and ascend to the sky of victory! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Appear! Rank 10! Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon!" Shun cried out as a golden and dark blue colored falcon entered the field.

 _Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon_

 _Dark/Rank 10/ATK 3500/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"So this is the monster he wanted to summon with Arsenal Falcon's effect! Quite the powerful one if I do say so myself!" Yuga stated.

' _So this is Shun's new ace monster! Let's hope that it's not as strong as I think it is!'_ Ruri deliberated worriedly.

"Ultimate Falcon's effect! I detach Satellite Cannon Falcon in order to lower your monsters' ATK by 1000 for the rest of this turn!" Shun continued.

"WHAT?!" Ruri exclaimed in surprise as her two monsters were weakened by this effect.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting: ATK 500 → 0_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 3200 → 2200_

"Then I will use the remaining card in my hand, Mystik Wok! I tribute one monster to gain LP equal to either its ATK or DEF! I get rid of my Great Strix and recover its 1600 DEF as lifepoints!" Shun went on.

 **SHUN LP: 650 → 2250**

"The other effect of Double Lanius! When the monster summoned by its effect leaves the field, I can draw a card! Next up I will banish my two Great Strixes from my graveyard! By doing so, I can lower your remaining monster's ATK by 500 for each!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch: ATK 2200 → 1700 → 1200_

(min 2:00)

"Now battle! Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon attacks Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch! Final Glorious Bright!" Shun yelled, his monster hurling a dark orb at the female monster.

"I will activate the effect of my continuous trap card Lyrical Luscinia – Defensive Flock! It negates your attack and then allows me to special summon a smaller Luscinia from my deck!" Ruri shouted back.

"Sorry Ruri, but it won't work! Not only is Ultimate Falcon unaffected by card effects, but also prevents you from using cards on your side of the field during the turn I activate its ATK-lowering-effect! Meaning you cannot activate your trap's effect!" Shun retorted.

"Damn! Then I activate the effect of Copper Jay in my hand and discard her, negating the destruction of Nuthatch and making her immune to battle destruction for the rest of this turn! Also all further battle damage will be halved!" Ruri cried out in response.

"Your monster might have been saved and the following damage will be lowered as well, but this damage won't! So take 2300 points of damage! Maybe this will bring you back to your senses, Ruri!" Shun yelled as his sister suffered a major blow by Ultimate Falcon.

 **RURI LP: 2950 → 650**

"Now Revolution Falcon attacks! Unfortunately its effect is negated, otherwise I would have won now! Revolutional Air Raid!" Shun yelled, his monster charging at Ruri's which survived again thanks to Copper Jay, now also halving the battle damage.

 **RURI LP: 650 → 250**

"I'll place one card face-down and end my turn! Now the effects of both Ultimate Falcon and your Rising Energy would expire! But while said thing happens with your Lazuli Bunting indeed, your Nuthatch won't have to change its values! That's because during one of my turns where no opponent's monster was destroyed, I can banish Raidraptor – Calling Lanius from my graveyard in order to destroy one of them! Since your Nuthatch is still blocked from using her effects due to Ultimate Falcon and is not immune against effect destruction, she is history now!" Shun declared as Ruri's Xyz-Monster was wiped out, leaving her only Lazuli Bunting.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting: ATK 0 → 500_

( 49, Yugioh ARC-V Sound Duel 2 #14 Duelist's Secret Feelings end)

"Then it's my turn! I draw!" Ruri announced, slightly panting from the strain of the duel.

"Uh-oh! Looks like the duel is taking a toll on her! And she is really cornered as well with that nearly invincible falcon on Shun's side! There is but one option for her to win this duel!" Yuga remarked, concerned about the girl a few feet below him on the alleyway.

' _With this situation, I have only one option! His falcon is too strong to be defeated in battle and even if I can overpower it, he will have Raidraptor – Readiness in his graveyard! By banishing it he can negate any battle damage! And he also has a trap that will probably intercept my battle! Next turn he will simply overrun me if I don't win now! So since battle is blocked, I can only resort to effect damage! But since he has Damage Diet in his graveyard, he can banish that card as well to halve any effect damage he would take! Meaning I need an incredibly high amount of burn damage to defeat him! But the only card capable of that which is in my deck is a card he would loathe me for! He will freak out and call me a demon!'_ Ruri deliberated desperately. Her expression changed as her facial muscles tensed up, the girl making her choice grudgingly. _'But I must win! I'm sorry, brother! I'm so sorry!'_ She cried in her thoughts before she began her move.

"I activate the spell **Rank-Up-Magic Lyrical Force** and target my Nimble Nuthatch in the graveyard! I special summon her from my grave!" She began.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Nimble Nuthatch_

 _Wind/Rank 4/ATK 1500 → 1700/DEF 1500 → 1700/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Then I evolve her into a new form one or two ranks higher than her previous one!" Ruri shouted, her monster reappearing in a flurry of feathers that intensified, the monster beginning to transform at that.

"What?! Another evolution?!" Shun cried out in disbelief. Going from rank one to this number was a huge surprise after all, at least for him and Yuto.

"Bird with beautiful wings! Transform on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! PIERCE THROUGH! RANK 6! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – DRILL WOODPECKER**!" She cried out as a black-whitish monster with traces of red on her head appeared. It also had a drill-like beak that looked as it could pierce through more than just wood.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Drill Woodpecker_

 _Wind/Rank 6/ATK 2000 → 2200/DEF 1500 → 1700/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"A Rank 6-Monster as well?!" Yuto cried out in disbelief.

Ruri nodded. "Yes! She now also gains another material because of my Rank-Up-Spell's effect! I attach a copy of Golden Oriole to her! But this Xyz-Monster won't be of use here! So I will instead use another! I activate the spell card Rank-Up-Magic Luscinia Force! I target Drill Woodpecker and summon a stronger Luscinia one or two ranks higher than her!"

"Consecutive rank-ups?! Just like I did?!" Shun exclaimed in terror.

Ruri hummed in agreement as her monster was enveloped by a storm of feathers again and transformed. "Yes! Now greet our next guest please!" She cried out, raising her hand.

"What is she going to summon now?" The Yu-Boy from the Xyz-Dimension wondered.

"Bird with beautiful wings! Transform on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! LEAD THE CHARGE! RANK 8! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – RAIDBOSS RAVEN**!" Ruri shouted as a black feathered female with great wings appeared on the field, being taller than her previous four Xyz-Monsters and looking more imposing as a result.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Raidboss Raven_

 _Wind/Rank 8/ATK 2500 → 2700/DEF 2000 → 2200/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Now Raven's effect! She can detach a number of Xyz Materials and then summon any number of level one Lyrical Luscinias from my graveyard! I summon two Sapphire Swallows and one Cobalt Sparrow! Swarm Calling!" Ruri continued.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0 → 200/DEF 100 → 300/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow (X2)_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100 → 300/DEF 0 → 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"In addition to the bonus from Defensive Flock they also receive 100 ATK for every material I detached in order to revive them! Also they can attack you directly during this turn!" Ruri went on.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow: ATK 200 → 300_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow (X2): ATK 300 → 400_

"And lastly my Raidboss Raven is protected against destruction effects! Also she gains the ATK of all other Lyrical Luscinias during my turns!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Raidboss Raven: ATK 2700 → 4300_

' _So now she has a big beater and a few smaller ones that can attack me directly, I see. But that won't do anything! As soon as Ruri starts an attack, I will activate my face-down card, The Raging Barrier – Storming Mirror Force! It will return all attack position monsters that she controls back to her hand! Even her Raidboss Raven will be affected as it is only protected against destruction-, not bounce-effects!'_ Shun debated with himself.

Ruri, aware of Shun's hidden plans, continued her move.

"Next up I will overlay my two Sapphire Swallows with my Cobalt Sparrow and Lazuli Bunting!" She declared as her monsters swarmed together.

"What?! You are weakening your Raven on purpose?!" Shun cried out in surprise.

"Think again!" Ruri shot back before beginning to chant. "Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! XYZ SHŌKAN! SING IN THE SKY! RANK 1! LYRICAL LUSCINIA – RECITAL STARLING!" She cried out as a blue and black colored monster came forth.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling_

 _Wind/Rank 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Now multiple effects kick in! Cobalt Sparrow makes her untargetable for your cards! Lazuli Bunting allows her an additional attack during each turn! And my two Sapphire Swallows attach two more Luscinias to her, giving her six materials in total! I'll select a Copper Jay and an Emerald Lark! Finally Recital Starling's own effect! When she is Xyz Summoned, I can grant one of my monsters 300 ATK and DEF for every material she has! I target Recital Starling herself, giving her 1800 attack and defense! Feather Updraft! Also she gains the bonus from Defensive Flock! And as a result my Raidboss Raven grows stronger too!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Raidboss Raven: ATK 4300 → 2700 → 4700_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling: ATK 0 → 200 → 2000; DEF 0 → 200 → 2000_

-"I see! So that was her plan!"- Shun and Yuto murmured to themselves. "But it still won't change a thing against my trap! Her Starling has no effects that could help her here!" Shun added in a hushed tone.

( 50, Overlord III Ending - Silent Solitude, Full)

Ruri trembled in insecurity, knowing what she had to do. "Please forgive me, Shun!" She whispered as an apology before she continued, every fiber of her being screaming at her to not do it.

"She really is going to do it! I feel so terrible for her!" Yuga stated in a sad tone, concerned about the inevitable the girl below him had to do now.

"I reveal Lyrical Luscinia – Violet Loon in my hand!" Ruri started. _'_ _I never wanted to use this card against Shun, but I must!_ _'_ She added in her thoughts before continuing. "By doing this, I can make use of all Lyrical Luscinias in my hand or on my side of the field!" She went on, continuing to talk becoming harder with every second. "And then I can conduct a Fusion Summon with them!" She finished, barely able to get the words past her lips.

-"WHAT?! A FUSION?!"- Shun and Yuto shouted in shock, Shun being far louder than him.

"I will fuse Recital Starling and Raidboss Raven!" Ruri declared, her monsters swarming together in a vortex.

"No way! A Fusion with Lyrical Luscinias?!" Shun whispered in disbelief, both horrified and furious that the archetype of his beloved sister was getting besmirched by this accursed, despicable method.

"Twitter of the songbirds that resound in the dark night! Now become one and cry even more intensely! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! FLY DOWN! NOBLE ISOLATED NIGHT BIRD! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – INDEPENDENT NIGHTINGALE**!" Ruri cried out as she interlocked the fingers of her two hands and a dark blue, red and yellow colored version of her normal Assembly Nightingale appeared.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Independent Nightingale_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 1000 → 1200/DEF 0 → 200/Winged Beast/Fusion/Effect_

"Impossible!" Yuto exclaimed in terror, equally disturbed by the events as Shun. Meanwhile the latter's expression gradually changed before he exploded in rage.

"A FUSION SUMMON?! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL MY SISTER WOULD EVEN CONSIDER DOING SUCH A LOWLY THING! YOU MUST BE A FUSION SOLDIER COPYING MY SISTER! YES, YOU ARE DEFINITELY FROM ACADEMIA! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU TOOK AWAY FROM ME?! MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY, MY HOME! ALL GONE! AND NOW THAT MY SISTER IS GONE AS WELL, YOU DARE TRYING TO IMITATE HER AND EVEN USE HER DECK?! YOU ARE NOT MY SISTER RURI! YOU ARE A WITCH, A DEMON, AN ABOMINATION! **I DESPISE YOU! I LOATHE YOU! I HATE YOU!** " He snapped at her, screaming at the poor girl in outrage.

Ruri's mouth corners dropped. She had finally managed to make Shun accept her lies. But it was in a way she didn't like the least bit, her own brother spitting words of hatred and disdain at her, now denying her identity vehemently. Behind the sunglasses, tears welled up in her eyes as she forced herself to continue.

(min 1:20)

"Independent Nightingale's effect! When she is summoned with Xyz Monsters as her Fusion Materials, she gains levels equal to the number of Xyz Materials they had on the field! With six on Recital Starling and two on Raidboss Raven, that is eight levels for her! And Independent Nightingale's ATK is increased by 500 for every level she has!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Independent Nightingale: Lvl 1 → 9; ATK 1200 → 5700_

"So you strengthened your scummy Fusion-Monster?! Then bring it on! Attack me with that despicable creature! **I dare you!** " Shun addressed her in a both mocking and challenging tone, provoking her into attacking. Since his trap was still lurking face-down, this would have be his victory. But Ruri had other plans.

"And now the effect of Lyrical Luscinia – Independent Nightingale! Using it, I can inflict burn damage to you!" Ruri declared.

"You want burn damage?! Then let me give you a proper response! I banish Damage Diet from my graveyard to halve all incoming effect damage during this turn! **Say goodbye to your victory, Academia Scum!** " Shun yelled back at her.

Ruri had another internal conflict, hesitating for a few moments before she spoke up again and continued.

(min 2:42)

"The amount of damage this effect inflicts is equal to my Nightingale's level times 500! Meaning it's 4500!" She uttered, barely able to make it.

"What?! But my lifepoints are 2250! So if I take half of that...!" Shun began in disbelief.

"He will have exactly zero lifepoints left! In other words...!" Yuto continued for him.

"Ruri wins." Yuga finished.

"Now go! End him already! Nightingale Barrage!" Ruri yelled, just wanting to get it over with. As her monster fired a flurry of bluish feather-like missiles, Ruri averted her eyes, not wanting to see her brother's demise. When the feathers hit Shun, he got swept from his feet and sent backwards, Yuto fortunately having enough awareness to catch him as he was sent flying.

 **SHUN LP: 2250 → 0**

 **RURI WIN!**

Ruri turned around and ran off, lacking the strength to stay nearby her brother and her friend. As Yuto looked at her figure taking her leave, he noticed something that confused him.

"Wait, is she crying?" He wondered as he saw a little trail of glistering tears within the air behind the girl as she ran away, Yuto utterly clueless why an enemy of Xyz and Fusion-User should shed tears for winning against Shun. "Maybe it was her after all." He deliberated. "But if that's the case, why was she denying it then? And why are there people who look almost identical to her like Yuzu or those other two girls? Man, my head hurts from all that confusing stuff!" Yuto groaned, clutching the side of his head with one hand and getting a headache over this strangely familiar looking "Ruri, but at the same time not Ruri"-girl.

Yuga observed Ruri's action with a sad expression. "Oh Ruri, I'm so sorry about what you had to do! You are such a brave girl, making personal sacrifices for the success of our mission! I better give you a little bit of time for yourself now!" He stated, leaving the area at that.

( 50, Overlord III Ending - Silent Solitude, Full end)

After a few moments Shun spoke up, addressing Yuto.

"I have no idea who that girl was, but she was definitely not Ruri! She would never do something such as using Fusion-Monsters!" He said, hissing the last word.

"I'm not sure about that. She used the same deck and looked the same as well." Yuto retorted.

"She's just some imitator who uses Ruri's deck! They probably confiscated it after she was captured!" Shun shot back.

"Maybe, but I have a feeling that there's more to her. I don't know why she acts like that either, but I think that this girl was definitely Ruri." The other male responded. "She even cried while she ran away." He added.

"Cried? You must have imagined things!" Shun replied.

"No, I didn't! She was definitely crying! I saw her tears!" Yuto persevered.

"Whatever! I'll just continue hunting down these LDS People, I guess!" Shun declared.

Yuto's expression turned angry at that. "You will not do this! They have no connection to Academia!" He yelled at him, grabbing him by the collar as Shun was about to turn away from him.

"Bullshit! They are definitely with them, I know it!" Shun shot back, approaching Yuto and going toe to toe with him, towering above the smaller male as Shun was around three years older.

Yuto stood his ground as he retorted. "Even if, what do you believe Ruri would think of you? She was always pacifistic, so there is no way she's going to approve of your current ways of carding innocents! Could you stand Ruri ignoring you and giving you the cold shoulder for your deeds once we have saved her again? Could you?!" He addressed the teal haired male in an intense voice.

Shun shamefully looked to the side for a brief moment before he regained his aggressive demeanor. "Screw it, I'm leaving!" He exclaimed, storming off at that.

Yuto looked at him as he left, shaking his head in disapproval. "You really changed a lot, Shun. I hope that Ruri will still recognize you when we see her again!" He remarked before he left the area as well.

During the following hours, Ruri wandered through the streets of Maiami City, trying to calm down herself again. But no matter what she did, the sad feeling of loss didn't go away. She ate food somewhere, tasting like nothing because of her emotional low. Eventually she went back to the hotel, the dusk already long over. She entered their room at nighttime with a dull and unenthusiastic expression. Ruri simply walked into the general direction of her bed, not even bothering to turn on the lights. Then she dropped into the next bed she came across and fell into restless slumber, re-experiencing her day in a sorrowful dream.

* * *

 _Sakaki Residence, a few hours before..._

"What the hell is this stuff?!" Yuya cried out in an indignant tone, pointing at the dishes Yoko had served him and Sora.

"This is food for your brain! I heard that you would need a lot of brain cells for your next duel, so I figured that cooking something healthy would be practical!" His mother explained.

"Man, this is too healthy for my taste!" Yuya exclaimed in exasperation as he grudgingly ate the food. "But better something than nothing I guess!" He added after a while.

"I suppose you're right! Eating properly fixes a lot of problems! Like running out of energy as you did for example!" Sora retorted, creating one of his rather strange food-combinations with chocolate sauce.

"Well, there's one problem it definitely doesn't fix! Namely Yuzu's strange bracelet reacting to my presence!" The green haired male stated.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, I suppose this one is an exception to the rule!" He agreed, his facial expression turning serious at that. "For real, why does it glow whenever you come around? And why did this happen while this one strange guy was nearby?" He deliberated.

"Strange guy? You mean that one whom you and Yuzu mentioned at the docks?" Yuya inquired.

Sora hummed, a cheeky grin crawling onto his face. "Yeah, exactly! The one guy who stole Yuzu's heart and who will soon make her his own if you don't hurry up and reclaim your girlfriend before it's too late!" He teased the older male.

"For the last time, she isn't my girlfriend!" Yuya shot back in an embarrassed tone. _'I wish she was though!'_ He added in his thoughts before continuing to yell at Sora. "And because of that I don't care about that stranger snatching her away as I'm not with her right now!" He concluded, denying his way too obvious feelings for the pink haired girl out of bashfulness.

Sora shrugged his shoulders. "If you say so, fine! But I'd still keep an eye on Yuzu and spend a little bit more time with her if I were you!" He advised.

"Fine! I guess a few hours wouldn't be too bad! I've been a little bit less in touch with her during the last few days anyway, so catching up on that wouldn't be too far-fetched!" Yuya sighed, giving in at last.

"That's the spirit!" Sora retorted before he and Yuya continued with their meal.

* * *

 _Hiragi Residence..._

"I'm asking you one last time, dad! How did I come into the possession of this bracelet?!" Yuzu snapped at her father.

"I'm sorry Yuzu, but it really was that way! You had it since your very birth!" Shuzo replied, visibly uncomfortable with the current situation.

"Bullshit! You seriously want to tell me that I popped out of my mother with a piece of metal around my wrist?! Nonsense!" Yuzu cried out in anger before entering her room, slamming the door and locking it afterwards.

"Please Yuzu, I'm telling the truth!" The brown and orange haired man shouted desperately, trying to get into his daughter's room. "Please come out and let us talk about it!" He added after a while, realizing it was locked with no way to open it.

"No! Go away! Just leave me alone!" Yuzu screamed at him, crying into the pillow of her bed.

"As you wish..." Shuzo gave in, knowing that nothing he did or planned on doing could help her.

"What is wrong with me?! Why does my bracelet always glow like that when Yuya appears?! And why does that other guy disappear when Yuya arrives?! Am I going crazy?!" The pink haired girl debated with herself, lying on her stomach and looking at the piece of jewelry that had caused her so much confusion during the last few days.

" _I'm sorry for you, Yuzu. I have a rough idea of how you must feel, unaware of the other dimensions with all of that supernatural stuff around you. I promise that it will soon become clear to you again!"_ Ray stated as she appeared in her spectral form next to the girl, looking at the other female with worry.

* * *

 _Streets of Maiami City..._

Yubi and the three girls were making their way back to the hotel, having spent a few more hours in the city after the boy had beaten Sora. As they walked through the alleyways at sunset, they suddenly heard the sound of an engine.

"Is that a motorcycle?" Shiryu asked, looking to the right. They had reached an intersection and planned on crossing the street. But now it looked like something was coming from the right, denying them the chance to cross as they had to wait for the vehicle to pass by. As Rin looked the same way as her counterpart, her eyes widened.

"Wait, this color! This form! That's not a simple motorcycle, guys, that's a D-Wheel! More specifically the one I built with Yugo!" The green haired girl exclaimed.

Yubi's eyes widened, alarmed by her words. _'_ _So does this mean its driver is...?!_ _'_ He began in his thoughts before approaching the girl from behind, just in time as well.

"Yugo! Yug-Mmmph!" Rin shouted before Yubi put one of his hands over her mouth, silencing her. Rin turned her head around to him, giving him a questioning look with a mix of anger and confusion in her eyes.

"Did you forget about our mission? We must lay low and tell nobody about our identity or reveal ourselves! I have already violated that rule today and I'm not planning to do it again!" Yubi answered her gaze.

Rin's stare changed into an understanding one, prompting Yubi to let go of her again. She remained silent, even after his hand left her mouth. However, the male approaching with his bike still heard her first cry, decelerating and coming to halt in front of them.

"Rin?" Yugo spoke up, taking off his helmet and getting up from his D-Wheel. "Is this really you?" He went on, walking into her direction by one step. Both his and her eyes widened from the personal contact, reunited after months of being separated. Gradually the excitement overwhelmed the yellow and blue haired male as he continued addressing her. "Rin! RIN! **RIN!** " He shouted in a joyous manner, running at her with full speed and spreading his arms to embrace her, solely focused on her. Rin took a step back and shifted into a defensive stance, once again aware of her mission. Yugo however overlooked this little detail in his rush of ecstasy. Suddenly his bubble of happiness was burst by an abrupt event.

"Stop right there!" Yubi cried out, stepping in front of Rin and pulling out his revolver, pointing its barrel at Yugo. The other male came to an abrupt halt as the weapon came into his field of vision, keen on avoiding it even though it wasn't a lethal weapon as it couldn't shoot any bullet like a normal revolver.

"What the hell, dude?! Let me to Rin at once!" Yugo snapped at his counterpart.

Yubi shook his head. "Sorry, but I cannot allow that!" He replied.

"You're not stopping me!" The Synchro-User declared, continuing his advance.

Yubi shifted the gun so that it targeted Yugo's head, his index finger hovering over the trigger menacingly. "I warn you! Any step further and it will get really unpleasant for you!" He threatened the other boy.

Yugo gritted his teeth. "Damn you! I will punch you so hard that you won't be able to stand up ever again!" He announced. Then his eyes widened as he finally recognized Yubi – or rather mistook him for someone with similar looks. "Wait, you are that grinning bastard who abducted Rin! And then you added insult to injury by knocking me out in the Commons Area!" Yugo hissed, narrating about Yuri and Yuga respectively. "And now you're practically waving Rin in front of me to mock me even more?! I'll duel you and beat the crap outta ya! There will be no tomorrow for you, bastard!" He yelled in outrage, thick veins pulsating on his forehead. At the same time both of his eyes began emitting a weak glow of azure color and on the right side of his back, a dark light shone as well.

"Very well!" Yubi retorted, his eyes also glowing faintly – though in a silver color. He changed the settings of his revolver, inserted a small cube into the barrel and fired into the air, creating another Sphere Field.

Yugo looked around confused as the red death arena formed around them, creating another sphere that protected them against outsiders' curious gazes. "What the hell is this?!" He exclaimed in surprise.

"No need to tell you, our duel will soon be over after all, so let's not waste time with such minute details!" Yubi responded.

Yugo scowled. "Fine! Then bring it on so I can reclaim Rin at last!" He shouted back.

' _Yugo... Out of all people I have to see him dueling Yubi on hostile terms. I wish this was a different encounter where all of us could just be friends!_ _'_ Rin thought, not sure for whom she should root now.

"So it begins. Another encounter with a person we rather wanted to avoid." Shiryu stated, having retreated into the previous alleyway when she had realized who the approaching person was. Hiding next to her was Kumo, just like her also barely in range of the Sphere Field's limits.

"I guess that's right. Let's hope this one will be over soon as Yubi said, I had enough drama for today!" Kumo responded to the other female.

"I'm taking the first turn!" Yubi declared.

"Fine! Have it so I can be the first one to declare an attack and defeat you!" Yugo snapped at him.

 **DUEL!**

* * *

 **YUBI VS. YUGO**

 **YUBI: 4000**

 **YUGO: 4000**

"I beg to differ! You will lose today! I draw!" Yubi retorted.

"Yubi has won." Kumo stated abruptly.

Shiryu looked around to her in confusion. "Why that?" She asked, clueless of the brown haired girl's reasoning.

"If Yubi uses his full power and gets the first turn, you lose. That's just a fact, an unspoken rule – and everyone close to him knows it. The reason for that is the sheer power of his deck and his superior strategy. Taking the second turn against him can be as crucial of a decision as the combos you perform with your own deck. Just watch!" Kumo instructed her, the white and azure haired girl gulping and turning around to the two duelists again, her interest now perked by this declaration.

"I start by summoning Quickvullet Dragon! With no monsters on my field I can special summon it!" Yubi began his move.

 _Quickvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 800/Dragon/Effect_

"And when this dragon is summoned, it searches out another Vullet from my deck or graveyard! I'll add Phantomvullet Dragon to my hand! Next up I will use my continuous spell Varrel Generator! Once per turn I can add a "Vullet"-Monster or a spell or trap that specifically lists such a monster in its effect to my hand from either my deck or graveyard! I select Ghostvullet Dragon! Then I will activate the spell card Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and then discard two! I will dump two Ghostvullet Dragons into my graveyard! Next up I special summon Phantomvullet Dragon since I already control a Vullet!" Yubi declared.

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 800/Dragon Effect_

"And since I control Vullets I can also revive my two Ghostvullets from the graveyard!" Yubi went on, his monsters doubling in number at that.

 _Ghostvullet Dragon (X2)_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 1900/Dragon/Effect_

"Man, that is a lot of swarming..." Yugo whispered, becoming slightly worried from the pace his counterpart summoned monsters with.

"Then I normal summon Shieldvullet Dragon!" Yubi went on.

 _Shieldvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 2200/Dragon Effect_

"A full field." Yugo said, looking at the quintet of monsters.

Yubi shook his head. "Wrong answer! Let me educate you!" The white and black haired male responded before raising his arm. "Appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two effect monsters! With my two Ghostvullet Dragons I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Dragon with the tail of punishment, become the link to my allies and with your alliance, facilitate my victory! My whiplash that jolts humanity to awaken it from its confined perception of reality! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 2, Whip Tail Link Dragon!" Yubi cried out as his ace monster appeared.

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

"Link Summon?! What in the flipping hell is that?! And why does this dragon remind me of my Clear Wing so much?!" Yugo cried out in surprise.

"Again, no use in telling you!" Yubi replied, annoying Yugo once more. "Anyway, I place it into my Extra Monster Zone!" He went on.

"Wait, Extra Monster Zone?! What's that?!" The other male addressed him.

Yubi sighed. "I said no use in telling you! Let's just continue with our duel, shall we?"

"Fine! Show me what you got!" Yugo shouted in a challenging tone.

"Challenge accepted! First of all my Ghostvullets are now banished as they were revived with their own effects and then sent to the graveyard again! Then appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Dark Dragon-Type monsters! With my Phantomvullet and Quickvullet Dragon I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Charge into battle, Link 2, Desperado Dragon!"

 _Desperado Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1500/Dragon/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

"I place it into my third Main Monster Zone!" Yubi announced, the monster appearing in the middle of his field at that.

Yugo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why 'place'? It needs to go there because of the summoning order rules anyway, given your Shieldvullet is in the first zone and your Whip Tail in that Extra Monster Zone or whatever it's called." Yugo stated.

Yubi shook his head. "I'm afraid that you're mistaken. Link-Monsters aren't subjected to the summoning order rules." He replied.

"What?! No way! I call cheats on that!" Yugo snapped at him.

"It's all according to the rules, I can assure you!" Yubi said.

" _That's right! It's all according to the rules! The rules I changed!"_ Zarc exclaimed, appearing in his spectral form. _"As the new world was created, I wanted to give my monsters a little bit of freedom – in duels at least! So I used my new powers shared with my inner dragon god and lifted a few restrictions from the game! While Ray established a summoning order to enchain their movements even inside of duels, I freed the Link-Monsters from that restriction at the very least, making them able to be summoned anywhere on the field! Also I took away the clause that revived Link-Monsters cannot go to the Extra Monster Zones and made it so that other Extra Deck Monsters would solely go into the normal zones instead of relying on Link Arrows for that! I can't have my fragments playing like in Vrains after all!"_ Zarc told. _"Thinking about Vrains, if I now reflect on the past, I might be inclined to let humanity live and produce that show and broadcast it on TV before wiping them out, if I knew about it when I was still a human that is. But since I can look into the future and bare witness to the show that way it's fine, I guess!"_ He stated, shrugging his shoulders.

"Now the effect of Desperado Dragon! Once per turn I can special summon a Dark Dragon-Type monster from my hand! Come, Metalvullet Dragon!" Yubi went on.

 _Metalvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1400/Dragon Effect_

"Now he has the setup! Pay close attention, the soon following thing is what I call the "Get hit, dipshit"-Overkill-Combo!" Kumo addressed Shiryu.

"I activate the effect of my Whip Tail Link Dragon! For the remainder of the turn he gains all missing Link Arrows, essentially making him a Link 8-Monster! Link Extension!" Yubi cried out.

"What's happening?!" Yugo shouted in confusion as the blue dragon gained six more arrows.

"Your defeat is happening! Now his second effect, Alliance Force! It summons a monster from my Extra Deck, treating it as if it was summoned by the standard means! And it will be summoned into a zone one of my Link-Monsters points to!"

"Is that what those arrows are for?" Yugo guessed.

"Correct! And since the western arrow of Whip Tail can cross the gap between the Extra Monster Zones by his effect, I will summon it to your zone!" Yubi declared.

"What?! My zone?!" Yugo cried out in terror.

"Exactly! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, Topologic Gumblar Dragon!" Yubi yelled, a bluish mechanical dragon soaring into the sky and letting loose a roar in the process.

 _Topologic Gumblar Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲►▼)

"Topologic Gumblar... I think I know what he's planning..." Rin whispered with worry on Yugo's behalf. Yubi noticed it and immediately turned down the Real Solid Vision-Level – in concern about Rin.

"Man, now I'm pissed! First you take away my girl and now even my whatever-zone! Stop taking stuff from my, you shitty bastard!" Yugo exclaimed in exasperation.

"Anyway, back to the duel! Due to the effect of Whip Tail Topologic Gumblar Dragon is treated as Extra Linked!" Yubi announced, ignoring Yugo's cries of annoyance for the most part.

"Extra Link? What's that?" Yugo asked.

"You will find out soon! But first I will show you another dragon! Appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two effect monsters! I set my Link 2 Desperado Dragon and my Shieldvullet as well as my Metalvullet Dragon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, The canon that slaughters all my enemies! My namesake Topologic Revolver Dragon! I summon it into the second Main monster Zone and due to its Co-Link with Gumblar it is also Extra Linked!" Yubi yelled, the white and black dragon with its arsenal of cannons appearing at that.

 _Topologic Revolver Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (↙↖▲▼)

"From your summoning chant I take it that your name is Revolver then?" Yugo questioned his counterpart.

Yubi shook his head. "No, it's just a nickname I have." He replied.

"Nice for you, bastard! How did you get it?" Yugo inquired in a rather aggressive tone.

Yubi's expression turned serious, shooting Yugo an intense stare. "Because I slaughter my foes as mercilessly and precise as a revolver whenever I get serious! Or in your case, because I'm about to gun you down like a dog now!" He declared in a fierce tone.

Yugo lost his angry attitude at once and flinched, taking a small step backwards.

"Now I know what he's planning on doing! How vicious!" Shiryu remarked in realization.

Kumo nodded. "Indeed. Rin's friend is history." She commented.

( 51, min 2:14; reference)

Yubi shifted his right arm forward, pointing at Yugo with a dead serious expression on his face.

"Let's go, Yugo! Now that the Extra Link is established, Topologic Gumblar Dragon's true, unstoppable power will unveil itself! Topologic Gumblar's effect! Once per turn, it can destroy your entire hand and inflict 3000 points of damage to you! And this effect cannot be negated!" Yubi shouted in a fierce tone, his dragon slamming together its two arms and preparing to launch them at the other male.

"WHAT?! DESTROYING MY ENTIRE HAND WHILE DEALING 3000 POINTS OF DAMAGE?! YOU MUST BE JOKING!" Yugo yelled in utter disbelief and shock.

"I'M NOT JOKING! TAKE THIS! **DEUS EX MACHINA!** " Yubi screamed, stretching out his arm as his dragon fired its fists at Yugo, dealing a huge hit to him as he lost three quarters of his lifepoints along with his whole hand.

 **YUGO LP: 4000 → 1000**

"Kuh! But I'm still standing!" Yugo cursed, panting slightly from his loss of lifepoints.

Yubi shook his head in disagreement, a smirk gradually crawling onto his face. "Wrong! You have lost!" He retorted.

Yugo scowled in anger. "And why, if I may ask?!" He snapped at Yubi.

Yubi rose his arm, pointing at the white and black dragon next to Gumblar. "Topologic Revolver Dragon's effect! While it is Extra Linked, you take 300 damage for every monster sent to your graveyard! Among your five forcefully discarded cards were Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice, Speedroid Terrortop, Speedroid Rubberband Plane, Speedroid Razorang and lastly the spell card Shock Surprise! So with four discarded monsters...!" Yubi began, leaving it for Yugo to finish.

"I take 1200 points of damage and lose?!" Yugo shouted in disbelief, refusing to accept that he was just getting first-turn-killed by his counterpart.

"Precisely! In Den City we call it annihilated! NOW FINISH HIM, TOPOLOGIC REVOLVER! **HEART-SEEKING HOWITZER!** " Yubi screamed, his monster bowing down and firing a blast from the giant cannon on its back, hitting Yugo at full force, sending him flying and knocking him out in the process. The Sphere Field dissolved at that.

 **YUGO LP: 1000 → 0**

 **YUBI WIN!**

"That was the fastest duel I've ever seen! He couldn't even move a finger before he lost!" Shiryu exclaimed in awe.

"See? That's how it looks like when Yubi goes full force and isn't blinded by his pride! Impressed?" Kumo asked her.

Shiryu nodded eagerly. "Definitely! I'm so glad that we recruited him for our team!" She cried out.

Kumo smiled, happy and proud for her boyfriend's strength being recognized by the other girl. "Yeah, I bet you are." She stated before her ears perked up. She heard the sound of steps, turning around to the main events again. "Wait, why is Yubi walking towards Yugo like that?" She wondered as her boyfriend approached the unconscious male.

"Yubi? What are you doing?" Rin asked the white and black haired male as he walked past her and went over to the other boy, having an absent expression on his face.

"Become one... become one..." Yubi repeated, the silver glow in his eyes intensifying as he drew nearer and nearer to Yugo. He reached him and looked down to the other male, the awakening gaining even more strength at that. "Now... we will become one!" He declared, their auras starting to synchronize with each other. Meanwhile a spectral figure appeared, grinning from ear to ear.

" _Yes! YES! My efforts to alter Yugo's traveling destination to Standard have paid off! Now my Link-Fragment will absorb Yugo and take the first step towards my resurrection! And since the bracelets of those three girls behind him are currently jammed thanks to Yubi's seal, nothing will stop him! NOW..._ _ **BECOME ONE!**_ _"_ Zarc screamed at the top of his lungs, the unification process progressing at his words.

"Ima koso hitotsu ni! Ima koso hitotsu ni!" Yubi whispered, the glow now fully consuming his eyes, whitening them out and leaving only a silver color on its borders.

" _YES! GO ON!_ _ **ABSORB HIM!**_ _"_ Zarc encouraged him with a dark smile on his face. Their bodies continued sending signals towards each other, the unification now at hand. But then suddenly, everything went south again. Three bracelets blinked in unison, sending out beams of light, invisible to the girls and intercepting the process. _"No! NO!_ _ **NO!**_ _"_ Zarc screamed in outrage, the process reverting bit by bit, Yubi regaining his former self at that.

"Wait, what just happened?" He wondered, clutching his head.

" _NO! WHY DIDN'T IT SUCCEED?!_ _ **WHY?!**_ _"_ Zarc shouted, exasperated that the unification had failed.

Ray appeared in her spectral form, grinning at him victoriously. _"I'll tell you why! Because my bracelets cannot be disabled completely! Even if Yubi jammed them with his technology and he's admittedly very smart, the bracelets of Shiryu, Rin, Kumo and Ruri are still working! Less than before, but they are! So with the suppressing power of Shiryu's bracelet, the power of Rin's bracelet that extinguishes negative emotions and therefore Yubi's desire to absorb Yugo and finally Kumo's bracelet that spreads positive emotions, also working against the awakening, their unification was canceled out! You will not win this war that easily!"_ Ray stated.

" _Curse you!"_ Zarc spat at her, gritting his teeth in anger at her, even though he still loved her. _"Stop getting in my way, Ray! I just want to do you a favor!"_ He snapped at her in exasperation.

" _And I want to do the boys and humanity a favor! Anyway, see you later and have a nice day, oh transcendent dragon! I bid you farewell, Zarc Genesis Haoryu!"_ Ray told, vanishing at that.

" _Stupid human!"_ Zarc growled with the voice of the dragon god that became one with him. _"First I am enchained and now this girl is getting on my nerves!"_ He cursed, vanishing as well.

"Hey, Yubi! What just happened to you? You just walked at Yugo while murmuring something! Is everything alright?" Rin asked in a concerned tone as she approached him.

"Yeah, what happened?" Kumo addressed him as well, walking up to him.

"I'd like to know that too!" Shiryu chimed in, joining the group.

"No idea to be honest. I just remember winning against Yugo and then everything became black." He responded, clutching his head to recall his memories, but finding nothing.

"You had a blackout after winning? How strange. I remember Yuga going into a weird state as well when he dueled Yuri." Shiryu told.

Yubi raised an eyebrow with interest. "Really? Then I conclude that this must be a phenomenon occurring whenever we Yu-Boys duel each other. So we better avoid such duels in the future I guess." He said. Meanwhile somewhere out there, Zarc cursed their discoveries in his spectral form while Ray grinned victoriously.

Kumo nodded. "I guess so. Anyway, what to do with Yugo?" She asked, pointing to the fainted male on the ground next to them.

"I think Yugo should repeat after Sora and have his memories about the accident deleted by Yubi. Then we move him and his D-Wheel into the alleyway we came from. They're more hidden in there and the chances of Yugo getting our collective bike stolen while he's still unconscious will drop drastically." Rin advised.

Yubi nodded. "Good suggestion, Rin! I'm right on it! Can you help me with carrying him there once I have erased his memories? And meanwhile Kumo and Shiryu can bring your D-Wheel into the alleyway!" He addressed the green haired girl.

"Sounds good! But be careful with the bike, me and Yugo put all of our hearts into building it!" She warned the two other girls.

"Understood! We'll be slow and careful then!" Kumo retorted.

"Yeah, don't worry, Rin! I'm not planning on making this day any harder for us!" Shiryu added, going over to the D-Wheel alongside her Link-Counterpart at that.

"Good!" Rin murmured in relief before she walked up to Yugo.

"That should do it!" Yubi stated, having finished with the erasing process in the meantime. "Now let's get this dude outta here! Rin, grab his legs, will you?" He asked her politely.

"Uh! I'm on it!" Rin responded, picking him up by his legs while Yubi took his upper body half. They carried him to the alleyway they had came from while Shiryu and Kumo took care of the bike. While the latter two placed the white D-Wheel near the wall, Rin and Yubi carefully put Yugo down next to it, leaning him against the walls of the neighboring building.

"Looks good! In the best case scenario he will believe that he simply took a rest here! Good work guys!" Yubi praised his team.

"Yeah, I think we handled the situation pretty well!" Shiryu agreed.

"Same here." Kumo chimed in.

Rin looked down to the unconscious male, a melancholic expression forming on her face. "I'm sorry that it had to go this way, Yugo. I wish that we could have had a better reunion. The next time we meet, we will greet each other properly, I promise." She whispered before she crouched down and approached him. Rin grabbed him by his cheeks, staring at him with a caring and affectionate gaze. "Oh Yugo, I love you so much! I wish that I could just be with you again – you know, normally, without any missions in the way!" She stated, pulling his face towards hers and kissing him.

Shiryu chuckled. "Oh, that's such a sweet sight! Rin kissing Yugo on the lips while he's unconscious! He looks like he's sleeping safe and soundly!" She remarked. "And having a wonderful dream!" She added, observing how the boy's expression turned into a smile, apparently sensing Rin's action.

"I wholeheartedly agree with you! He has so much luck to have such a beautiful and caring friend as Rin! If he just was aware of his luck!" Kumo chimed in.

"Yeah, but now that he's unconscious, he won't feel much of it I guess. A pity, I really wouldn't begrudge him a bit of happiness after the last few months he's had!" Yubi said, feeling empathy towards the knocked out counterpart of his.

"Well, I still feel like he somehow received it! Besides, if I want to be his girlfriend in the future, I better start kissing him, even if he's not awake right now! I have to start somewhere, right?" Rin remarked, standing up again and turning away from the unconscious boy.

Yubi hummed. "I guess you're right with that. Now then, shall we take our leave?" He asked the group.

"Yeah! Better leave quickly before we encounter another person in the streets! Who knows, maybe we'll even meet Leo Akaba at this rate!" Shiryu joked.

The group briefly laughed before Yubi spoke up again.

"It's decided then! Let's leave, guys!" He declared, walking away at that. The girls followed him, Rin briefly stroking over her D-Wheel as she walked past it. Then her and the rest left, this time walking towards and reaching the hotel for good, the sunset lighting their way.

* * *

 _Paragon-Dimension..._

"Hey, I'm home, little brother! Hail Quetzalcoatl!" A girl exclaimed.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl, big sister! How was your day?" A teen with light green and orange hair responded. "Was everything going alright?" He inquired, facing his sister with his brown eyes.

The girl nodded, having the same eye and hair colors as him. She was a bit taller than him though, not surprising as she was four years older than him. "No, everything went just fine. No annoying tourists disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of the temple today! And no crazy people messing around with Reikonmadou! Sigh, sometimes I wonder why I became a temple guard in the first place! I expected it to be more challenging than just fending off some tourists and visitors from abroad!" She cried out with a little bit of exasperation in her voice.

"Well, guess you imagined the job too flashy, fighting off all kinds of dangerous intruders with that Kryo-Katana of yours! You really expected too much from it, Mieko!" He chuckled lightly, looking at the blade the girl was wearing on her back. She wore a greenish robe with a white layer around her neck and another layer of red color above her shoulders and the sides of her torso. It reached to about her pelvis and its fabric looked rather comfortable to wear. Furthermore she was wearing a pair of rather loose-fitting trousers of the same white fabric as on her neck. She also wore a necklace with the shape of a red dragon. Lastly she had a pair of military sandals on her feet.

"Very funny, Yuji!" Mieko retorted, puffing up her cheeks. She then seemed to remember something, her expression changing in the process. "Oh, almost forgot to mention that! High Priest Fennix gave me a message for you! He says that the time has come to embark on the crusade!" She stated.

Yuji looked startled, his eyes widening. "Today?! Man, that is surprising! I better pack my stuff then!" He exclaimed, running off into his room.

"And don't forget to take enough provisions with you! And your Kryo-Blade would be nice too!" She shouted after him.

"Don't worry, I will!" Yuji replied, searching his room for his backpack before packing in the things he needed. He ran around in the house for a while until he had everything on his mental list. Then he went to the door, embracing his sister to say farewell.

"I'm sorry that I have to leave so abruptly! I wish that Flare could have just waited a bit longer! Or told me in advance!" Yuji said, hugging his sister tightly.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault after all!" She responded in a soft tone before her voice grew more firm. "But don't forget to use the titles! High Priest Fennix won't like it if you simply call him by his last name!" She admonished him.

"Of course, Mieko. I won't forget about it." He reassured his sister before he hesitantly let go of her again. "I'll see you in a few months!" He told her.

"Come back soon, will you, Yuji?" She asked him in a pleading tone.

Yuji grinned at her. "Don't worry, I will be back in no time at all! See you!" He cried out, leaving the house with his belongings. In addition to a backpack he also wore a leathery sword belt over his shoulder, his blade having a more European handle than his sister. He was dressed in a red T-Shirt and a green jacket of a very pale color above it. Lastly he had green pants of about the same color as his hair, meaning a moderate light green. He also had orange on the hinder parts of his hair, but his trousers didn't have that color.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl, Lord Yuji!" A citizen greeted him as he entered the street.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl!" He retorted with the standard greeting formula of his world. "Well, I better get going now! Keeping the High Priest waiting is never a good thing!" He debated with himself a few moments later before uttering a chant. "Swiftness of the light! Bestow a part of your tremendous powers onto me! Haōmadou 19 – Chōkasokudo!" He spoke the incantation, speeding forward at enormous velocity at that. He greeted the people that were fast enough to react to him passing by, being slower than Zarc since his mastery over Jyujutsu was far lower, but still high enough to run through the streets at insane speed with his spell. The city around him – Tenoch City – was a pretty modern place, a bit older-fashioned than its Standard-Dimension counterpart Maiami, but still quite modern. "Here we are!" He exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of a huge, ancient looking step pyramid of stone. He walked towards the gate, a squad of ten soldiers armed with strange weapons of a glowing light guarding it. _'_ _Man, they have even activated their Kryo-Naginatas? Now that's what I call a greeting!_ _'_ Yuji thought while he approached them. "Hail Quetzalcoatl!" He addressed them.

-"Hail Quetzalcoatl, Lord Yuji!"- The ten men retorted, letting him through. He walked past them and entered the little building in front of the step pyramid. This was the place where he was supposed to go upon receiving the message from the High Priest. He spotted a figure a few feet away from the entrance, a beaming smile creeping on his face at that. He composed himself and suppressed it immediately though, not being able to afford to let anybody notice it.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl, High Priestess Alexandra! I came to the location, just as your father ordered!" He addressed the female.

The girl turned around to him, briefly smiling as well before hiding her emotions just as Yuji had done it. She looked at him with her scarlet eyes, her long yellow hair loosely hanging down her shoulders and reaching down to about her lower back, two short bangs of red color on the sides of her head. She wore a robe of white color with a bit of bright red on her neck area, the whole thing reaching down as far as his sister's. It had embroidery depicting a red dragon on its sleeves. She also had a necklace looking just like the one his sister possessed, depicting a reddish, serpentine dragon. Additionally she had earrings with the same dragon motive. Then of course her silver bracelet, having a cube with a brown gem on it. Furthermore she had red pants without zippers. _'_ _Damn, her father is so tense, he doesn't even let her wear normal trousers? Quetzalcoatl damn, where will this overprotective priest stop?! As if there weren't enough rules already!_ _'_ Yuji thought while looking at them. Lastly the girl had simple, but practical white shoes.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl, Lord Yuji! It's great to see you!" She replied.

"It's great to see you as well, High Priestess Alexandra! When do we leave for our destination?" He asked her.

"Just now, Lord Yuji! Follow me up the stairs, please!" She addressed him, leaving the building alongside him and approaching the giant stone step pyramid behind it. From her tone Yuji could clearly tell that she hated using the title instead of only his name. He had gotten a feeling for when his girlfriend was annoyed – and this was definitely the case here. He himself also hated having to call her "High Priestess" all the time when they were in public, probably even more than it annoyed her when she had to put the "Lord" in front of his name. They had known each other since a few years by now and from the very first day Yuji had been aware that he loved her with all of his heart, same thing went for her. They had kept their relationship a secret, so whenever they were in public, they had to slip into the roles of people they weren't, being nothing more than acquaintances. He really wanted to just announce their bond to the world, especially since he was a very straightforward guy always telling what was on his mind. But as it was forbidden and he was very fond of his own head, he grudgingly settled with the current situation, Alexandra doing the same.

"I hope you're doing well and are prepared for our journey, High Priestess Alexandra!" Yuji spoke up after a while, climbing up the stairs of the enormous step pyramid with her. He really wanted to drop the title now, but unfortunately they were flanked by two guards, making that impossible.

Alexandra turned her head around to him. "Yes, I am! How about you, Lord Yuji? Are you prepared as well? Have you practiced with your Kryo-Blade and your Reikonmadou before?" She inquired.

He nodded. "Yes, I have, High Priestess Alexandra! And you?" He asked back.

She chuckled. "Obviously I have, Lord Yuji! You know my father, always making sure I have the skills needed!" She said, slightly raising her right arm and its index finger, a small flame flaring to life above it before it died down again.

"Good to hear, High Priestess Alexandra! It will be my pleasure to help and protect you during the following months!" Yuji retorted. _'_ _And maybe I'll have some privacy with you at last! I have such a beautiful girlfriend and yet I cannot even call her like that in public! I just wanna get out of this place, even if it's my home!_ _'_ He debated with himself in his thoughts. _'For a while at least. I want to see my sister again after all!_ _'_ He added.

"Likewise, Lord Yuji!" Alexandra responded. They reached the top of the pyramid, a tall man flanked by two dozens of guards already awaiting them.

"I see you have arrived! Hail Quetzalcoatl, Alexandra and Lord Yuji!" The man spoke up, his hair having a mixture of all different shades of red and orange, his eyes having the same color as Alexandra's, but being more piercing than hers. His clothes resembled Alexandra's, a white robe and red pants, also wearing the same necklace and earrings as her. But while Alexandra's robe was long sleeved, his sleeves ended shortly after his elbows, revealing a number of dragon-shaped tattoos of red color on his arms. Behind him was an altar, a stone with the inscription of a serpentine, winged dragon on it. It was a red dragon meandering in a circle, beginning with its head on the bottom left and ending with its tail on the bottom right. In between was a small gap. As Yuji knew, the man in front of him had said symbol as a tattoo on his back. He also wore a ring on his index finger with the dragon insignia on it. And this man was the only real person that stood above him: Fennix Flare, High Priest of the Quetzalcoatl Cult – and Alexandra's father. Next to him was his assistant, the second highest in the cult hierarchy, Duncan Gozuma, a comparably rather pale skinned man a bit older than Fennix. He had black hair and piercing, purple eyes that often frightened the lower ranked priests when he criticized them for mistakes they had made.

"Hail Quetzalcoatl, High Priest Fennix! Yes, we have, despite the rather surprising invitation if I do say so myself!" Yuji replied, not able to suppress all of his indignation about the sudden message.

Fennix bowed his head a bit in apology. "I'm sorry for that, Lord Yuji! But the stargazers surprisingly saw a constellation approaching that looked better than the one we originally based our plans on, so we had to move the date a bit forward." He explained.

"It's okay, High Priest Fennix! Anyway, can we embark on our journey soon?" He inquired.

"Soon, Lord Yuji! First we need to have the ceremony for your departure. Then you can head into the other world!" He declared.

Yuji internally rolled his eyes. _'_ _Custom here, custom there! Sometimes I really hate this place!_ _'_ He sighed on the inside before playing along. The High Priest and a few lower-classed ones made a short speech, mostly good luck charms and so on. Eventually they went over to the more interesting part, Yuji's attention rising again at that.

"Now the two of your will embark on a holy crusade to restore peace in the macrocosm again! Will you fight for the glory and splendor of our world and our god?" Fennix addressed the two teens.

"Yes, I will fight for the glory and splendor of our world and our god, father!" Alexandra declared in a determined voice.

Her father gave her a nod of approval before turning around to the green and orange haired boy. "And you, Lord Yuji? Will you also fight for the glory and splendor of our world and our god?" He asked him.

Yuji nodded. "Yes, I will, High Priest Fennix!" He replied.

Fennix Flare hummed in content. "Then it's settled! You two will leave this place and defeat the terrible foe threatening the universal order! The stars tell about chaos and the stars restore order! Amen!" He cried out, the last part sounding like a standard phrase he and his people used.

-"The stars tell about chaos and the stars restore order! Amen!"- Yuji, Alexandra and the bystanders repeated in unison.

"Now there is only one thing left to do! Let's pray for your success and for a quick return!" Fennix spoke up again. The group of people gathered on the top of the pyramid fell onto their knees at that, interlocking their hands before beginning to speak in unison, even Yuji's expression turning serious and concentrated again. Alexandra also had a look of piety on her face, one exceeding even her friend's.

-"Great celestial dragon, hailed be thy name!"-  
-"Thy will shall be done as thou comest from heaven!"-  
-"Thy luminosity will guide us to the righteous path!"-  
-"May the glory of thy scarlet form bath us in holy light!"-  
-"Thou meanderest in the ether and gazest upon our kind!"-  
-"Protect us from darkness and shield us from despair!"-  
-"Thou savest us from the black pits and leadest our souls to salvation and eternal felicity in heaven!"-  
-"All hail thee, oh radiant Crimson Dragon!"-  
-"Immortal be thy splendor and crushed be thy foes!"-  
-"Amen!"-

After the group had uttered the prayer, Yuji, Alexandra and the rest rose up again.

"Now it is time! Power flowing through the macrocosm! Be channeled and open up a path into another plain! **Reikonmadou 71 – Sanjigenpōtaru!** " (Jap.: Spirit Magic 71 – Dimensional Portal) Fennix cried out, a wormhole appearing behind him at that. "I wish you the best of luck! Goodbye, Alexandra!" He said, hugging his daughter as she walked past him.

"Goodbye, father!" Alexandra replied, shifting herself out of the embrace after a while. She took her time though as she loved her dad very dearly, even if he and his cult restricted her from doing a lot of things with their rules.

"And goodbye to you as well, Yuji Quetzal!" He stated, giving him a handshake as that was more appropriate towards the boy.

"Goodbye, High Priest Fennix!" Yuji retorted before he followed the girl, walking towards the portal.

"Fight and defeat the evil hovering above the macrocosm menacingly! We leave this to you, so do not disappoint us!" Fennix Flare addressed the two teens.

"Don't worry, we won't father!" Alexandra replied.

"Yes, we will definitely defeat those bastards, whoever they are! You can trust me with that, High Priest Fennix!" Yuji chimed in.

The High Priest hummed in content. "Good! Then we shall await your return in a few months! Hail Quetzalcoatl!" He exclaimed.

-"Hail Quetzalcoatl!"- Yuji and Alexandra cried out in response before stepping into the portal.

Duncan smirked as they left their world through the portal. "Finally they're gone!" He whispered, turning around and leaving with Fennix and the other priests at that.

* * *

 _Maiami City, Nighttime..._

"We're there, Alexandra!" Yuji stated, his feet dropping a few inches to the ground.

"I know." She replied before scanning her surroundings. "So this is another world..." She murmured.

Yuji hummed. "Guess so. But anyway..." He began, turning around to her as a bright smile formed on his face. "…we're finally alone!" He finished, taking a step towards her and spreading his arms.

She reciprocated the smile. "Yes! Finally there's nobody around! Just me, you and the night!" She exclaimed happily, spreading her arms as well. They met in a tight embrace, both of them having looks of utter happiness on their faces.

"Finally! Finally I can hug you without fearing that anyone catches us in the act!" Yuji cried out in joy.

"Yeah, you are right! It feels so much better without being afraid about our future during every second of it! Can we kiss as well now?" She asked him.

He grinned. "As much and as long as you want! You're hot as shit after all!" He retorted, grabbing her cheeks and pulling Alexandra close at that. They began kissing, their suppressed emotions being unleashed all at once, resulting in a quite long make-out session between the two of them. Eventually they stopped at parted again.

"But anyway, we should get on with our mission as well. We need to follow the holy goal after all." Alexandra stated, her piety resurfacing again.

Yuji nodded. "Yeah, we need to do what Quetzalcoatl commands!" He gave her a cheeky side glance. "Of course we will have some more privacy in the meantime!" He added.

She grinned as well. "Sure we will! But for now let's focus on the mission we were instructed to do. Any ideas where we are?" She asked, looking around again.

Yuji shook his head. "No, not really. Our goal is to find and destroy the ones who disturb the order of the macrocosm, but they could be anywhere! The priests said that there were multiple other worlds, right?" He addressed her.

The yellow and red haired girl nodded. "Yes, there are more than just one. Six, if the stars weren't lying. Meaning this could either be the place where the enemy resides or somewhere else." She stated.

"Great! So we're stuck Quetzalcoatl knows where and have no idea if we are even in the right world?! Just perfect! The stars tell about chaos and the stars don't tell us shit!" Yuji exclaimed in exasperation, parodying the line from before.

"Shush, don't yell around like that! We don't want to draw any attention, remember? And don't mock the holy words!" She admonished him about both his loudness and insolence, putting a finger in front of her lips.

Yuji gave her a look that indicated that he was giving in, speaking in a lower voice after that. "Okay. Anyway, what should we do now? Besides this giant hourglass over there I don't see anything special around." He said, pointing at the LDS Building at that.

"Well, I think that place might be a good point to begin our search for information! But let's find a place to spend the night for now! We rest and tomorrow we'll start investigating!" Alexandra suggested.

Yuji nodded. "Sounds like a good plan! Then let's move out and find a suitable place! And in the case that there's trouble we simply use our decks, Kryo-Blades and Jyujutsu, okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "Okay. But only if it is really necessary! I don't want to commit any atrocities against defenseless innocents! I'm the High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl after all and I bet the cult wouldn't forgive such a sin that easily, even for someone in my position!" She declared her intent.

"Fine by me! I only strike if there's serious trouble then, okay?" He asked her.

She nodded. "Okay! Then let's get going!" She announced.

"Uh!" Yuji agreed, the two of them beginning their advance through the nocturnal streets of Maiami City at that.

* * *

 **NEW JYUJUTSU:**

 **Reikonmadou 71 – Sanjigenpōtaru (Dimensional Portal)**

Power flowing through the macrocosm! Be channeled and open up a path into another plain! Reikonmadou 71 – Sanjigenpōtaru!

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **And here we go again! This chapter and its first part (meaning Chapter 11) showed you every dimension and every counterpart at least once, so now you should have a good picture about the whole new ARC-V universe and what's going on in it. There were a few time skips in this chapter and several duels as well, Serena for instance using a new Fusion-Monster and some of her new support cards from the new Legend Duelist 4 pack. Some effects and summoning chants were altered and Reiji got a little age lift of four years to make him appear a bit more realistic, so he's 20 now. Also we finally get to see the seventh Counterpart-Couple, Yuji Quetzal and Alexandra Flare. Just like in the last chapter you get a little teaser for the Synchro-Arc. Furthermore you see what's going on in the Xyz-Dimension, also giving you a preview about that future arc. As you can probably tell, I have great plans for those two arcs, so stay tuned for them! There were a few more surprises for you I suppose, the existence of Numbers and the God Cards (which have longer names derived from both their original Japanese sub names and their English real life versions combined and use slightly altered versions of their anime effects by the way) in this story being one of them. Plus Yuya and Yuto have a sibling and we finally have a Legacy Character from the original Duel Monsters Series in here, namely Anzu/Thea. She will have a Light-themed deck like in the show, but probably an archetype instead of random cards. I figure that's better for her. We also get an explanation why Legacy Characters existed in ARC-V in the first place. They are supposed to help to defeat Zarc, which is kinda reasonable if we look at the Zarc-Arc of the canon where exactly that happened. Back to the sisters, since I didn't want to have Yukina playing Performapals as I dislike the archetype, I advanced into the unknown regions of card design and finally made a few Divine Attribute Cards aside from the three Egyptian Gods and their related forms. I think Pendulum and Gods makes a cool combination as tributes for e.g. Slifer/Osiris can easily be summoned this way. Tell me your opinion about that if you feel like it, I would greatly appreciate it! Regarding Hikari's deck, you will have to wait for that one I guess. The same thing obviously counts for Yuji's sister Mieko. But in return I will give you another introduction video as promised last chapter, one that has most of the new characters from the last and this chapter in it. You can find it on my channel as "Yugioh Arc V2 Character Extension 1". There's a link to my channel on my profile on this website if you didn't know that one already. Also it is in the usual playlist ( 52).**

 **This chapter we had a few encounters and the boys from Synchro and Xyz finally met their girls again, albeit not in a way they wanted their reunion to happen. At least none of them was absorbed, better thank Ray for that, otherwise Yugo would have gotten the Yuto-Treatment. Or actually not as I won't throw anybody into the pits of oblivion, even after being absorbed should that happen somehow.**

 **Music-wise Yugo uses his signature track "Yugo's Passionate Soul". Or "Yuto's Passionate Soul", I have seen the OST appearing under both names. But as it was played way more often for Yugo, let's take the first option, so I will refer to it as "Yugo's Passionate Soul" from now on. Also a few generic themes from ARC-V appeared during the Ruri vs. Shun Duel and as you can probably tell from the little trip to the Synchro-Dimension last chapter and Kaito's duel in this chapter, I will use a lot of 5D's and Zexal OST during the Synchro- and Xyz-Arc respectively. Ghidorah also shows us his true ace Obelisk (Egyptian God Card themes are used as well of course) and the Gishiki Dimension's Theme "What can you see in their eyes", an OST from – surprise, surprise – Bleach. During the final stage of Ruri's duel when she won I played** **"** **Silent Solitude", the third ending of Overlord. I felt like both the atmosphere and the title were fitting to Ruri's situation since that is pretty much what she experienced – silent solitude, forced to keep up her cover, even if it hurt her personally. Also two Bracelet Girls got their personal theme, namely Ruri and Serena. As I will talk about Ruri later, let's get right to Serena. She uses a mix of "Breakthrough Even" and "Hollowed", two tracks from Bleach mixed together. It sounds slow-paced and menacing, so I think it fits her pretty well as she is currently an enemy of the allied forces and her deck is based on gradually beating down her opponents with multiple attacks. As this is a special and rather rare kind of video, I will likely either use only "Breakthrough Even" or "Hollowed" when I need a longer version of the tack in the future. And by the way, I will refer to that mixed theme or Serena's themes in general as "Slicing Moonlight" from now on.**

 **But now to the most important topic of this chapter: Ruri's duel against her brother Shun. It's the reason for this chapter's name after all, just as Yubi's bond with Ryoken was the reason in the last chapter. Even though Ruri definitely had a devastating and shocking experience and I hated to do this to her, the duel had one good thing: In the anime, I always got the impression that she thought of herself as a mere shadow of her brother, not being able to stand her ground on her own, but relying on Shun, Yuto and her other friends for that. As we all saw, one time none of them is around and boom – she gets kidnapped. Rin had a similar problem, but as she had a hard life and was the more responsible of the Synchro-Couple, she always looked self sufficient in my eyes. And during the canon duel between the two siblings, this impression was affirmed in my opinion. Ruri just looked helpless on her own in the flashbacks. That's why I found that "Independent Nightingale" was such a fitting name for her parasite-possessed monster. To me, it expressed her wish to stand her ground alone. So even though she had to lose the duel for plot's sake, it still saddened me, Shun's victory ultimately crushing her attempts to be self sufficient, giving me a message of along the lines of "Sorry Ruri, but you are just a helpless girl needing others to protect yourself". The fact that she lost both of her canon duels, unlike Rin who got only one duel but at least won it against Yugo – a character with an insane winning streak at that point of time – paired with her consecutive visit of Leo's green glass tubes, returning to the "Damsel in distress"-situation, only stressed it even more. So with her duel and victory in this chapter, she finally stepped away from the canon. I wanted the girls and especially her and Yuzu in particular to be strong duelists and self sufficient persons needing no outside help to prevail. That's why defeating Shun – one of the strongest duelists in the canon and this story alike – was such a crucial event. Not only for plot's sake, but also for her character. This Ruri isn't helpless and weak. This Ruri is smart, strong, versatile and powerful, even holding her own ground against the strongest of opponents. That's why she got "Number One" as her personal theme (using the Nightcore version though as I felt like the higher pitch and faster pace was more fitting for her than the normal version). Not only is it the theme of Bleach's protagonist Ichigo who has the same last name – Kurosaki – as her, but one of its lines also describes her situation and development in this story perfectly: "Come out from the shadows, it's your time" which is of course referring to how she was imprisoned in Academia, damned to do nothing, and now free again and ready to show the world just how good she is. And you will see how good she is, just like with Rin you merely saw the tip of the iceberg, there is still a lot more to her deck. While a lot of the new Main Deck Monsters were used already, her Extra Deck is a whole different story. Regarding Assembly Nightingale (much like Winter Bell, the Heavenly Dragons like Clear Wing for instance and Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon and its first chaos form plus many more cards) she got some changes to her effects, albeit ones made entirely by me. Mozarta and Cat Dancer probably won't get those though. I feel like this is fair towards them as Ruri and Rin both got a shitty treatment in the canon, so giving them a bit more than the other girls seems fine, taking into account that neither of them will need their base aces that much anyway as there will be tons of other good cards they can use. Independent Nightingale also had its materials changed to any Lyrical Luscinia Extra Deck Monster plus another Luscinia, just like I did it with Crystal Bell and the Windwitches. Moving over to Ruri's Main Deck, I actually didn't make up all of her cards. The ones with 100 ATK or DEF are of course her old cards which already exist in the TCG. The ones with 200 ATK or DEF (plus Ruby Robin with her 0/0 stats) are ones I found in the internet. I already saw some of them in other stories, so I changed a few things about them in my story, adding or excluding parts in their effects and changing their stats in Amber Cuckoo's case. I also changed Golden Tallow to Golden Oriole as I don't associate birds with the word "Tallow", but something entirely else (google it, then you will see what I mean). And the ones with 300 ATK or DEF are those I made up myself completely. There are still some of them left. You will see them shortly since both Ruri and Rin will have some action again pretty soon. And just like them, two other counterparts will also make their official debut shortly, showing you Paragon Summon at last. Since now, with Yuji and Alexandra set into motion as well, things will become real interesting soon! You might give me a little bit of time though as I still have to design some cards! Please review, favorite and follow! See you (hopefully) soon!**

 **Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V2:** **"Quizzes, Questions and Quetzalcoatl"**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone, looks like I'm back again with another chapter! A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! It has been a while, but now I'm back at last! I will come to the reasons for that later! Before that stuff the replies to your reviews!**

 **-To DARK REQUIEM XYZ: Glad that you like my story! About Yuri's missing plot armor, well, there is a reason for that which I will come to in another review reply later on, but I have to admit that Yuri is a bit overrated in terms of that, having this "Invincibility cloak" around him, much like Atem/Yugi who autowins every fanmade duel matchup on YouTube just by being Atem/Yugi. About Leo, yes, his plan had A LOT of holes, but blame it on his tunnel vision as he was loving Ray so much that he simply overlooked these flaws, too focused on bringing her back. Though his plan was still hella stupid of course, that's for sure. While I will still make Leo somewhat threatening the role of the main villain belongs to Yuri and Zarc/Genesis Omega as you may already know once you've made it to this chapter. About the parasites, I think I have a good way to deal with them. You will see it once we make it there, but that's still A LOT of chapters in the future as of now.**

 **-To ZarcEternal: You know me, long chapters are my trademark xD. I have to agree with you on your statement about Yuya by the way, Entermates are truly an eyesore. Thus I didn't have Yukina use them as I'm pretty sure that forcing people to play Performapals is violating the Geneva Convention.**

 **-To SoulMatter: Thank you a lot for your continued support! Also, unrelated to your review, great that you released your own ideas! I'm looking forward to more chapters of Dusk Revolution (can't say no to a story with Genesis Omega in it after all)! Oh, and about the all caps and so on: I use them a lot because it's a simple and effective way to express emotions, among other things. Since we're already on it I may as well give all of you a little explanation of what is used for what:**

Normal: Standard text. Nothing special

 **Simple Bold:** Slight stress of words or shouting, often when only a single word or section is stressed; also used to highlight new cards, new Jyujutsu etc.

 _Italics:_ Thoughts, dreams, flashbacks, spectral people or Monster Spirits speaking

ALL CAPS: Loud shouting, emotional speech

 **ALL CAPS BOLD:** Even louder shouting; new cards, Jyujutsu etc. said by people who are currently yelling

 ** _ALL CAPS BOLD ITALICS:_** Really loud, highly emotional shouting

 _ **ALL CAPS BOLD ITALICS UNDERLINED:**_ Someone yelling at the top of their lungs; also used if someone is already shouting (meaning using all caps bold letters) in order to indicate new cards etc. within these sections of all caps bold letters

 **Now then, with that said to the next review! And thanks again for your support!**

 **-To Ashera090: Yeah, there will be arcs in those dimensions. The Paragon-Arc for instance will be after Synchro. About your other question, yes, we are currently in the Standard-Arc, more accurately in one of its subarcs which I call the Undercover-Arc (because the squad is doing all their things behind the scenes). Regarding the next question, the Synchro-Arc will be pretty long, but chapter-wise it should be shorter than Standard. To respond to your guess, Yuri will definitely be a major threat down the line, as I said above. A few characters will also face absorption, but there won't be anything like what happened to Yuto in the original, that's for sure. About Ray trying to get her fragments captured so she can revive: Well, she's not really going to do that. As Dark Requiem already said in their review (I'm not assuming genders here), Leo is a jerk. Ray is definitely not okay with what he's doing, so she's going to have the squad take down her savage father and THEN she merges back into her old self and gets rid of Zarc.**

 **-To Dante: Every piece is in Standard? (** ***** **Puts on Atem/Playmaker face) "Are you sure about that?" But jokes aside, most people are indeed here, except the Fusion-Couple obviously. Regarding the championship, I'm sorry you feel that way, because they will definitely enter, at least those who can of course. Think about it: Their main objective is to ensure that Reiji succeeds in assembling his Lancers. So what is the best thing to do? That's right, get a few of your own people into the final rounds so they can supervise the tournament from the front row and operate right where the problem is without hiding from cameras filming the matches. They can easily fend off any opponents from Fusion threatening the participants this way, you know, in case something like the invasion during the Battle Royal happens. I will skip a few duels of those people in the tournament though as I don't want to waste too much time by literally fleshing out EVERY duel of one of the squad members. About the Ignis, I feel you, but sacrifices have to be made indeed. Though they are not really dead as they live on in Yubi's version of Topologic Savior Dragon which has wings based on the seven of them. And also in something else which is going to be revealed later on. About tragic deaths in the tournament, they will happen most definitely. And regarding the main group finally losing, your needs will be fulfilled very soon, sooner than you probably expected (*smirks). Finally about your last question: The main group is Yuga and his squad. As I said in the Chapter 10 end notes, I wanted to take a step away from the classic "Reiji pulls everyone into his boat so they can fight Academia together"-motive we have in most fanfictions and turned it into a story where Reiji is the one who gets recruited, as Yuga outlined in Chapter 8 he intends to have Reiji join the Dimensional Alliance once he has his Lancer-Team ready.**

 **-To Donjustica: Oh hey! The almighty self-proclaimed High Templar of Madness… and something about justice or whatever is reading my story! Great to see you here and hope that you liked the other chapters so far as well!**

 **-To Bluevista: Zarc only mentioned two examples. That doesn't mean that other Ritual-based archetypes are bad, he just didn't list all of them in Chapter 9. Also, regarding your other reviews: Thanks a lot for all the great cards you sent me! I will make use of them once the time comes around, that's for sure!**

 **-To Guest, Chapter 2: Well, as we can see from Dark Requiem's review, opinions can differ a lot. Requiem liked that Yuri lost and you didn't. But Yuri had to lose, for a multitude of reasons: First of all, there is a huge gap in powers between Yuri and Yuga. Much like the Espada in Bleach the Espada in this story (meaning the Yu-Boys) have a rank-system and in said rank-system Yuga outranks Yuri by two ranks. If you're saying that's not much, well, think again. This seemingly tiny difference in numbers makes a huge power gap. As all Bleach Fans reading this know, the result of a fight between two Espada with a number difference of two is pretty clear. As Nelliel regained the powers she had back then when she was the third Espada she utterly annihilated the fifth Espada Nnoitra. The power gap was so big that it didn't look even remotely like they were on the same level. And the same thing counts for Yuri and Yuga as well. From the very beginning Yuga merely played with Yuri, ironic as Yuri finds sadistic pleasure in toying with his prey like Ruri before he catches them. Yuga could have summoned Bile Throat during his first turn and used Ravenous Rage in combination with its other effects in order to deliver the one turn kill. He even said that he had a bad hand. So to sum up this point, he not even tried and still won, mainly since Yuri did also underestimate him. Now then, another reason for Yuri's loss was to showcase the power of the new Heavenly Dragons and counterparts in general, which can be done the best with Zarc's strongest old fragment and dragon. Oh, and by the way, I see Yuri as the strongest. He is clearly superior to Yuto or Yugo in the canon and Yuya would have never beaten him in the final duel between them without the dragons from his other counterparts in play.** **Hell, without Dark Rebellion he would have gotten kicked out of the Championship by Kachidoki, thus making everything after the tournament never happen as he would probably have not become a Lancer as a result. Maybe he would have still gotten into the group just by Reiji's respect for Yusho or in a Sawatari-esque way, but that's just speculation. Either way Yuya alone isn't really that threatening without other Heavenly Dragons in his possession. Regardless of having Dark Rebellion or not, if he faced Yuri during the Battle Royal, he would have gotten annihilated.** **Come to think of it, Yuri is actually kinda like Ra, which is the God considered the strongest of the three, more powerful than both other Egyptian Gods combined. Yuri also needed (technically) three counterparts symbolized by their dragons and the appearance of their spectral forms alongside Yuya and his dragon to be defeated – and even that was clutch. You see, I'm a huge Yuri-Fan (in fact my favorite traditional counterpart), but even with my personal bias he and Starve Venom had to yield before the power of the new generation. The third reason is Yuri's character arc, which is hugely dependent on his current losses. You will see about that one eventually. Oh, and it was actually the second chapter where he lost, not the first. Forgot to mention that.**

 **-To Not happy: My bad, I inserted the warning after you posted your review, so newer readers won't get spoilered about Vrains in the future without knowing it. Though most of the spoilers were in the ending notes of Chapter 3 and not in the actual text. Also most of the new Link Backstory is very much AU. I mean, Aoi and Ryoken together? If Trickmirrorshipping actually becomes a thing in Vrains, I'm gonna spit out my tongue in disbelief.**

 **-To Guest, Chapter 4: Well, there are a variety of reasons for Ruri's behavior. This story is quite literally an AU as Zarc has actually killed the people in the original ARC-V world by going there, so this is another world in every sense of the word. Also Ruri inherited Ray's will which is accepting the need to kill and commit violence in certain situations, much like Ray was ready to kill Zarc to stop the genocide. This Ruri is fiercer than the original and ready to fight if need be, also being more lenient towards violence even if she still has her pacifistic attitude. Furthermore the bracelets transmit emotions and foster understanding between individuals, causing Ruri to emphasize with Yuga, especially since he made a valid explanation about his reasoning. Lastly Kingfishershipping aka Yuga x Ruri is a major thing in here, so she is inclined to forgive him easier, simply because he's Yuga. You see, there are a lot of things that made Ruri act like she acted. About your question, the answer is – as Zarc expresses it – "Immortality, Invincibility, AND DRAGON POWER!". Yeah, the supernatural regeneration abilities of Yuri made him recover that fast.**

 **-To Disguested: I'm sorry, I was not aware that it was doing that poor of a job before I looked at it more closely. The idea I had about the censorship looked really great in my head, but it turned out to be really lackluster once I came back and looked at it again. To my defense though I gave you all a total of three warnings even before the actual censor: First in my summary, then at the very beginning of the first chapter and then again in the notes at the beginning of Chapter 10. I massively extended the censor after your review and quadrupled the brackets while also putting twenty repeats of "Watch out! Start/End!" in all caps, bold and underlined respectively before/after the brackets of each explicit scene. I appreciate your hint, but next time please point out such flaws in a more neutral way without demonizing me. You make it sound like Satan himself payed me five bucks for every innocent child I seduced and corrupted. I don't know whether your accusation of making the warning be hardly traceable on purpose was meant seriously or not, but even in case it's not it is a rhetorical question. Either that or you mean it seriously, in that case it's a hyperbole. Either way it's a stylistic device and you don't need to use them in order to get your message across. I always have an open ear for my readers' opinion and I'm inclined to correct mistakes if they want to. I always try to be thoughtful of you and I'm sorry for messing that up like I did in this case. But I would appreciate if you could express your thoughts a bit more neutral and objective. So next time don't use stuff like the before mentioned or the tricolon at the end of your review, I will always react to my readers, so no need to use stylistic devices to stress your point. I thank you for your understanding and hope that we can get along from now on!**

 **Now then, let's finish the general beginning notes and then get right into the story again! First off, the reason for my absence! Well, I was away a lot during the holidays and couldn't write as a result. Also I'm having a lot of tests for university ahead of me, which is also the reason why I'm going on a break with the writing after this chapter. Once I'm done with them I'll get back to it, but before that expect no chapters. I'm sorry, I'm having an absolute blast writing this story, but I really don't want to mess up this semester, so I'll be on a hiatus for a while. Once I hopefully pass them though I will have a lot of time for writing again, so wish me good luck so I can make that happen!**

 **Furthermore I closed the poll and frankly I was kinda surprised by the result: Of the seven people who voted six preferred long chapters. So I guess if that speaks for most of you reading this, you should have a really great time as this is an eye-drying monstrosity of 70k+ words, including notes that is. (By the way, why am I thinking about ZarcEternal's reaction now?) Anyway, since Disguested gave me a hint, I'm going to say a few things about this chapter and the story in general now: If you haven't noticed already, this story contains several references to other anime or fandoms, including spoilers for them. This story furthermore contains explicit scenes which are censored with brackets and therefore skippable though. There is also violence, as you know already. Lastly there will be a few instances – including in this very chapter – where people use strong and very suggestive language as they talk. Especially two characters in this chapter follow that last trend. With this warning out of the way it is time to finally head into the action! After the opening if you are bothering to listen to it of course! Now then, here we go!**

 **Opening: ( 10)**

* * *

Chapter 13: Quizzes, Questions and Quetzalcoatl

 _The next day, Black Luster Hotel Room..._

" _I don't know who you are, but definitely not my sister!" Shun spat at Ruri._

 _"Please brother! Don't say that, I beg of you!" The lilac haired girl pleaded, reaching out for him with her right hand._

" _NO! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! YOU USE FUSION! YOU ARE A MONSTER! **I HATE YOU!** " The male screamed at her. _

_Ruri's eyes widened in horror as Shun gestured to his Raidraptor Falcons, which launched an all-out attack against her with their metallic talons._

" _ **NO! PLEASE STOP!** " Ruri screamed in horror, fearing for her life._

* * *

Ruri woke up abruptly, her forehead full of sweat. After a few heavy breaths she finally realized that it had been just a dream. She was about to let out a sigh of relief before she was reminded about her brother.

"Shun, I'm so sorry..." She whispered, her voice clearly indicating how much it had hurt her to do this to him. Suddenly she noticed movements below her.

"Hey, Ruri! Please don't wake me up like this!" A groggy voice called out to her. A male voice.

' _What?! Why is there someone below me?!'_ Ruri thought with shock on her expression. She recalled her last day at that. Then she remembered and let out a gasp of realization. _'Oh no, when I came into the room last night I didn't turn on the lights and just walked into the general direction of my bed because I was so unenthusiastic! So I might have thrown myself into the wrong bed! Meaning the male voice below me can only belong to...!'_

"Man, I really saw a lot of things happening already, but waking up with you on top of me is surely something new, Ruri!" Yuga remarked, sitting up a bit and facing the girl from the Xyz-Dimension.

Ruri blushed like crazy as light blue eyes stared at her with interest, slightly averting her pink eyes from the embarrassment. After a while she finally managed to gather the strength to speak up.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your private space. I just came in last night and didn't pay a lot of attention to what bed I went because I was so down from my..." Ruri began explaining.

"...encounter with your brother Shun?" Yuga interrupted her.

Ruri looked up and faced him again. "You know about it?" She asked in surprise.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah, I saw the duel. I was at the location too, but I hesitated for too long and you stepped in before me. I'm so sorry for that, Ruri! If I had been faster, you wouldn't have suffered like this! Please forgive me for my incompetence!" He apologized to her, giving her a look of sincere regret.

Ruri looked startled for a while, visibly surprised about his reply. Then she responded to him.

"You needn't be! You are doing such a great job as the leader of the Anti-Academia Campaign already! You even rescued me from the Fusion-Dimension! And you're sure as hell not incompetent!" She shot back, her tone a bit fierce to reassure Yuga that he shouldn't accuse himself like that. Then she shot him a smile as she continued in a jocular tone. "Besides, I made a mistake too by just throwing myself into your bed, so I think we're even now!" She laughed.

"Okay. If you're fine with this and accept my apology, I think we're indeed even now." Yuga replied. "But...!" He cried out, moving the blanket above him out of the way and sitting up, also pulling Ruri close in the process. The girl blinked a few times in surprise as she felt how their bodies connected.

"Err, Yuga, what are you doing...?" Ruri asked him, a bit embarrassed about his sudden move, but also not as uncomfortable as she imagined it would be if a boy was as close to her as he was right now.

"Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" Yuga asked her.

Ruri looked a bit unsure before she shook her head. "No, it's just that it didn't expect something like this to happen." She replied a bit nervously. "But then again I basically asked for something like this by just falling into your bed head first." She chuckled before her expression turned a bit more serious again. "But say Yuga, why are you pulling me close like this? Not that I'm complaining as your chests feels really good, I'm just curious about your reasoning." She asked, her head still a bit flushed.

"Well, I have a compulsive habit of grabbing women in need." Yuga explained with some embarrassment. His eyes widened and he shook his head and waved with his hands in front of him vehemently as he realized his words. "Oh, and not in the way it may look and sound like!" He hastily added, realizing how his last statement might have been interpreted. _'I would never do something like that with her after all... well, at least not at this age and before I have done it with Shiryu.'_ He stated in his thoughts before continuing. "You see, I felt really bad about myself when I allowed this tragedy from yesterday to happen. And I don't want to see you like that ever again! A pretty girl with such a pacifistic and nice mindset should never have to experience such emotional pain and hurt! So I will make sure that you are never hurt like this again – may it be physically or emotionally! I will protect you no matter what!" He declared, facing her with conviction in his eyes.

Ruri let out a gasp of flattery before she addressed him, her cheeks bright red from her embarrassment.

"Yuga... why are you saying this to me? What did I do for you to deserve something like that?" She uttered quietly, not fully believing her luck. Yuga smiled at her, cupping her left cheek with his hand and stroking it. Ruri's eyes widened a bit as she recalled her escape from Academia, when she had been on the way to the eastern tower where Rin was held captive with him, flying on Bile Throat. Where Yuga had done the exact same thing. And much like back then, it made her heart pound faster.

"It's simple, Ruri." The blue and gray haired teen replied to her, pulling her even closer, shortening the distance between their heads, his face now not even three inches away from hers. Ruri's blush intensified as Yuga went on, looking into her eyes with affection. "You don't have to do anything to deserve this. I'm just doing it on my own accord. Because I can't ignore how I feel inside. I love you, Ruri." He whispered to her.

"Yuga, I don't know how to properly respond to this..." Ruri whispered back, not sure how she should express her own feelings, obviously lacking relationship experience.

"Hush, you don't need to talk! Just let your actions speak for yourself!" Yuga reassured her, bringing his head a bit closer to hers at that. Ruri slowly reacted and approached him as well. Eventually they reached each other and locked their lips. As Yuga felt how she reciprocated her kiss, a beaming smile crept on his internal face.

' _She's really kissing me on her own accord! Man, what a day to be alive!'_ Yuga cheered on the inside, holding the girl close with her street clothes which Ruri still wore from the previous day being in contact with his pajamas. While he held Ruri's back with his left hand, a thought suddenly slipped into his mind, Yuga entering a mode where everything seemed to happen by itself, the teen simply watching himself from the outside. He left the back of her torso and gradually his hand settled on the area around her butt. His hand moved towards it after that, forming into a claw to grab it firmly. But then, before he could touch her, it abruptly stopped in its tracks, Yuga trying to hold back himself. _'What the hell?! What's gotten into me?! I shouldn't do this!'_ He cried out in his thoughts as he broke free from this absent state, taking control again.

' _What the hell are you doing?! This is your chance, so take what belongs to you!'_ A voice cried out to him in his thoughts.

' _What are you talking about?! She's Yuto's girl, not mine! Kissing might be one thing, but touching her ass like that is beyond acceptable, even if I have to admit that it looks really nice!'_ He retorted to the voice. _'And who are you anyway?!'_ He went on.

The surroundings changed as he entered his own mind. There, a tall figure resembling him, but having the body of a young adult, stood next to the blue haired teen. The figure also had wings, sharp fangs and claws and scales on his body. He looked down to the smaller male, dark blue eyes with pupils turned into slits gazing at him menacingly.

" _I?! I am your true self! I am someone who would simply take what's mine instead of bringing up stupid arguments like you do! Don't you see it?! This friend of hers is a weakling if he doesn't claim her for himself! And only the strong ones have the right to reproduce, weaklings die out!"_ The dragonic male shouted at him.

" _What bullshit are you talking about?! Claim for oneself?! I'm pretty sure that's reducing Ruri to a mere object! Ever heard of woman rights, cuckface?!"_ Yuga shot back.

The opposing male chuckled. _"These are the words of a weakling! Only someone weak such as yourself would think about such minute details instead of just taking what he wants! Admit it, if you were older and had the balls, you would spread that girl's legs and smash her into unconsciousness!"_ He retorted.

" _You disgusting pervert, I would never do something like that!"_ Yuga declared, turning away with a detested look on his face.

" _BUT WHY?! TELL ME, YOU FOOL!"_ The dragonic version of himself demanded, shouting at him.

Yuga turned back. _"That's simple! Because I have some decency and will suppress my urges to maintain it!"_ He responded.

" _Don't you want to protect her? If you make her your own and she is always close to you, you can always protect her, right?"_ The dragon tempted him.

Yuga pondered for a while, the words hitting him right where he was vulnerable as the dragonic male took advantage of his love for Ruri. Eventually he got a hold of himself and shook his head vigorously. _"Not a chance, lizard man! I will no steal Ruri, not even if it means that she will be safer this way!"_ He declared.

The dragon sighed in exasperation before another figure appeared next to him, resembling the dark blue and gray haired teenager as well. His skin was white and his hair was long though, reaching to about his lower back with dark blue and some gray bangs mixed, but the blue ones dominating the middle while the outsides were more gray. His eyes had slit-pupils as well, albeit they were not black but scarlet and there was also a small dark green layer on the borders of his irises. He also looked like an adult and was taller than Yuga.

" _Is it because of that boy Yuto?"_ The white skinned figure addressed him.

Yuga nodded. _"Indeed! I'm not stealing anyone's likely future girlfriend away!"_ Yuga retorted in a defiant tone.

The pale man scoffed. _"That joke of an Espada?! You disgust me, fool! Yielding in fear of a Hollow! As a goddamn Despertar! I'm getting the suspicion that you might not be suitable for the position of the Primero Espada! Maybe Yuri would have been better off as the first instead of being only the third! Die in the filth of your bound flesh, weakling!"_ He cried out in indignation.

" _Espada?! Hollow?! Despertar?! What in the world you're talking about?! And who are you and that other guy anyways?!"_ Yuga addressed the white skinned male.

The pale guy scoffed again, this time in condescension. _"I see no reason why I should share knowledge about those terms with a weakling like you! But I think that I can tell you something about our identity!"_ He said, pointing at himself and the dragonic male at that. _"We are none other than yourself!"_ He declared with a smirk on his face.

" _You being me?! Stop joking around, you pale jerk!"_ Yuga shot back.

The pale figure chuckled. _"Oh, I'm not joking! You see, I am your better side, the one of us who has true power! And my friend over here will introduce himself on his own, I guess!"_ He said, handing the word over to the dragonic male.

" _Indeed!"_ The dragon-like man exclaimed, walking up to Yuga and towering above him. _"Well, if I had to introduce myself, the best way to start is pointing out the obvious I guess! I am a dragon and your inner, primal instincts! I am a being of sublime power and unequaled, deadly beauty!"_ The male's eyes widened unnaturally as he continued, staring down to him with a look of viciousness and grinning devilishly with his teeth as he began shouting. _" **I AM YUGA! I AM THE WORLD ENDER!** "_ He made a short pause, smirking at the smaller male, before continuing in a quieter, but nevertheless boastful tone. " _ **I am the God Killer!** " _He declared, his teeth blitzing eerily.

" _You dare to call yourself by my name?! And about your whole unequaled beauty thing, I believe that Shiryu has a lot more of that than you do!"_ Yuga countered.

The dragon chuckled again. _"Oh yeah, that girl is surely something! Hail Shiryu, goddess of water and life!"_ He exclaimed sarcastically before he began chuckling darkly. _" **MUHAHAHAHAHA! I AM YUGA – AND I AM THE GOD KILLER! I WILL DROWN THEM ALL IN OCEANS OF BLOOD AS THE WATER IN THE SEAS IS EVAPORATED BY MY BOILING RAGE AND REPLACED WITH THE ESSENCE THAT FLOWS THROUGH THEIR VERY VEINS!** "_ He declared, laughing madly, his eyes widened unhealthily with a look of sheer insanity on them.

Yuga rolled his eyes. _"Looks like someone has a major superiority complex and lust for brutality! I better get away from here now! Don't wanna spend more of my valuable time with you crazy-ass people!"_ He announced.

The pale man smirked. _"Yeah, go away! But I can assure you that you will come back to us soon! It's only a matter of time!"_ He stated.

Yuga scoffed. _"Whatever! See you, faggots!"_ He called out to them as he left his mind and went back to the outside world. Meanwhile the dragonic person looked over to the pale one.

" _Are you sure that he will come back soon? He seemed not particularly keen on reaching his true power and becoming the World Ender as of now."_ The dragonic male asked the other.

The white skinned male turned its head around and smirked to his partner. _"Be assured, he will! At the pace this war keeps on intensifying he will soon awaken your powers, that's for sure!"_ He remarked.

The dragonic man grinned devilishly. " _I hope so! Because I really feel like I could use some violence, so killing a few people seems like a good way to get rid of all that inner pressure, don't you think?"_ He asked.

The pale male nodded. _"Most certainly! Now then, let's just wait for a while until we can finally show ourselves to the world!"_ He stated.

" _Uh! I can hardly wait for some action!"_ The dragon-like man retorted before they pulled back into their respective corners of Yuga's mind.

On the outside Yuga and Ruri parted again, the former of them looking a bit confused from his latest experience with the two other males within his mind. He regained his composure though and faced the dark purple haired girl again with a smile on his face.

"Thank you for that kiss, Yuga! It felt really great and if you wanted to cheer me up again, you sure as heck succeeded!" She then stroked his cheek. "You know, you kinda remind me of Yuto's behavior. You are very protective and care about me a lot. Though I have to admit that you are a bit more confident and straightforward when it comes to things like kissing and relationships, even if I still love him a tiny bit more than you." Ruri said.

Yuga smiled. "That's okay! I'm just glad that you're feeling better! Anyway, I have something for you!" He said, reaching onto his nightstand and grasping an object.

"A card?" Ruri asked him, gazing upon the piece of paper he was holding.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah. After your duel yesterday I contacted my father's science department in order to send me a new Xyz-Monster for you. I didn't want you to need using Fusion Summon in cases like yesterday's duel in order to win, so I requested something and the card arrived shortly afterwards. Here, it's yours!" He said, handing the card over to her.

Ruri looked at it and read its effect. "You are right, with this card I definitely could have done more yesterday, if it wasn't for Shun's trap card! Thank you very much, this is surely a good new card and an ace exceeding even my Rank 8 Raidboss Raven in power!" She stated in gratitude, pocketing the card and hugging him again after that.

"Oh, don't mention it!" Yuga said, rubbing the backside of his head, just slightly embarrassed since this time it had been her who had taken the initiative for the embrace. "But I'm glad that you like it!" He went on, shifting his hands to her back, reciprocating the embrace.

"My, that's quite the show you're giving us there!" A voice called out to them. Both of them turned their heads around, seeing Rin and the three other inhabitants of their room standing behind them, the former having a cheeky grin on her face. Ruri blushed, looking at the green haired female with eyes widen open.

"How long have you been watching us?!" She asked, her cheeks bright right in embarrassment, Ruri feeling like being caught.

Rin grinned at her. "Oh, shortly before you two kissed! You were both so distracted that you didn't even notice that we were standing there!" She explained.

Ruri blushed even harder at that. "Oh no! I have been caught cheating on Yuto! I have been...!" She exclaimed in terror before Rin rose a hand, silencing her with that.

"First off all, chill your life, Ruri! Yuto isn't even your boyfriend yet and you were just kissing a guy you like a lot – and also one who has saved you from Academia's captivity, unlike... other people." Rin stated, frowning a bit as she remembered that Yugo had let her down as well when Yuri came to kidnap her. "Secondly, I have kissed Yubi yesterday, so you're not any more guilty than I am – that is if kissing a guy you love while being in no current relationship could even considered to be something bad. I was just teasing you a bit, that's all!" She reassured her counterpart.

Ruri sighed in relief. "Geez, you had me really scared for a second! I thought you were trying to be the moral police and give me a bad feeling about myself for kissing another guy. But if you've kissed with Yubi, I guess me kissing with Yuga isn't so bad then." She said.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, it's seriously not anything you should be ashamed of! But anyway, you two look really cute together, hugging each other and kissing like that! In case that Yuto rejects – which he will definitely not, but oh well – you would have a really great time together, that's for sure!"

Ruri hummed. "I guess so." She then looked closer at the other people next to Rin and noticed something. "Hey, Yubi! Am I imagining things or has your eye color changed?!" She exclaimed in surprise.

Kumo looked at her counterpart and nodded. "Yes, it has. You see, Yubi has a very rare phenomenon with his eyes, namely a progressive central heterochromia. While the normal and central heterochromia are already very rare, a developing one is even more unique. As you all know Yubi has black eyes – also rather rare of an eye color, I only have black-grayish ones. His pupils and irises having the same color meant that when we were still very young, I couldn't tell the difference between the two inner parts of his eyes. But over the years, a silver color slowly occupied the central region of his irises, framing his pupils more and more. And today when we woke up, I realized that the process had gone even further, progressing rapidly overnight, just like that." She said, pointing at the male next to her. When Yuga and Ruri looked closer, they saw that now around half of his iris was silver and the rest still black, the boarder between the two colors rather blurred with many transitions, having parts where the silver reached a bit more towards the boarders of his irises while others were more in favor of the black color. There seemed to be an even pattern, so the whole look of the eyes still remained symmetrical. "Also I suspect that silver is his natural eye color he gradually gains, which would make this phenomenon even more special. Normally the color on the boarder of the eyes – meaning black in this case – is the person's true eye color when it comes to central heterochromia. But as the silver takes over his eyes more and more, it's probably the other way around." Kumo added.

"Wow, you have really cool and unique eyes, Yubi! I didn't even see the silver up until now!" Ruri exclaimed in awe. "And don't feel awkward about having them, if you ask me, they are cool as heck!" Ruri reassured him, realizing that the boy might feel different in a bad way with that rather unusual circumstance.

"Agreed! These eyes make nothing about him worse! If anything, they make him even more awesome!" Rin cried out, shooting him a smile.

"True! I already thought you were a fascinating person with your dueling alone, but you're also amazing me with your personality and those eyes of yours, not gonna lie!" Shiryu chimed in.

"Yeah, these things are like so cool to look at! I wish I had changing eye colors like that!" Yuga concluded, forgetting that his eyes changed whenever he snapped.

Yubi rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you, guys! It feels really great to know that you don't think I'm weird because of my eyes!" He stated in a relieved tone, visibly more comfortable with their praise.

Yuga made a dismissive gesture. "Oh please, Yubi, in this team we don't discriminate against anyone, especially not because of something such as eye color! But anyway,", He exclaimed, parting from Ruri and standing up at that, "I think with this being a new day and a lot of stuff having happened yesterday, I might give you all a little update and your tasks for today of course! Yesterday six major things happened!" Yuga announced, raising up three fingers of his right hand plus three more of his left hand at that. "First off, my counterpart Yuya won his first match for the Maiami Championship. During this duel he also summoned a Synchro-Monster, a Ritual-Monster and even a Chō Gishiki-Monster! Also, according to my dear Shiryu, I went into some weird state where I synchronized with him. When me and Yubi talked about it yesterday evening, we came to the conclusion that it must be a phenomenon occurring when two or more male counterparts are close to each other while one of them duels another person! The rest of the squad was already there and knows about it as a result, but as you were absent it's only fair to tell you about it as well, Ruri!" The male addressed the girl.

Ruri nodded. "Okay, more weird counterpart-stuff, I see! What about the five other things?" She inquired.

"Well, the next thing in chronological order is Rin meeting your friend Yuto at the harbor. He somehow knew about her connection to you and she also looks a lot like you of course, so he engaged her in a duel to force her into telling him about your whereabouts. He was gentle though and didn't use a high RSV-Level." Yuga went on.

"What?! You dueled Yuto?! How strong was he?! What cards did he use?! Please, I need to know everything you found out about him!" Ruri demanded, perking up visibly at the mention of her friend. She had seen him as well, but not in a duel of course, hence she wanted to know about his improvements over the last months. Also she missed him terribly since she couldn't properly meet him before, so she wanted to have every bit of information about him – as a compensation for his missing presence.

Rin collected herself for a moment before retorting. "Well, his swarming and resource renewal is surely terrifying. He can constantly banish cards from his graveyard to either refresh his hand or take preemptive or offensive supporting moves with them. Also it looks like his whole "Phantom Knights are immortal"-thing is true, he can resurrect them even from the Banish Zone, resulting in an almost never ending cycle. His offensive is much stronger than before and on a level where he can constantly go for OTKs. Furthermore his ATK-values are out of any league I've ever seen; when he used his Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon for the final attack it had almost a third of a million ATK. He has great survivability with effect healing and lastly he has a spell card called "Rank-Alteration-Magic Spectral Force" which can both rank-up and rank-down his monsters. From what I can tell all this power must be derived from his will to save you." Rin told.

Ruri's jaw dropped from her disbelief, also flushing a bit in a flattered manner. "Really? He has gotten that strong just for me?" She asked.

Rin nodded. "Most certainly, his dialogue clearly spoke for that. Anyway, can you continue, Yuga?"

He hummed. "Sure thing! The next thing that happened was Rin teleporting back to the Ritual-Dimension. There she met my father and some intruders. Apparently the Fusion-Dimension sent out some Obelisk Force to scout our world for you girls. Luckily my dad not only crushed all of them, but they also recorded footage of Rin being in Gishiki, buying us some time here in Standard for Reiji to assemble his Lancers. Next up Rin went back to Standard and reunited with our group. I went scouting after Yuya's duel, so I brought Shiryu over to Yubi and Kumo. They met Rin and immediately after, this Fusion Spy Sora attacked them. Luckily Yubi not only took him on in a duel and unlocked the first Topologic Dragon his father had used with even greater powers than before during that duel, but he also summoned a Synchro-Monster." Yuga narrated.

"That's great!" Ruri exclaimed before she realized what he had just said. "Wait, Yubi dueled?! Doesn't that mean Reiji and the Fusion-Dimension know about Link Summon now?!" She cried out in shock.

Yubi shook his head. "No, they don't. I made a thing called the Sphere Field to extend our options when we are forced into a duel. It works like the Vanisher, blocking people from the outside to see or hear what's inside the dome. It also blocks summoning energy, so Reiji's sensors didn't detect a thing. Also I erased Sora's memories with another thing I invented, so there will be no consequences for that duel at all." He explained.

Ruri sighed. "That's a relief! So you mean we can duel at any given time now without leaving traces?" She asked.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah. I even improved the Sphere Field yesterday evening, so now we can even intrude into ongoing duels within in. So if we need to duel, there is nothing stopping us anymore." He responded.

"Good to hear and great work, Yubi!" Yuga praised his counterpart. "Anyway, the fifth thing that happened was your encounter with Shun and Yuto and your duel with the former, Ruri. All of us know about that one already, so let's skip this unpleasant topic. However, I must still express my admiration for both you and Rin! You did great in your respective duels yesterday! The dueling protocol on Rin's disk and my personal observations of your duel, Ruri, prove that the both of you girls really got the hang of your new cards and that you're able to face against the strongest of opponents now! I'm really proud of you, you performed amazing, Rin, Ruri!" He praised the two Bracelet-Girls.

"Thank you, hearing that from a duelist like you who never lost a duel yet is surely a huge honor!" Rin replied, rubbing the back of her head in a flattered fashion.

"Yeah, thank you very much, Yuga!" Ruri added, also a bit flushed and nervous from his high praise.

"Anytime again! Finally we move to the last subject of yesterday's events! Much like you met Yuto, Yubi, Rin and the rest of the team except me encountered Yugo in the alleyways. Looks like he ported to this world with his Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Unfortunately we cannot have contact with him either as of now, so Yubi had to duel and FTK him." Yuga continued.

"You really first turn killed him?!" Ruri addressed the black and white haired male in astonishment.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, I did. I can tell you about the combo later on. But first let's hear what our new task are! Yuga, if you will?" He handed over the word to his counterpart.

"Alright!" The blue and gray haired male retorted. "For today, we have not very much to do. Yugo left this world during the night from the looks of it and we're hopefully not running into Shun, Yuto or Sora today. So besides avoiding them our only task is to keep an eye out for abnormal activities like a Fusion Invasion and observing Yuya's next match. As Yubi and Kumo had a pretty stressful time yesterday, I think this is a task for them." Yuga said.

"Stressful time? Why's that? Because of Sora?" Ruri asked.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah. But there is more to it than just the duel. You know, Kumo had a relapse when Sora threatened us after losing the duel." He explained.

"Relapse?" Ruri inquired.

Yubi nodded, beginning with Kumo's traumatic backstory at that. Ruri looked horrified as he told her what the A.I.s had done to her. Eventually he stopped with his story, leaving Ruri majorly disturbed by it.

"They really did this?! How can anyone even be this cruel?!" The lilac haired girl from Xyz whispered in shock.

"My thoughts exactly! That's why I will consider things more carefully regarding her from now on!" Yuga chimed in, looking at the brown haired girl with concern. "If you don't want to go on a mission, you can just stay at the hotel! You don't need to force yourself into anything you don't want to do! So if you don't want to supervise my Standard-Counterpart today, that's fine!" He offered, displaying his care about her.

Kumo shook her head. "No, it's fine. I must get over my trauma anyway, so I need to start somewhere. Plus watching a duel without anything serious on the line like Yubi's or my own life sounds rather relaxing to be honest." She responded.

Yuga smiled. "Then it's settled! You and Yubi go watch Yuya's duel. As far as I know it's against some genius called Eita in a placed name Clarity Duel School. I think this school should be a fitting place for smart people with high intellect such as you and Yubi, much like Kirigakure Cooking School was a really nice place for a food lover such as myself! The rest has another day off, but remember to avoid Shun and so on! Or you know what, I think Rin, Ruri, Shiryu and me just walk around and watch out that nothing troublesome happens in Maiami City as a group!" He changed his plans. He then looked at his girlfriend. "I have spent hardly any time with you during the last few days anyway, so I better catch up on that, Shiryu!"

Shiryu smiled. "Sounds great! Then let's head out there into another day here in Standard!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

-"Uh!"- The others chimed in.

"Oh, before I forget it, I sent a little present to our future ally Reiji!" Yuga remembered.

"A little present? And what, if I may ask?" Yubi inquired.

Yuga chuckled. "Oh, something pretty fitting I think. Just as Yuya will have a duel with a lot of quizzes and questions today, Reiji got a little card so he can also deliberate about something! Consider it a cryptic message announcing our presence here in this world!" Yuga retorted with a grin.

* * *

 _LDS Building, Reiji's Office..._

"Hmm, what is this supposed to mean? Could it be connected to the assault from yesterday?" Reiji contemplated, looking at something that looked like a business card depicting a symbol consisting of a white G within a dark blue rhombus, the latter of them having silver wings attached to its sides. "What does the G mean?" He deliberated, obviously having no clue about the emblem of the Gishiki Empire. His thoughts were cut short by a loud and obnoxious voice at once.

"Let me to him already!" A short, stout man cried out, marching into Reiji's office.

"I said you cannot meet the chairman without an appointment!" Nakajima, who flanked the man and tried to slow him down, addressed the furious male next to him.

"I don't need an appointment! I'm the mayor of this whole goddamn city!" The smaller male retorted before reaching the desk where Reiji sat.

"I'm sorry, Sir, I couldn't prevent Mr. Sawatari from coming here!" Nakajima apologized.

Reiji merely shook his head. "You needn't be. You did all you could do." He said to his assistant. "Besides, I think that we can resolve this whole turmoil quite easily. So what are you here for, Mayor Sawatari?" He addressed the other male.

"I'm here because justice wasn't served yet, Chairman Akaba! That Yuya Sakaki still runs around out there despite having assaulted my son! I demand that he is arrested immediately!" Furio Sawatari shouted at him.

Reiji kept up his stoic composure as he retorted. "The evidence we have so far speaks against your claim. The attacker used Xyz Summoning, right? Well, when I was in You Show Dueling School, my staff picked up some Xyz signals. And during Yuya's duel yesterday we also picked up some signals elsewhere." Reiji told. "Signals of Xyz Summoning, the latter of them being the exact same as the one we detected when your son was assaulted. So if Yuya Sakaki was occupied elsewhere during both of these occasions, that cannot mean that he was the culprit of the first assault. I suspect that there are two Xyz-Users out there, one of them being guilty of the first assault on your son as well as the third assault on a person we don't know yet. Meaning the person you're looking for is that one who's responsible for the first and third assault." Reiji explained.

The mayor lost his momentum for a second, overwhelmed by the extensive evidence Reiji had given him. Gradually he regained his angry, infuriated mood though and began with his counter. "Nonsense! My son even confirmed that the attacker was Yuya Sakaki! He is guilty of the assault, and no ominous Xyz-User of the likes you've mentioned!" He shot back.

Reiji scowled. "Yuya Sakaki would never do something like this!" He retorted angrily, insulted that not only his own evidence was ignored, but also the legacy of Yusho Sakaki, a man he admired a lot, was getting besmirched by the mayor's words. Furio Sawatari flinched for a second before resuming to his previous behavior.

"But I don't think so! I'm just having the feeling that he was the culprit with every fiber of my being!" The mayor retorted.

Reiji sighed. "I see that I cannot change your mind. I wish that you and your son Sawatari were more like your elder son Shisui, you could really learn a thing or two from him. He is not only doing great in school at our elite facility in the United States, but also more reasonable than you and your other son." He stated. "But anyway, I'm not taking any moves against Yuya Sakaki. Have a nice day, Mayor Sawatari!" Reiji addressed the man, gesturing his assistant Nakajima to lead the mayor out of his building.

"This isn't over yet, Akaba! That brat Sakaki is going to pay for what he did to my son! That's a promise!" Furio Sawatari cried out indignantly as he left Reiji's office.

"What a troublemaker!" Reiji murmured to himself once he was alone again, returning his attention to the card he had received from Yuga.

* * *

 _On the streets of Maiami City..._

"Okay then! A new day, a new match! I better hurry up so I can get it done quickly!" Yuya exclaimed as he was heading for the next dueling location, Clarity Dueling School. Meanwhile a figure who had been shouting loudly at a trio of LDS Students spotted him.

"Wait, is that person over there Yuya Sakaki?" Furio Sawatari wondered, looking over to the other side of the street. His eyes widened. "He is!" The man stated, getting pissed once more. He then addressed the LDS Students again, commanding them to chase after Yuya. After a while they hesitantly obeyed.

"Stop right there, criminal! Atone for the sins you have committed against my dear boy Shingo!" The mayor cried out as he and the students chased after the red and green haired male.

"Sins? I have done nothing against him, if you're referring to the whole assault topic! If anything, he has done something against me when he put Yuzu and all the kids in danger!" Yuya shouted back, looking over his shoulders as he ran away.

" **LIES!** I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOU ATTACKING AND THEN DISAVOWING MY SON! _**GET HIM!**_ " Furio Sawatari yelled in response.

"Fuck! Why must every recent day be so full of action and utter mess?! I just want a day with a relaxed, normal match! Is that to much to ask for?!" Yuya cried out in exasperation as he took a turn to the right into an alleyway. To his surprise someone was already standing there, being none other than Shun in his disguise.

"LDS, huh? Let me deal with this problem then!" Shun spoke up as he eyed the badges the three students chasing after Yuya wore.

"Who are you?" Yuya addressed Shun as he came to a halt after running past him. Shun didn't respond, but activated his duel disk instead.

Mr. Sawatari looked at Shun in surprise before his expression turned furious again. "Whoever this guy is, if he's protecting Yuya Sakaki he must be an accomplice of him! Beat him already!" He commanded the three males in front of him.

"Hey, could this be the culprit for the two assaults on the LDS staff?" One of the students wondered.

Another nodded. "Quite likely. We should better beat him then!"

"Yeah, let's take out that guy!" The third declared, activating his disk alongside the two others.

Yuya watched as three majorly powerful monsters were summoned to the field by the LDS Students. He didn't know whom he should root for, the three students that were after him or that mysterious stranger. He was awoken from his daydreams as he felt a sudden gale. As he looked back to the duel, the silhouette of Raidraptor – Rise Falcon was just in front of him, enveloped by a strong whirlwind. It then attacked all three monsters, wiping them out with ease and sending the duelists and Yuya flying. Furio Sawatari also took his leave at that, fleeing in terror. As Shun was about to press the button on his disk to card the three students, a sudden thought pushed itself into his mind.

" _What do you think Ruri would think of you? She was always pacifistic, so there is no way she's going to approve of your current ways of carding innocents! Could you stand Ruri ignoring you and giving you the cold shoulder for your deeds once we have saved her again? Could you?!"_ He heard Yuto's words inside of his mind. Shun cursed before he lowered his disk again, simply leaving the area with the students still lying on the ground. After a while they came to themselves again, leaving the area as well. Shortly after Nico Smiley arrived at the scene.

"Hey, get up, Mr. Sakaki! Your next match is starting shortly!" He called out to the male who had landed atop of a trash container due to the blasts of wind sending him flying there. "Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't take a nap in a place like this!" Nico added.

Zarc appeared and grinned as his fragment left the container with an embarrassed expression on his face. _"Looks like the trash found his home!"_ He stated in a derisive tone before vanishing. Yuya and Nico went to Clarity Duel School after that.

* * *

 _Clarity Duel School, a few minutes later..._

"Wow, this place is... interesting." Kumo stated, sweat dropping. "And not in a good way!" She added after a while.

Yubi nodded, sitting somewhere in the spectator ranks. "Yeah. This is not only a place of knowledge, this is a place of absolute nerds!" He remarked, sheepishly looking around him as he was sitting amidst all the Clarity Duel School Students. He then redirected his attention towards his counterpart on the dueling field. "Although I have to admit that Yuya sits on the other end of the line! No knowledge whatsoever!" He stated, observing how the green haired male got question after question wrong.

"You have to give him though that his opponent took advantage of his weaknesses, choosing math questions, a subject where Yuya isn't very good." Kumo chimed in.

Yubi nodded. "But he still could have paid a more attention in class." He retorted.

Kumo nodded. "Oh yeah, most definitely!" She agreed, Yuya getting another quiz question wrong at that.

"But even if he lacks knowledge, his dueling skills can still help him to win this duel. He is my counterpart after all, so I'm rooting for him." Yubi said. "Plus that Eita is an arrogant nerd, so I hope that he doesn't win!" He added after a second. Yuya picked up an Action Card at that.

"Quiz Action! Question! The genre is Math for 200! There are two dice and you roll a six on the first one. What's the probability that the other roll is also a six?" The Quiz Master A.I. stated.

"Uhm... there are two sixes so... 12 times!" Yuya cried out. The error message popped up and he lost another 200 lifepoints at that.

"Okay, I have to draw a line here!" Yubi suddenly exclaimed, visibly agitated by this response. "First, where the hell have you been when you had Statistics in school, Yuya?! A probability can never – NEVER! – be higher than one as one is equivalent to 100 percent when referring to probability! An event cannot happen more than without fail! Second of all, if you roll two separate dice, the result of the first doesn't influence the result of the second, so don't you dare to add up the two sixes like that! The right answer is one fucking sixth – or roughly 16.67% if you want to express it that way!" He cried out in exasperation, even his stoic mask being shattered from the sheer stupidity visible in front of him.

"Relax, Yubi! I'm halfway to getting eye cancer as well, but still. It's not his fault that he isn't good at math." The girl defended Yuya.

Yubi took a heavy breath. "You are right, I suppose. Sorry, I just couldn't help but feel annoyed. Do you know the feeling when you think that if you were in another person's situation, you could do all the things right which that person got wrong?" He asked his girlfriend.

Kumo nodded. "I know how you feel. Don't worry, Yuya will win this even without getting all the answers right." Kumo reassured him.

"I hope so. He still has chances to turn this duel around." Yubi said before Eita, standing atop of a huge question mark block that were part of the Action Field, rose up a shining card.

"The heaven of all forms of knowledge! Guide the witless to hell! Quiz Frontier: Extra Stage!" He cried out as the surroundings transformed into a Quiz Dungeon with Yuya and Eita sitting in mine carts driving down a railroad with Quiz Traps on it.

"Or not..." Yubi continued, sweat dropping at this rather unlucky development for his counterpart.

Yuya proceeded to get questions wrong, being electrocuted, spun around as the track transformed into a roller coaster, being tickled by several robotic arms, driving through a mud pit and lastly being frozen solid, his lifepoints dropping to 300 in the process. Meanwhile Eita got all questions right, eclipsing Yuya with a staggering amount of 6300 LP. From there on, Yuya started his counterattack, Pendulum Summoning his ace Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon plus a few Performapals.

"Whip Viper attacks Quiz Monkey!" Yuya cried out, his monster starting its assault at that.

"I activate Quiz Monkey's effect! When this monster battles, the opponent must answer the following question: How many "Quiz"-Monsters will remain on the field at the end of the Battle Phase?" Eita shouted in response.

"This time I'll definitely get it right!" Yuya exclaimed in enthusiasm. "The answer is ZERO! Go, Whip Viper! Destroy Quiz Monkey!" He commanded his monster.

"Too bad, but that won't be happening! Quiz Sphinx's effect! Once per turn, when a "Quiz"-Monster is attacked, the opponent must answer: Which monster on the field has the highest level?" Eita asked.

"Huh?" Yuya cried out in surprise.

"If you answer correctly, that monster will be destroyed and its controller will take damage equal to its ATK!" Eita went on. "If you answer incorrectly, the Battle Phase ends!" He finished with a victorious smirk on his face.

"So if I don't want to lose, I have to answer incorrectly?" Yuya debated with himself.

Yubi nodded. "Yes. Sometimes being stupid is the smarter move." He commented.

"It's... Quiz Monkey..." Yuya grudgingly replied, accepting that he had to look stupid in order to remain in this duel, taking aside his pride.

Eita let out an obnoxious laugh before he responded. "I knew it! Of course you'd take that answer! Too bad, since you were wrong, the Battle Phase ends! It was to be expected that someone as stupid as you would answer incorrectly!" He declared, spreading his arms melodramatically as he mocked Yuya.

"Being smart is one thing, but being a total nerd is another! This dude cannot stop rubbing his intellect into everyone's faces! How annoying!" Yubi commented, looking at Eita in disdain.

Kumo hummed. "Yeah, that guy is surely too focused on his precious knowledge."

"And now that the Battle Phase is over, my Quiz Monkey's effect triggers!" Eita continued. "You said zero, but there are still two "Quiz"-Monsters on the field! Meaning I can now destroy one of your monsters and assimilate my Quiz Monkey's ATK with that monster! I destroy Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and make my Quiz Monkey's ATK 2500!" Eita declared, his monster powering up at that. Yuya then took a few precautions against the next turn by setting three cards face-down. Subsequently Eita started his own offensive, forcing Yuya to use several traps.

"Now end this, Quiz Sphinx! Direct attack on Yuya Sakaki!" Eita cried out, his monster firing the final attack of the duel.

"Action Trap activate!" Yuya cried out in response, using a Quiz Action Card of the value 5000.

"What?! For five thousand?! This question must be on expert – no, not even that – level! How can he hope to get this one right?!" Kumo exclaimed in shock.

"Quiz Action! Question: Prove Fermat's Last Theorem!" The Quiz Master A.I. stated.

"Well, that's one hell of a question! Fermat's Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b and c satisfy the equation "a to the power of n plus b to the power of n equals c to the power of n" for any integer value of n greater than 2. Proving it is a true masterpiece of an accomplishment. I could, but I highly doubt that Yuya can answer something so complex if he's already underwhelming at basic math." Yubi commented.

"Wait, isn't Yuya bad at math?" Ayu spoke up.

Tatsuya nodded. "Yeah, so he must either have a really good plan or just be very desperate if he takes such a difficult question."

" _Man, looks like my fragment inherited more than just some of my looks, ideology and a dragon from me! Math, disgusting!"_ Zarc remarked in disdain.

"What will he answer?" Kumo wondered. Yuya's next words made things clear to her.

"I don't know." The green haired male simply stated.

"What?! But then he loses!" Kumo exclaimed in terror.

Yubi merely smirked. "Just watch! I sense that our friend has a really great plan up his sleeve!" Yubi reassured his girlfriend.

"Trap card open! Comeback Performance – Reborn Force! In a turn where a Performapal is destroyed, I can reflect damage to my opponent once! Furthermore when this card is activated during the Battle Phase, it is ended!" Yuya cried out.

"What?!" Eita exclaimed in surprise before a barrage of numbers hit him.

"He's using the high effect damage and redirecting it at his opponent! Man, 5000 damage just like that! And he also ended the Battle Phase! A really great move!" Kumo praised Yuya's combo.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah. Skill is still superior to knowledge. Theory-crafting is good, but being able to use it practically is better." He remarked before a grin crawled onto his face. "Of course if you are both smart and a good duelist like me, you become even stronger than that." He added mischievously.

Kumo grinned. "Still the same old proud Yubi, aren't you?" She said in a jocular tone. "But you have a point there, you are indeed still far above Yuya for instance when it comes to both dueling and knowledge. I mean, you trashed Yugo in one turn and that guy is most certainly a better duelist than Yuya as of now." She told.

The duel went on for a while longer. During his next turn Yuya broke through Eita's defenses despite obnoxious quiz questions, ending the duel with his Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon.

"And skill wins yet again." Yubi remarked as the duel ended, leaving the Duel School with Kumo at that.

* * *

 _A few minutes later, outside Clarity Duel School..._

"Come on, where are you?" Yuya murmured, looking around. His eyes widened in joy as he saw a female approaching, running towards her. "Oh, there you are! How is your Fusion Summoning going? Have you learned more about it yet?" He asked as he and Yuzu met, leaving the place and beginning to walk through the city at that.

She nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm much closer to mastering it now!" She responded. _'And to defeating Masumi Kotsu!'_ She added in her thoughts. "Anyway, from your beaming smile I figure you won your duel as well, right?" She inquired.

Yuya nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I did! Even if it was full of stupid math questions! Out of all things my second qualification match is a Quiz Duel! Such a drag!" Yuya complained.

"Well, you should have maybe paid more attention in school instead of falling asleep in math class!" Yuzu admonished him.

Yuya sighed. "Guess you have point there." He admitted.

"But anyway, why were you insisting on a meeting so much? I clearly know that it must be more than just celebrating your win in today's duel." Yuzu asked him.

Yuya turned around to her. "Yeah, you are right. I wanted to talk about all those mysterious events that happened during the last few days with you." He said.

Yuzu tilted her head in confusion. "Mysterious events?" She asked before her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you mean...?!" She cried out in shock.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah, everything that happened since you went after Sawatari. Or no, rather everything that happened ever since my duel with Strong Ishijima." He said before his expression became a bit more concerned. "Except if you don't want to. We needn't talk..." Yuya began.

"No! Please let us talk about it! I feel so confused because of it!" Yuzu cried out abruptly, interrupting Yuya and startling the male for a second.

Yuya nodded. "Okay then! So let's just name everything that has happened since then and that was unusual! Let's take turns and I'll start, okay? My monsters transforming into Pendulum-Monsters!" He stated.

"Right, that was surely weird and I have no explanation for that as well. Anyway, that mysterious guy with a dragon reminding me of your Odd-Eyes!" Yuzu said.

"Wait, he has a dragon too?!" Yuya inquired in surprise.

Yuzu nodded. "Yeah, and it was this very dragon that sent Sawatari to his defeat and destroyed that storage hall in the harbor." She replied.

"Okay, I understand. Anyway, my turn again! People randomly accusing me of attacking Sawatari! But I guess now that I know about that stranger we know who the real culprit was!" Yuya remarked.

Yuzu nodded. "Yeah, sorry for not defending you against the claims of LDS. I was just too confused because the strange guy had the same face as you do." She apologized.

Yuya looked shocked again. "Wait, he has the same face as I do?! For real?!" He asked.

Yuzu nodded once more. "Yeah, he has. I guess that's why everyone was suspecting you as the culprit."

Yuya hummed. "Makes sense. Anyway, it's your turn!"

"Right! Reiji running off during the duel!"

"Yeah, that was strange indeed. Talked about an emergency. Anyway, my turn again! That girl who defended the stranger! The whole story with those two, Sora, you, Masumi and me in the harbor to be honest!" Yuya spoke up again.

"Yeah, that was weird for sure. Not only how Sora acted, chasing after the guy in the hall for a while with some pretty expressive acrobatic skills if I do say so myself, but also the way they behaved! He and that stranger seemed like enemies, for whatever reason that is. And the way they used their duel disks as weapons! And then also this girl who had like a lightsaber or something along the lines of that, blocking Masumi's duel disk blade as she went for the stranger." She narrated. "Also it somehow felt like looking into a mirror when I gazed at that girl, kinda how I felt when looking at that stranger who looks like you." Yuzu added.

"Really? Then this could mean that you have such a double as well!" Yuya pointed out.

Yuzu gasped in realization. "You are right! There is indeed a chance for that if you have a doppelganger of your own already! Anyway, my turn! When you arrived there and also on other occasions before and after that day, my bracelet shone. Whenever you came in, the stranger was gone."

Yuya deliberated. "I think I know how that bracelet of yours works." He stated after a while.

Yuzu perked up. "Really? Then tell me, please!" She demanded.

"Okay, Yuzu. But promise me to not ridicule my theory, it's quite bizarre to be honest." The boy retorted.

Yuzu nodded. "I promise to not laugh about it. Now tell me already!" She commanded him.

"Well, you said that the guy vanished whenever I came, right?" Yuya asked.

"Yeah, every time you arrived my bracelet shone in a pink light and when it subsided the guy was gone." Yuzu confirmed.

Yuya hummed. "Then it might be true after all. You see, I believe that your bracelet is like a radar for me and that stranger. Whenever I come near you while you are together with that guy he somehow gets teleported away. I know it sounds crazy and surreal, but up until now this theory makes sense, doesn't it?" He asked her.

Yuzu put a finger onto her chin. "Well, I figure you're right. But it really is unusual. A bracelet which I have since my very birth – according to my father that is – plus the ability to warp other people away." She remarked.

Yuya nodded. "It sure is unusual, but not more unusual than getting new cards or having your cards transform outta nowhere in the middle of a duel." He responded. "Or being born with an ornate P of black color on your back!" Yuya added.

"Yeah. I guess we're both weirdos, aren't we?" Yuzu stated in a jocular tone.

Yuya laughed. "I guess so! And thank you for the conversation, I haven't spent a lot of time with you lately, so I'm very thankful for you meeting me after my duel today!" Yuya thanked her.

"Oh, no problem! If anything I have to thank you, I feel much better now that I have excessively talked about all those weird events with someone else who actually believes and understands me!" She replied, smiling at him warmly.

Yuya laughed. "Anytime again, Yuzu!" His tone then became a bit more sheepish as he remembered Sora's words about the mysterious male trying to steal his crush and making her his own. "Can we hold hands, please? I would feel better in this current situation of inexplicable events if I had a friend like you right by my side, you know, so I don't have to go through all those mysteries alone..." He uttered, slightly blushing in nervousness and embarrassment as he brought up a pretext in order to make his first step out of the friendzone.

Yuzu blushed as well, averting her eyes and looking downwards for a while as she pondered. "Well, I think you being closer to me should definitely make things easier. Then I won't be alone when the next unusual event happens." She replied.

"Exactly!" Yuya cried out, relieved that the first step had succeeded. "So shall we do it?" He asked sheepishly, knowing that this was the final question for the first step on his way to a relationship with Yuzu.

Yuzu turned around to him and nodded. "Okay." She quietly responded, approaching his left hand with her right one bashfully. Yuya shifted his own hand closer to hers as well at that. They met in the middle, both of them slightly wincing as their hands touched. They continued walking down the streets casually, except that now instead of walking alone, they were holding hands. Both Yuya and Yuzu remained silent on the outside, but on the inside, things were much different.

' _Oh my god, it's really happening! I'm really holding hands with Yuzu! That stranger stealing her away from me?! Over my dead body, Sora! This has to be the best day of my life so far!'_ Yuya cheered internally, not believing his luck.

Yuzu faced a very similar situation inside of her mind. _'You did it, Yuzu! You brought up the courage to take the first step! Now you just need to advance slow- and carefully and in no time you will be his actual girlfriend! I'm so happy right now, I don't even have words for it!'_

The both of them kept on walking, a beaming smile crawling onto their faces as the two teens went through the streets of Maiami City together.

"By the way, I only like you as a friend." Yuya clarified after a while of silence.

"Aw, thanks." Yuzu replied. "I'd also like to clarify that I like your dueling abilities and not you in any romantic way."

Zarc facepalmed as he appeared in his spectral form, Ray joining in as well, rolling her eyes.

"What has the trancendent race become? Are we a joke to you?" Zarc stated in exasperation.

* * *

 _Somewhere else in Maiami City..._

"Oh, look who it is! Yubi and Kumo are back from the duel! Say, how was it? Did he win?" Yuga exclaimed as he saw the two members of his group approaching.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, he won. And it was pretty entertaining as well. Though it was admittedly a pain to watch how many of those quiz questions my counterpart got wrong." He replied.

"Well, good to hear that he prevailed even without major knowledge! Anyway, what should we do now?" Shiryu spoke up.

"Well, we can scout the city as a group, right?" Ruri remarked.

"Yeah, aside from that there is not much too do!" Rin chimed in.

"Okay, guys! Then let's just keep an eye out for irregularities and have a little bit of fun in the meantime!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Sounds great!" Kumo agreed.

Shiryu nodded. "Yeah, it's almost noon, so let's just scout for a bit and then eat lunch somewhere nice!" She suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds amazing!" Ruri cried out enthusiastically.

The group began moving again at that, advancing through the alleyways of Maiami City. Suddenly Yuga came to a halt, raising up a hand to prompt his team to stop as well.

"What's wrong, Yuga?" Shiryu addressed him in a confused tone.

"I hear someone, Shiryu." He retorted, looking at the end of the alleyway where said thing took a turn to the right.

"Oh, you're right, now I also hear the steps. Probably just a random pedestrian walking through the desolate alleyways as well." The azure and white haired girl stated.

Yuga shook his head. "No, there is something unusual with those steps. From the sound of them it's two people we're talking about. And somehow I have a really weird feeling about those people."

Shiryu's expression changed abruptly. "Damn, now I feel it as well! It feels like something strangely familiar, yet there is also something odd about it!" She stated.

The persons in question walked closer and took a turn to the left, coming into the troupe's field of vision as they entered their alleyway. Not even half a second after catching sight of them, Yuga's eyes widened in realization, letting out a warning scream of moderate volume.

" **Hide, guys! Quick!** " Yuga exclaimed hectically. Both Shiryu, Yubi and Kumo reacted to him, hastily hiding behind a trash container at the right side of the alleyway. Meanwhile Rin and Ruri were too shocked and surprised, incapable of reacting and frozen stiff. They gazed at the two approaching people who now caught sight of them as well.

"Hey Alexandra, look! There are two people over there!" A green and orange haired male exclaimed, pointing at the two girls. The yellow and red haired female next to the boy nodded.

"Yeah, kinda unusual in such a remote alleyway! Hail Quetzalcoatl over there!" She greeted the two other girls. As Rin and Ruri didn't respond, too aghast from seeing two more counterparts that weren't supposed to exist since they didn't know about the Paragon-Dimension, Alexandra continued. "No greeting back? How rude! The people in this place seem to lack manners!" She murmured in an insulted fashion.

"Wait, are these counterparts?! But how?! They are neither the Standard-Counterparts nor the Fusion-Counterparts!" Shiryu whispered in shock, not believing the sight in front of her eyes as she peeked around the container.

Yuga nodded. "Maybe there are even more dimensions then. Link was already very remote and separated from the others, only reachable from Gishiki, so this might be another dimension where such a thing is the case. An even more remote one." He theorized.

Yubi nodded. "Quite likely. Meaning there are at least seven dimensions and fourteen counterparts then." He stated.

"Yeah, we must never forget that there might be even more unexplored worlds out there." Kumo agreed.

"Alexandra, is it just me or do these girls remind me of you? They even have a bracelet of the kind you have!" Yuji pointed out, looking at Rin's green-gemmed and Ruri's amber-gemmed jewelry.

The yellow and red haired girl with the brown-gemmed bracelet nodded. "Yeah, indeed!" She then gave the two girls an intense stare. "Who are you?! Why do you look like me?!" She questioned them.

The girls were still shocked and stiff from the most recent development. Eventually Rin regained some momentum and responded.

"I don't know why we should tell about about this!" She shouted back at her Paragon-Counterpart.

"Yeah! And you also have no right to treat us like that! You should be more polite towards strangers!" Ruri chimed in, criticizing Alexandra about her harsh tone.

Yuji frowned, reaching for the handle of his blade and drawing it from his back, activating it in the process. "Watch your tongue! I don't know who you are, but most likely the ones who disturb the peace in the whole macrocosm, so shut up before we're bringing you to justice! If you continue disrespecting the High Priestess, you will soon taste my blade!" He shouted at them, smirking deviously. Rin and Ruri shuddered, not only from the light green Kryo-Blade directed at them, but also from his sexually suggestive undertone in the last sentence.

Alexandra sighed. "Cut out the innuendos, Yuji! We will surely not defile anyone, even if they are the mortal enemy we are supposed to defeat!" She admonished him.

"But why?! That's such a waste, they are way too hot to just leave them alone after beating them!" Yuji protested, causing the green and the lilac haired girl to blush in a rather awkward manner as the male from the Paragon-Dimension both praised their looks and announced that he planned on violating them in one and the same sentence.

Alexandra scowled. "I said... NO... FUCKING... RAPE! Where have your morals gone, Yuji?! Defeating our enemy is one thing, but committing sins is another! You are the Messiah of Quetzalcoatl, so behave already!" She shouted at him.

"Our enemies act immorally, so I see no point in not doing the same! Did you already forget that nobody can supervise us anymore?!" He retorted to her.

"No, but even if, I will still obey the majority of our laws and customs! Stop being such a fucking pervert already and remember your piety, Yuji!" Alexandra shot back.

Yuji scoffed. "I feel like your problem isn't that I want to violate these girls or the laws, I think your problem is that I'm showing interest in other girls than you! You're jealous, Alexandra!" He threw back at her.

Alexandra huffed in indignation. "What in Quetzalcoatl's name has jealousy to do with rape?! You're spouting nonsense, Yuji!" She countered.

"No, you're spouting nonsense!" Yuji retorted in a defiant tone, the both of them turning away from each other at once with an upset huff.

Shiryu sweat dropped. "Wow, these counterparts of us really seem to like arguing." She stated awkwardly.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah. The guy, Yuji from the looks of it, seems to be a pretty straightforward person with a rather direct and liberal way to think and talk about sexual topics. A straightforward pervert so to speak." He then chuckled. "Man, that guy somehow reminds me of myself! If I was more perverted, I'd probably be that guy! Geez, even with that taint he seems really sympathetic to me, not gonna lie!" He stated in a jocular tone.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah. And I somehow doubt that he is seriously planning on violating Rin and Ruri. He just saw two hot girls and wanted to talk about them. It even looks like he just wanted to start an argument with his friend." He theorized.

Kumo nodded. "Yeah. They both seem upset, but I somehow doubt that they really are." She said.

Yuji turned around to his girlfriend again, Alexandra doing the same. Gradually a grin formed on their faces as they looked at each other again.

"Alexandra..." Yuji began, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yuji..." Alexandra retorted, smirking back at him. They made a short pause and then yelled in unison.

-"THAT WAS AWESOME!"- They shouted together. Both Rin and Ruri looked utterly confused at that.

"I knew it. It was just an excuse." Yubi murmured to himself.

"Man, that was amazing! We seriously did it, Alexandra! We had our first public conversation where we argued with each other!" He cheered enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Finally we could do something different than just saying stuff like "I hope you've had a good day so far, High Priestess Alexandra", "Of course, Lord Yuji" or "My kindest apologies, but I must disagree, High Priestess Alexandra"! We actually had a public, heated argument! Oh my Crimson Dragon, in Tenoch City they'd chop off your head if you ever argued with me like that!" She laughed.

Yuji nodded with a beaming smile on his face. "Yeah! Finally we're away from all those rules! Thank Quetzalcoatl for that!" His expression turned serious again afterwards. "But for real, these girls over there are really hot, even if I wouldn't rape them of course! I still have my standards and committing such crimes is surely none of them!" He declared, both Rin and Ruri letting out a quiet sigh of relief at that.

Alexandra nodded. "Yeah, they are surely something to look at. But of course I knew that you wouldn't do anything like violating innocent girls, even if they were with the enemy. I just wanted to have an argument with you in front of other people. It feels so liberating to be able to do that at last!" She exclaimed.

Yuji nodded in agreement. "Definitely! Anyway, you two over there!" He abruptly addressed Rin and Ruri, startling them. "You're going to duel us now! Once we're done with that, me and Alexandra will decide what we want to do with you afterwards!" He announced before looking sideways and whispering to his girlfriend. "And Alexandra, can I carry them on my shoulders if we have to move them somewhere else after we defeat them?" He addressed her.

Alexandra sighed lightly. "For Crimson Dragon's sake, you could simply say that you want to touch those girls' butts instead of naming a pretext, Yuji! But fine, you may do this if you want it so much, you incurable pervert!" She stated in a tone of slight exasperation.

"Woohoo! Thanks a lot, Alexandra, you're the best!" Yuji cheered enthusiastically, launching at the female and hugging her in gratefulness.

Alexandra deadpanned, sighing again as she looked away from the male who was clinging to her in affection, gazing sideways in vicarious embarrassment.

Rin looked at the male with an expression halfway in between interest and awkwardness. _'This guy somehow reminds me of Yugo. Says what's on his mind without thinking, rather loud mouthed, but still really sympathetic and different on the inside than he seems when only looking on the outside. He's way more straightforward when it comes to sexual topics though.'_ The green haired girl deliberated. Despite her best efforts a thought crept into her mind after that. _'Geez, even with all of his inappropriate behavior and statements I cannot help but feel like this guy, in his own unique way, is the most adorable, cutest boy I've ever seen!'_ She went on in her mind.

' _Wow, this guy is surely something else than all of his counterparts!'_ Ruri contemplated. _'But even if he's breaking more than one manner with his behavior, he still doesn't seem like a bad person to me.'_ She thought.

"I see. From what I can tell these people come from a place with rather strict rules, hence why they are enjoying their freedom so much right now. They also seem to be part of some religious group since the girl has the title of a high priestess. And the deity they pray to must be known as Quetzalcoatl and be a crimson colored dragon as she wears a necklace and earrings with a red dragon motive and they always replace the word "God" with either "Quetzalcoatl" or "Crimson Dragon" when they use classic phrases like "Oh my god"." Yubi spoke up from the hideout behind the container.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah. Furthermore they both seem to have a sense of piety, albeit the girl is a lot stricter regarding it. My counterpart Yuji looks like the likable kind of pervert while Alexandra is the pious high priestess who admonishes him to not overdo it, but tolerates his quirks to some decree at least. What an interesting couple!" He stated.

Shiryu nodded. "Definitely! Also the guy has a Kryo-Blade, did you see that?" She asked the rest.

Kumo hummed. "Yeah. And he seems really good at using it as well. However, I wonder about a few of their words. They talked about a mortal enemy of Quetzalcoatl, someone who disturbs the peace in the macrocosm. Could that mean they know about Academia in their isolated world then?" She pondered.

"Possibly." Yubi agreed. "From the looks of it they believe that Rin and Ruri are their enemies. They are most likely confused about the whole counterpart-stuff and suspect them as their foes as a result. People are often repelled by strange things, so the shared looks between our girls and Alexandra might have pushed them into believing they were those disturbers of the macrocosm then." He remarked.

"That's a good theory, Yubi! Yes, I also think that the similarities confused them, resulting in the things you've just mentioned. They seem to have no concrete idea about who their enemies are, so they jumped to conclusions and think of Rin and Ruri as the problem instead of Academia. It's just a big misunderstanding so to speak." Yuga told.

Shiryu nodded. "Yeah, I'm agreeing with you two, everything seems to hint at that circumstance." She chimed in.

"My words exactly." Kumo concluded before they resumed their attention to the events once more, Yuji speaking up again.

"Alexandra, is it just me or do you also feel a few other people nearby aside from those girls?" He addressed his girlfriend.

Alexandra looked surprised before she clenched her facial muscles, focusing on something. "You're right, there seems to be something indeed!" She spoke up.

"Shit, can they sense our presence or something?!" Yuga murmured in shock before addressing Yubi. "Activate the Vanisher, please!" He told him hastily.

Yubi nodded. "Right on it!" He said, the force field surrounding them not long after.

"Strange, the feeling vanished. Probably just imagined things then." Yuji said as he lost track of the four counterparts through Yubi's device.

"Yeah, same over here." Alexandra chimed in, also losing the sensation again.

"Great! They cannot sense us under the Vanisher, with whatever power that is! Anyone of you got an idea how they could even detect our presence in the first place?" Shiryu asked the group.

"Well, they have no machines attached to their bodies or something, so I suspect that they have some supernatural powers." Yubi replied.

"Supernatural powers?! How did you come to that conclusion?!" Shiryu asked him in surprise. Yubi was about to answer, but Kumo laid an arm on his shoulder and looked at him in a way that indicated that she wanted to answer on his behalf. Yubi smiled at her, proud that she had found the solution as well, giving her the permission to talk.

"It's obvious, isn't it? The answer is on our wrists." The brown haired girl spoke up, raising up her right arm with the white-gemmed bracelet. "We have glowing bracelets on them and Yuzu's bracelet can even teleport other people away. Hell, we were even born with those things on our wrists from the looks of it! Plus don't forget about Yuga synchronizing with Yuya, the weird state the boys were in at times or those ornate letters they have on their backs!" She pointed out.

Shiryu nodded. "Right. That's all true indeed. As you said there are various things like that. Yuga for instance also has a letter, namely on the exact middle of his back, an ornate G." She retorted.

"Yeah. While I'm kinda proud for it since I'm now part of a family with that letter being the first of their name, it still confuses me as I have no idea where it came from." The blue and gray haired male agreed. "So with such things being real, it could also be possible that these guys know some kind of magical skills or something along the lines of that."

"That was just what I meant, yes." Yubi chimed in. Suddenly his eyes widened as he saw something.

"Yubi? What's wrong?" Kumo asked, wondering why her friend looked so aghast.

Yubi pointed at the end of the alleyway. "Kumo... there!" He whispered speechlessly.

The brown and light blue haired girl obeyed, her eyes widening as well. "What?! Are those two seriously here?!" She murmured in shock.

Yuga nodded, a stern expression forming on his face. "Looks like it. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you our Standard-Counterparts, Yuya Sakaki and Yuzu Hiragi!" He exclaimed, gesturing dramatically at the two persons at the end of the alleyway.

"Shit, Yuzu's bracelet will cause trouble again if I leave it unjammed! I better launch the temporal bracelet seal then!" Yubi exclaimed, firing a beam from his revolver at that. It pierced through the Vanisher and hit the girl's bracelet on the other side of the alleyway, a yellow seal forming on its gem. Yuya seemed to realize their situation at that.

"Wait, why are there so much people in this secluded alleyway?" Yuya wondered as he caught sight of the four counterparts visible to him, coming from the exact same alleyway as the Paragon-Counterparts had before.

Yuzu's eyes widened after a second. "Wait, are those people over there looking like us?!" She murmured in terror, pulling Yuya back at that in order to hide themselves. Yuya looked startled, addressing her indignantly shortly after.

"Hey, what was that for, Yuzu?! I'm pretty sure I did nothing-Mmmph!" He cried out, Yuzu silencing him by putting one of her hands over his mouth.

"Hush! Didn't you see who those people were?!" She warned him in a whispered tone, letting go of him again.

Yuya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No, I did not. Was it important?" He inquired.

Yuzu nodded eagerly. "Definitely! There were three girls having the same face as me and a bracelet! Plus one guy who looked like you!"

Yuya looked shocked. "What?! Are you sure?!" He asked her in disbelief.

Yuzu nodded again. "I am! Just peek around the corner and take a look for yourself!" She replied.

"Okay." Yuya stated in a hushed tone, doing just that. His eyes widened as he gazed upon Rin, Ruri, Alexandra and Yuji. "Wait, you are right! So my theory was correct, there are indeed doppelgangers of you as well! Plus one guy who looks like me! Did you mean two of those four people when you talked about that mysterious stranger and the girl?" He asked the pink haired girl.

Yuzu shook her head. "No, they had different eye and hair colors. The girl who showed up in the storage hall had azure and white, not yellow and red hair. She was also not wearing a white robe or red pants and had golden yellow eyes instead of red ones! I definitely saw that, even behind the girl's sunglasses! The two other girls with their light green hair or dark purple and lilac hair aren't that girl either! And the guy whom I met had lavender and black hair plus gray eyes, not light green and orange hair with brown eyes!" Yuzu denied.

Yuya nodded in understanding. "Then there must be at least two guys who look like me and four girls looking like you. What a confusing and troublesome development!" Yuya remarked before turning around to her again. "So what should we do now? Should we approach them?" He asked his friend.

Yuzu shook her head. "No, definitely not. I'd say we observe what's happening soon from this hideout right here. But stay inconspicuous! We don't want anyone spotting us!" She admonished Yuya.

The green and red haired male nodded. "Okay!" They began peeking around the corner at that, observing the scene with interest.

"Anyway, it's time for a duel now! Are you ready?" Yuji addressed the Synchro- and Xyz-Girl.

Rin shook her head. "No, we aren't! Mainly because we haven't even agreed to a duel!" She cried out in protest.

"Yeah, why do you even want to duel us?" Ruri chimed in with lack of understanding in her voice.

"Well, you're disturbing the peace of the macrocosm, so we have to take you down! Nothing personal, actually I hate defeating cute girls like you! But I have to obey Quetzalcoatl's will, so you'll have to be knocked out! Like I said, just following the rules, nothing personal!" Yuji responded.

"He's right! As the holy crusaders of the macrocosm we will defeat the threat endangering the universe! In the name of the Quetzalcoatl Cult we will bring about your downfall!" Alexandra cried out, pointing at the two other girls with her hand, a determined expression on her face. "The stars tell about chaos and the stars restore order! Amen!" She went on, activating her duel disk at that, a light green blade flashing to life.

"The stars tell about chaos and the stars restore order! Amen!" Yuji repeated after her, readying his duel disk as well.

"What does even make you believe that we are your enemies? Please let's just be friends!" Ruri asked in a pleading tone, her pacifistic mannerism kicking in.

"We believe that you are our enemies because you dare to imitate me, the High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl! So unless you prove yourself by winning, we will regard you as the disturbers of the universal peace!" Alexandra shot back, Ruri flinching at the harsh denial of her offer.

"And if we decline the duel?!" Rin cried out, knowing why they wanted to face her and Ruri, but not finding a reason why she and the other girl should fight them.

"Well, then you will have to face major consequences." Alexandra stated calmly, drawing her Kryo-Blade from the pocket of her robe and activating it, pointing it at her opponents menacingly.

"Yeah! Protest and you will taste my blade!" Yuji chimed in, activating his blade and repeating after Alexandra as well.

Alexandra sighed. "Really, the innuendo again, Yuji?" She addressed her boyfriend.

Yuji grinned back at her in response. "Sorry, couldn't help myself!" He apologized.

Alexandra shook her head. "You are truly beyond help, Yuji!" She sighed.

Yuzu's eyes widened. "Look, Yuya! These blades they have, they are the same as the girl defending the stranger against Masumi Kotsu had!"

"Really?! These things look like lightsabers! What are they?!" Yuya wondered in terror.

"You're not frightening us!" Rin retorted in a defiant voice, still not intimidated by them. Or at least she put up the facade of not being intimidated, in reality she was praying that Shiryu, Yubi or Yuga (even Kumo in her snapped state was fine to her) intervened in time if the Paragon-Counterparts attacked her with their respective Kryo-Blades.

Alexandra raised an eyebrow, a smirk crawling onto her face as she pocketed her Kryo-Blade and put her right arm on her side, facing her Synchro-Counterpart confidently. "Oh, is that so? Then let me show you a little something!" She said before she closed her eyes in a focusing manner. Little cinders began sparking in the air surrounding the yellow and red haired girl. After a moment she abruptly opened her eyes again, shouting something in the process.

" **Divine Spell – Phoenix Blaze!** " Alexandra cried out as a fiery aura of colorful flames flared to life, shrouding her body.

The jaws of all present people dropped, even Yubi's. " **WHAT?!** " Rin cried out, looking horrified. The other girl spoke up again with a victorious grin on her face not long after.

"Impressed? This is my hereditary spell, Phoenix Blaze! My father believes that it is some form of Reikonmadou people are born with!" Alexandra explained.

"Reikonmadou?! What's that?!" Ruri uttered anxiously.

"Wait, you don't know what Reikonmadou is?!" Yuji exclaimed in surprise. "Never heard of Jyujutsu?" He addressed Ruri.

She just shook her head.

"I see! That means that the people in this world don't know about Jyujutsu then! In other words, we have the edge over them in terms of powers!" Alexandra concluded.

Yuzu and Yuya looked shocked in their hideout. "Did they just say 'in this world'?!" Yuya repeated in horror.

Yuzu nodded, terrified by the revelation as well. "They did! And they also have some magical abilities! Oh my god, Yuya, what have we gotten ourselves into?!" She uttered, clutching the sides of her head as her mind was overtaxed by the most recent developments.

Yuya pulled her into a hug to comfort her. "Don't worry, you are not alone with that anymore! I'm here for you now, so we'll be going through this together!" He told her in a soothing voice.

Yuzu smiled. "Thank you, Yuya, that means a lot to me!" She whispered, reciprocating the hug and smiling from his care about her.

Meanwhile Yuji grinned. "Great! So without magic they have to do what we say! Now then, duel us or my girlfriend is going to make you two hotties even hotter by roasting you to crisps! Understood?!" Yuji addressed Rin and Ruri.

They nodded hesitantly, knowing they had to obey. They activated their duel disks at that.

"Splendid! Then let's duel!" Yuji cried out, readying his own disk of green color after putting his Kryo-Blade back to its place.

"Yeah, let us show these people the glory of our world and god!" Alexandra chimed in enthusiastically, also readying her disk, her aura returning to normal again as the flames subsided. The blade of her disk was also green and much like Yuji's the disk had a red main body, depicting an engraved Crimson Dragon on it.

"Okay then! Let the battle beg...!" Rin cried out before halting her sentence, observing how both of the Paragon-Counterparts fell onto their knees in confusion. "Wait, what are you doing?" She asked them in bewilderment.

Yuji and Alexandra didn't respond, but utter something not long after Rin's question, interlocking their hands.

-"Great celestial dragon, hailed be thy name!"-  
-"Thy will shall be done as thou comest from heaven!"-  
-"Thy luminosity will guide us to the righteous path!"-  
-"May the glory of thy scarlet form bath us in holy light!"-  
-"Thou meanderest in the ether and gazest upon our kind!"-  
-"Protect us from darkness and shield us from despair!"-  
-"Thou savest us from the black pits and leadest our souls to salvation and eternal felicity in heaven!"-  
-"All hail thee, oh radiant Crimson Dragon!"-  
-"Immortal be thy splendor and crushed be thy foes!"-  
-"Amen!"-

"A prayer?" Shiryu wondered as they recited it.

Yuga nodded. "Most likely the one of their god."

"Probably. I think they have a custom that tells them to recite it before all of their duels or something, much like the Action Duel Chant here in Standard." Yubi stated.

"That sounds logical and would explain this sudden genuflection followed up by their phrases." Kumo agreed.

The Paragon-Counterparts finished the holy prayer of the Crimson Dragon and stood up again. "Now we can start! Let us crush these nonbelievers and restore peace to the universe! Hail Quetzalcoatl!" Alexandra shouted, readying her disk.

"Yeah! Let's show these chicks our power! Hail Quetzalcoatl!" Yuji chimed in, preparing his disk as well.

"It will be a 2 vs. 2 duel in the Battle Royal Team Mode!" Alexandra went on, announcing the details.

Rin tilted her head in confusion. "Battle Royal Team Mode?" She asked, not having any precise ideas of how such a duel would work.

Alexandra looked surprised. "You don't have that in your world as well? Man, what an underdeveloped world! Having crazy-ass infrastructure, but no clue about Battle Royal Team Mode!" She sighed, closing her eyes in exasperation. Her expression turned serious again after a few seconds. "The Battle Royal Team Mode is a form of Battle Royal where players can take sides. Duelists still have their own hands, decks, fields, graveyards, Banish Zones, Extra Decks and monsters, but the effects of a card can be applied on the cards your teammate controls or on your teammates themselves as well. Meaning if I was attacked by an opponent, Yuji could block the attack with one of his traps for instance, even if its effect required him to be attacked. Understood?" She explained, inquiring if the other girls got the rules now.

Ruri nodded. "So we can help each other and you can do the same, right?" She inquired.

Alexandra nodded. "Yeah! Also one question, what are your names?" She asked.

"Yeah I'd like to know them too!" Yuji chimed in.

Rin looked startled. "But we are your enemies. Why do you want to know our names then?" She questioned.

"Well, where we come from there are morals and customs that oblige us to show kindness and mercy, even to our enemies. Even if they weren't compulsory, I would still act based on them. If you never try to understand your fellow man, there will never be a time when everything is coexisting in harmony. These mantras of understanding and solving conflicts peacefully have led to the formation of the Quetzalcoatl Cult after all, the sole religion in the world we come from. Its doctrines have brought forth tranquility of the soul and world peace – an utopia so to speak –, so if we act based on these ideals here as well, we will surely restore the peace in the macrocosm. So even if you are our enemies we seek to understand you, and since your names would be the point to start with that, we want to know them." Alexandra calmly explained.

Rin looked surprised by this extensive explanation before regaining some momentum and responding.

"Okay, since you have given us your names, it would only be fair if we did the same I guess. My name is Rin." She said.

"And my name is Ruri. Ruri Kurosaki." The other girl added.

"So Rin, Ruri, Alexandra and Yuji. These are their names." Yuzu murmured.

"I see! They are quite good names!" Alexandra retorted. "It will be our honor to defeat you, Rin and Ruri Kurosaki!" The yellow haired girl retorted with a grin on her face, shifting her right arm akimbo again.

Yuji smirked as well. "Totally! For me, it is a huge honor to duel foes like you as well! And it will be an even greater honor once we knock you out and I get to carry you on my shoulders, touching your butts in the process, that's for sure!" He exclaimed, eyeing Ruri after that. "Especially with you! Your ass is mine, Ruri!" He declared, grinning both in a confident and perverted manner.

Ruri looked startled and slightly grossed out by the admittedly unusual declaration. _'Wow, this guy is so goddamn straightforward that I wonder why he didn't get slapped by someone yet.'_ Just as the girl thought that, Alexandra did said thing, Yuji whining briefly as the numb side of the girl's Kryo-Blade hit the top of his head, the yellow haired counterpart of hers admonishing her friend to not overdo it. Then a thought crept into the dark purple haired girl's mind. _'But actually, I prefer someone just directly saying me that he likes my body instead of awkward beating-around-the-bush stuff.'_

"Anyway, we will take turns between our respective teams and no player can attack someone who hasn't had their turn yet. Meaning the player who goes fourth will be the first one to attack both of their opponents. Does this sounds acceptable?" Alexandra spoke up again.

Rin nodded. "Yeah! Now bring it on, I want to fight you already if you force us to duel whether we want or not!" She exclaimed, wanting to get it over with.

"Agreed! Let's start this duel so we can prove you that we are not your enemies!" Ruri chimed in, seeking to change her opponents to have them realize that they had the wrong culprits when they accused them of disturbing the interdimensional peace.

"I will be the judge of that!" Alexandra retorted, readying herself once more.

"That's right! If you can prevail against the force of the Crimson Dragon, we will accept this claim of yours and recognize you as our friends!" Yuji chimed in. "However, that won't happen as all evil falls before the glory of our god! So in the name of Quetzalcoatl, I shall achieve victory and the opportunity to grab your butts! Prepare yourselves, now I will claim both divine glory and two deluxe pieces of ass!" He declared, Alexandra sighing again at that.

"You grabbing my butt?! Not in a billion years!" Rin shouted back.

"Right! We will not lose to you!" Ruri added.

"Then show us already! In the name of the Crimson Dragon let's...!" Alexandra began.

-" **DUEL!** "- All four cried out in unison.

* * *

 **RURI & RIN VS. YUJI & ALEXANDRA**

 **RURI: 4000**

 **YUJI: 4000**

 **RIN: 4000**

 **ALEXANDRA: 4000**

"You can have the first turn!" Yuji announced, pointing over to Ruri who – much like him – stood on the right side of the alleyway. "Then I have the next turn, Rin has the third and Alexandra the fourth! This pattern will then continue until both players of one side have lost! And if someone drops out, the remaining duelist has to continue with the previous turn order minus the lost teammate of course! Deal?" He asked her.

"Deal! My turn!" Ruri cried out in response, starting the duel.

"Hold up, Ruri! First let's build a proper arena!" Rin chimed in, throwing a red cube downwards that shattered on the ground. A red Sphere Field formed around them at that, both of the hidden groups inside it as well, even though it was close.

"What in the Crimson Dragon's name is that?!" Yuji cried out in surprise.

"This is the Sphere Field! It will ensure that nobody on the outside interferes with this duel!" Rin replied.

"Shit! We are trapped!" Yuzu cursed from their hideout as she saw how her way to escape in the worst case scenario got sealed off by the red walls surrounding her.

"I see! It won't help you though! If anything we have to thank you, now you cannot run away for sure! Now continue!" Alexandra responded to Rin before addressing Ruri.

Ruri hummed. "I will, just you wait!" She retorted, beginning to deliberate about her move at that.

"I guess the rest of you gets to see what Ruri is capable of as well, now that she is dueling again. Pay close attention so that you don't miss anything!" Yuga addressed the rest of the squad hiding underneath the Vanisher.

Yubi nodded. "Don't worry, as the strategist and professional duelist I am I will watch each and every of Ruri's moves carefully." He replied.

"And so will I! I'm also curious about what Ruri can do now! After all she would be a person I'd spend a lot of time with in the future if Yuto rejects her and Yuga becomes her fiance as a result." Shiryu chimed in.

"True. But that's highly unlikely from the stories I've heard about Yuto." Kumo added.

Shiryu nodded. "Yeah, but even if he accepts, me and Ruri will still remain very close friends."

"Well, you get along with her pretty well, that's for sure. And having friends from other dimensions after the war is most certainly something desirable." Yuga agreed. "Anyway, pay attention now! Ruri looks like having settled on a strategy and being ready to go!" He cried out, prompting the rest of his team to turn their heads forward again.

' _Since we don't know what strategy our opponents use I will go for a defensive play. Since Assembly Nightingale is my probably strongest offensive tool in terms of raw damage, I will use another monster as a wall!'_ Ruri contemplated before beginning her move.

"I will start my turn by discarding Lyrical Luscinia – Golden Oriole! By doing so I can add a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Monster from my deck to the hand! I pick Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay! Now I summon her!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Copper Jay's effect! Upon her normal summon I can special summon a Lyrical Luscinia from my deck, treating it as if I special summoned her from my hand! Come, Ruby Robin!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And thanks to the interaction between these two monsters, namely that Ruby Robin's effect triggers since she was special summoned from my hand, according to the effect clarification of Copper Jay that treats her like I summoned her from there that is, I can now special summon another Lyrical Luscinia, reviving Golden Oriole from my graveyard!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Golden Oriole_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

"I see! So your specialty is heavy swarming!" Alexandra spoke up, having her right arm akimbo and looking confident as she observed her counterpart's moves. She then turned her head towards Yuji. "If you have any card that limits her summoning possibilities, please deploy it as fast as possible!" She addressed her friend.

Yuji nodded. "Understood!" He responded to her.

"I see. So the girl seems to be the brain of their team. Yuji on the other hand didn't protest at all when she told him about the precautions and countermeasures she developed. Maybe the girl is the real threat then, not the boy. Which is kinda unusual, in most dimensions the male counterpart seems to be the better leader, at least when it comes to dueling." Yubi contemplated.

Yuga nodded. "You're right. I'm also getting the suspicion that the real problem for Rin and Ruri won't be Yuji, but Alexandra instead. Oh well, let's continue observing for now, then we will see whether our theories were true or not!" The squad redirected their attention to the duel at that.

"Now I will overlay my Golden Oriole, Ruby Robin and Copper Jay!" Ruri shouted, her monsters swarming together.

"Overlay? What's that?" Yuji asked in bewilderment.

"Probably something native in this place. Let's just wait and see!" Alexandra addressed her friend who quickly nodded after her statement.

"Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! XYZ SHŌKAN! Sing in the sky! Rank 1! Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling_

 _Wind/Rank 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"Xyz Summon, huh? So is this a summoning method you people from here use?" Alexandra addressed the dark purple haired girl.

Ruri nodded. "Yeah, it is! And ready or not, you are going to face it now!" She declared resolutely.

"Anyway, what's that rank-stuff about? And what are those things circling around your monster?" A confused Yuji spoke up.

"Sorry, not gonna tell you!" Ruri retorted.

Yuji grunted in annoyance. "But why?! It's a common custom of honor in our world to tell your opponent what they're facing! Hiding things is cheap and dishonorable, so spit it out already!" He scoffed at her.

Ruri shook her head again in defiance, the male letting out a hiss of anger at that. Suddenly a female voice distracted him from his wrath.

"Hey, no need to get all worked up Yuji! Don't you see that she is trying to provoke you, prompting you to act irrationally? She wants you to lose your temper! So just calm down and don't let her get under your skin! Remember this: If you stay calm, we're going to win and then you can grope that girl's butt as much as you want for all I care! You just gotta stay focused for that!" Alexandra spoke up.

Yuji looked surprised for a moment as he realized that Ruri's tactic had indeed worked on him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. As he opened them again, a smirked crawled onto his face. "Alright, Alexandra! Thank you for your hint, I will gladly go along with it! I will stay focused and then Ruri's ass will be mine!" He declared.

Alexandra smiled. "That's the spirit! Besides, I have an explanation to your questions as well! From what I can see, these ranks seem to be alternate versions of levels, so maybe cards affecting monster levels won't work on them as a result. And those things circling around her monster must be the materials she used for her Xyz Summon, considering there are three of them and she used three monsters for her Recital Starling. Also, if you look onto her duel disk, I see cards stacked underneath her Xyz-Monster. These must be the materials I think." She then faced her counterpart, shooting her a grin. "Isn't that right, Ruri Kurosaki?" She asked, a smirk forming on her face. Ruri gritted her teeth, her counterpart having told one true fact after the other.

"This stance! How she has her right hand on her hip, just slightly below her white robe! Shiryu also does that pose at times!" Yuga remarked, eyeing her a bit more closely before continuing. "It's a composure that emits confidence and skill! Only somebody aware of one's own power and capability would stand like that! A true natural leader, that's what she looks like to me!" He remarked.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, this is surely a girl who knows that she has huge potential within her and is capable of using it! Plus her intelligence and strategic thinking is admirable as well! She even exploited the fact that her boyfriend has perverted tendencies and used it to her advantage!" The white and black haired male added.

"Wow, this girl is really similar to me! Not only from her looks, since even for counterpart standards she has a lot of my appearance. Her demeanor is so confident, self sufficient and competent! Man, you were right, Yuga, Yubi, this girl might become a real problem if she's as strong of a duelist as she is of a person!" Shiryu chimed in.

Kumo hummed. "Most certainly. I think these guys might be the one dimension where the girl is far more dangerous than the boy." She concluded.

"Anyway, continue your turn please, Missy! I'd like to continue with my holy crusade and Yuji would like to touch your hot butt, so don't let us wait any longer than required!" Alexandra addressed Ruri.

Rin frowned on Ruri's behalf. "How the fuck did you just call Ruri?!" She asked furiously.

Alexandra didn't even raise an eyebrow as she responded, not the least bit intimidated by her Synchro-Counterpart. "I called her a Missy." She repeated. "And I'm going to call her that for the rest of the duel instead of using her name if Ruri is not continuing her turn anytime soon." She announced.

Rin's expression turned even more pissed as she scowled. "You won't! I dare you!" She threatened her, a killer aura forming around her.

Alexandra blinked once. "That was not the answer I was expecting, but oh well." She remarked before raising the fingers of her right hand. "I'm giving Ruri five seconds to continue with her turn or else I will call her and you like that for the rest of the duel, okay?" She announced, beginning to lower her fingers one by one, counting. "5... 4... 3... 2..."

"Okay, fine! I activate the effect of Lyrical Luscinia – Golden Oriole! Since she was used as an Xyz Material, my Recital Starling receives 100 ATK for every rank she has!" Ruri cried out abruptly, grudgingly giving in.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling: ATK 0 → 100_

Alexandra grinned. "See? That wasn't so hard!" She stated, prompting Ruri to grit her teeth as her counterpart had won this verbal exchange.

"Geez, this girl is great! Her pious high priestess persona and her slightly bossy nature of commanding Yuji combined with her bad girl demeanor of messing with others makes such a nice contrast! Plus these beautiful hairs overshadowing all other girls and her respectable... you know what I mean...", Yuga said a bit bashfully, gesturing at his chest, "which makes her second place among the Bracelet-Girls along with Serena brings her even further up in my personal list of the best females out there! Even if she just mocked both Rin and Ruri I cannot help but look at her in wonder!" Yuga cried out.

Shiryu hummed. "Yeah, despite her personal background with those rules and stuff she looks like the kind of girl who let's nobody control her!" She chimed in.

"I'm really seeing some parallels here. You are also pretty hard to control from what I've heard, Shiryu. You only look so obedient all the time because your boyfriend has like a really strong leading personality and therefore dominates your relationship. If you swapped places with Ruri or Rin, Yuto or Yugo would spend their day being ordered around by you." Kumo remarked giggling.

Yubi grinned. "Most certainly. If they were in a relationship, Shiryu would totally wear the britches!" He remarked. Meanwhile the Standard-Counterparts also observed the duel with interest.

"So this Ruri uses Xyz, huh?" Yuya spoke up.

Yuzu hummed. "It would appear so. Let's continue watching, maybe we'll see even more methods then!"

"Okay!" Yuya retorted, resuming to observe the duel at that.

"Now my Recital Starling's effect! When Xyz Summoned, she can grant one face-up monster on the field 300 ATK and DEF for every Xyz Material my Recital Starling has! I target my Starling herself and make her ATK 1000!" Ruri declared.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Recital Starling: ATK 100 → 1000; DEF 0 → 900_

"Next up I will detach an Overlay Unit from her in order to add one level one Winged Beast-Type monster from the deck to my hand! I detach Ruby Robin and add Sapphire Swallow to my hand!" Ruri went on, her hand rising from four to five cards at that.

"I understand. So these orbs circling around her Starling are called Overlay Units and serve as a cost to activate the effect of her monster and to increase one of her monsters' ATK and DEF respectively depending on the number of them." Alexandra debated with herself before speaking up to her friend again. "Hey Yuji, these Overlay Units must be the key to her Xyz-Monsters' powers! Imagine it like a gun and her Overlay Units are cartridges! If she uses all of them and runs out of ammo, her monsters become practically useless!"

Yuji grinned. "Good to know! It's nice that I can always rely on you, Alexandra! You are truly the best!" He thanked his girlfriend.

"Anytime again!" Alexandra retorted.

"This girl seems to be the one organizing their strategy from the looks of it." Yuya spoke up from their hideout.

Yuzu hummed. "Yeah, if you want to defeat those two, you better start with her." She agreed with the green haired male.

"Anyway, I now activate this card!" Ruri exclaimed, holding up a card. "Rank-Up-Magic Luscinia Force!"

"So that's the Rank-Up-Magic you told us about. Let's see how good it really is." Kumo remarked.

Yuga smirked. "Oh, it's plenty of good! Just watch!" He said, addressing the rest of the stealthed group.

"Using it I can rank-up a Lyrical Luscinia by either one or two ranks! I reconstruct the Overlay Network with my Recital Starling!" Ruri announced.

"Rank-Up-Magic?!" Yuya cried out in a shocked tone. "Wait, this reminds me of my match against Hokuto Shijima! He also used an Xyz-Monster to summon another!" He stated.

"Yeah, but he didn't need a spell card for that." Yuzu added.

"Then could this mean... that this kind of increasing a monster's rank is even more powerful than Hokuto's?!" Yuya deliberated in an anxious tone.

"Possibly." Yuzu replied, also getting a little worried about what the two of them had gotten themselves into now.

"Rank-Up-Magic?! What in Quetzalcoatl's name is that shit?!" Yuji cried out in surprise.

"Probably a means to summon a stronger Xyz-Monster, as the "Rank-Up" implies." Alexandra chimed in.

Ruri nodded. "That's right! Now observe how I summon a monster one rank higher than my Starling!" The dark purple haired girl retorted before she began chanting.

"Bird with beautiful wings! Transform on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! Irritate and deceive your enemies! Rank 2! Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo!" She cried out, the white female of ornithological looks with the yellow head crest from the day before appearing once more.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo_

 _Wind/Rank 2/ATK 500/DEF 500/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

-"Amazing!"- Yuya and Yuzu murmured in unison as they observed the arrival of the new monster.

"Her effect! She gains 200 ATK for every Xyz Material she has! With three, that's 600!" Ruri went on.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 500 → 1100_

"Then I place two cards face-down and end my turn! Show me what you got, pervert!" She addressed Yuji.

The green and orange haired male merely chuckled. "Very well, hottie! Prepare to witness what the Messiah of Quetzalcoatl has to offer! And I can promise you that it will definitely not disappoint you! My turn! I draw!" Yuji cried out.

"Now we'll see what dueling style and methods our counterpart uses." Yuga spoke to Yubi.

"I know. It will be very intriguing, that's for sure." He retorted.

"Now then, observe carefully, non-believing chicks! I start my turn by activating **Phantasmal Trade**! By discarding one "Paragon Phantasma"-Monster, I can draw two cards! I dump **Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis** into my graveyard and draw two cards!" Yuji began.

"Paragon Phantasma, huh? I have never heard about such an archetype yet." Yubi murmured.

"Naturally. It's from another world and the archetypes of you boys and us girls are rather unique anyway." Shiryu spoke up.

"That's true. Let's continue observing now." Yuga chimed in.

-"Uh!"- The rest of them cried out.

"Now I play this! The field spell **Phantasmal Paradoxus, the Paragon Realm**!" Yuji went on, a white temple with green gardens appearing at that. It was populated by small dragon-like creatures crawling and flying around all over the place.

"Yuck! What is that little worm?!" Ruri cried out as she looked at one of the small beings which crawled on her right arm.

A vein pulsated on Yuji's forehead. "Worm?! This is not a worm, this is a little wyrm, beings related to the dragons! Don't insult these majestic creatures by acting like they're insects!" He snapped at her.

Both of his opponents looked surprised at that. The one responding to him was not Ruri, but Rin though.

"So do you mean you're playing Wyrm-Type monsters? Aren't they extremely rare? You must be quite the duelist if you have such monsters then." She addressed him.

Yuji's face lit up again at her praise. "Be assured, I am! And to start with my demonstration, I will activate the effect of my Paragon Realm! Once per turn this field spell allows me to pay 1000 lifepoints in order to add a "Paragon Phantasma"-Monster to my hand, either from my graveyard or deck! As I like my Delta Dextronis where he currently is, I pick the deck and search out **Paragon Phantasma – Alpha Astoros**!"

 **YUJI LP: 4000 → 3000**

' _He's paying lifepoints, huh? In this case it will be even easier to defeat him with my burn damage strategy!'_ Rin thought, a devious grin forming on her internal face.

"Then I normal summon him! Show yourself, Alpha Astoros!" Yuji cried out, a white serpentine dragon of about six feet length with golden jewelry meandering around its body appearing. On a golden plate on its forehead it had the Greek letter it was named after, framed by a variety of red gems. Furthermore its eyes possessed a light green color and emitted pride and beauty, emphasizing the wyrm's graceful appearance even further.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Alpha Astoros_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Wyrm/Effect_

"Astoros' effect! Upon summoning him I can search out another Paragon Phantasma from my deck! I'll add **Paragon Phantasma – Beta Basal** to my hand! Furthermore I gain 400 LP from my Astoros' special ability!" He then pointed at his field spell. "Now my Phantasmal Paradoxus, the Paragon Realm kicks in! Whenever I gain LP, I gain 300 more!" Yuji announced.

"So your field spell is like a Dark Room of Nightmares for LP-Gains?" Rin inquired, slightly gritting her teeth as she knew that LP-Gains were the biggest counter to her now almost perfect burn strategy.

Yuji nodded. "Exactly! Hence I not gain 400 LP, but 700 instead!"

 **YUJI LP: 3000 → 3400 → 3700**

"He almost recovered back to normal..." Rin murmured, having bad memories from her duel against Yuto returning to her mind at that.

"And now Beta Basal's effect! I can target one Paragon Phantasma on my field and special summon Basal from my hand! Then I gain LP equal to half of the targeted monster's ATK! Astoros has 1800 ATK, so I now gain 900 LP and Basal joins him! Go, accompany your friend! Also Phantasmal Paradoxus kicks in once more, granting me 300 extra lifepoints!" Yuji cried out, another white serpentine dragon with golden ornaments around its body appearing. On the plate on its forehead it had another ancient Greek letter framed by blue gems, distinguishing it from Alpha Astoros.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Beta Basal_

 _Light/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Wyrm/Effect_

 **YUJI LP: 3700 → 4600 → 4900**

"He's healing even more..." Ruri murmured worriedly.

"Now I'll invest a few of my LP again! By paying 1000 of them while I already control a Paragon Phantasma, I can revive Delta Dextronis from my graveyard up to twice per turn! Come, Delta Dextronis!" Yuji continued, the next dragon having green gems around the letter on its forehead being summoned.

 **YUJI LP: 4900 → 3900**

 _Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis_

 _Light/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1500/Wyrm/Effect_

Yuji eyes widened. "And now it's time! I take my Paragon Phantasma – Alpha Astoros and my Paragon Phantasma – Beta Basal and dissolve them in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" He declared, his monsters vanishing in a similar fashion than monsters that were used as Synchro Material, albeit not even their silhouettes remained. The eight levels of the two monsters aligned in two groups, both of them gradually transforming into protracted rectangles of brown color.

"What's happening?!" Rin cried out in shock, obviously not familiar with this kind of summoning animation.

"The beginning of your end is happening!" Yuji retorted, the brown rectangles fully manifesting at that. They were on the middle zone of Yuji's field, the first of them shielding in the direction of Rin and Ruri while the other pointed to Yuji himself. Suddenly the two shield-like barriers began spinning around clockwise, creating a strong gale whirling around the third Main Monster Zone of Yuji.

"What is this?" Ruri whispered in disbelief of the events happening before her.

"Good question! What's happening there, Yuzu?" Yuya addressed his friend.

She shook her head. "Sorry Yuya, but I have no idea."

"Man, this looks great! That must be another summoning method from their dimension!" Yuga exclaimed underneath the Vanisher.

"Yeah, definitely. Let's wait and see how these monsters are called and how they work." Yubi chimed in.

"Okay! But please hurry up, I'm dying to see one of those monsters!" Shiryu cried out in impatience.

"Same here. I'm really curious about them as well." Kumo added.

Yuji meanwhile looked at Ruri to respond to her question. "You wanna know what this is? Fine Ruri, I will tell you!" He spoke up before he began chanting, the small tornado-like storm still raging.

"Celestial dragon, heroic and divine! Head my cry and descend from the ether! It meanders in the sky! It has the power of our god! It is the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the enforcer of the Crimson Dragon! As it unveils its form and spreads its wings, your punishment draws near! Yield...", Yuji began, stretching out his right arm skywards. His hand was enveloped by a bright glow of green-whitish light as he continued, a smirk crawling onto his face in the process. "...before our radiance!" He declared, a cry echoing from the white clouds that had formed above him.

Alexandra looked over to her friend, observing the summoning process with interest. "It's there." She murmured to herself. "The apostle of Quetzalcoatl."

"Bath them in holy luminescence! It drains the evil from power as it descends from the summit of heaven! Now come forth and let piety and tranquility be victorious once more! Slice and bite the wicked to bits!" Yuji declared, his eyes widening again.

- _'What is he summoning?'_ \- The surrounding people except Alexandra wondered in unison.

" **PARAGON SHŌKAN!** " Yuji yelled at the top of his lungs. " **APPEAR, PARAGON 2! LEVEL 7!** _**RAZOR FANG PARAGON DRAGON!**_" He yelled, a long serpentine dragon of white color and several light green stripes flowing across its main body appearing at that. Its wings were white as well with a few thin brown stripes on them and green gems on top of them, similar to Genesis Omega Dragon's Chūshin-like orbs on its wings. It was really long, its body being slim, but having a length of over sixty feet, eclipsing even Whip Tail and Bile Throat in terms of length. It had relatively small arms and legs and in terms of total body shape it resembled the Crimson Dragon whose messenger it was supposed to be – according to Yuji's words that is. In addition to the green lines running down the entire length of its serpentine body it also had a rack of light green spikes on its back. Its claws and teeth possessed a shiny golden color and looked – true to the dragon's name – razor sharp. Finally its head was rather protracted and had a white color like most of the dragon's body, a few green lines framing the eyes and nostrils in ornate flourishes. Its irises were silver with golden pupils, the scleras around them having a light green color. From the top of its head sprouted a pair of golden antlers. Furthermore it had one long, white colored, flowing tentacle protruding from both sides of its snout area, similar to how cats have whiskers. They were around fifteen feet long and ended shortly after the area of its serpentine torso where the dragon's arms sprouted from. Speaking of its torso, there was a relatively huge gap in between its arms and legs, the dragon bearing a strong resemblance to a Chinese Long, the traditional dragon from that country's mythology. It roared as it descended downwards, its body meandering in a similar fashion than the Heavenly Dragon God of Osiris and shining with a golden glow. The storm died down and the brown barriers stopped spinning, returning to their original position of one of them shielding the newly summoned dragon to the front and one to the back.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon_

 _Dark/Paragon 2/Level 7/Clockwise/ATK 2500/Dragon/Paragon/Effect (U,D)_

"Paragon Summon?! What the hell is that?!" Yuya exclaimed in shock. "Also, why does this counterpart of mine have a dragon as well?! I feel like a victim of copyright infringement at the very moment, not gonna lie!"

"Another method! It's really another method, just like your Pendulum Summon...!" Yuzu murmured in disbelief.

"I see! So these cultists seem to be from a dimension called Paragon then!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Most definitely. I wonder what these brown barriers are there for though." Shiryu chimed in.

Yubi hummed. "Me too. Probably something defensive from the looks of it." He theorized.

"My thoughts exactly." Kumo agreed with her boyfriend.

"Paragon..." Ruri began, aghast of facing another method that shouldn't even exist in the first place according to the information the squad originally had.

"...Summon?!" Rin finished, equally shocked by this development.

"That's right! Using this method I summoned my ace, Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! And you will soon see what he can do! But first the effects of my materials! When my Paragon Phantasmas are used as material for the summon of a "Paragon"-Monster, I gain 300 LP! With Astoros and Basal combined, that's 600!" Yuji declared, raising his hand. "At this moment Phantasmal Paradoxus' effect activates once more! I gain 300 LP whenever a healing effect triggers! Meaning 600 extra lifepoints for me!" Yuji stated.

 **YUJI LP: 3900 → 4200 → 4500 → 4800 → 5100**

"And now the effect of my Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! While my lifepoints are higher than yours, he gains ATK equal to the difference! With both of you at 4000 and me at 5100, that's 1100 ATK for him! Paragon Superiority!" Yuji went on.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 2500 → 3600_

"The second effect of him! While in Up-Position, I can tribute a monster once per turn to gain LP equal to its ATK! I tribute Dextronis and add 1000 LP plus 300 from my Paragon Realm to my counter! As a result my dragon's power rises as well! Paragon Sacrifice!" Yuji cried out as his wyrm dissolved into light, shrouding the male in a white nebula that healed and strengthened him even further.

 **YUJI LP: 5100 → 6100 → 6400**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 3600 → 4900_

"This is slowly getting out of hand..." Rin whispered to herself.

"Next up I will use one of the remaining five cards in my hand! Namely the equip spell **Phantasmal Might**! I can only equip a "Paragon"-Monster with this card! If my lifepoints are higher than my opponent's it gains ATK equal to the difference, meaning the inherent ability of my dragon basically doubles in strength!" Yuji went on.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 4900 → 7300_

"This dragon is crazy! It's already at 7300 ATK!" Yuzu cried out in shock.

Yuya nodded. "Yeah, it is definitely in another class than my Odd-Eyes." He admitted a bit grudgingly.

"Wow, what a beatstick! I wonder what I can do aside from what we've seen already!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Well, I'm more intrigued by what Yuji meant with "Up-Position". It seemed rather important." Yubi spoke up.

"Well, only time will show that I suppose." Shiryu chimed in before they resumed to watching the duel again.

"Now attack, Razor Fang! Show this little birdie who truly rules the skies! At this moment my equip spell triggers! When the monster equipped with Phantasmal Might attacks, I gain 1000 LP! Plus of course 300 from my field spell! Now the other effect of Phantasmal Might and the effect of my dragon increases Razor Fang's ATK even further! Paragon Superiority!" Yuji declared.

 **YUJI LP: 6400 → 7400 → 7700**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 7300 → 8300 → 9300 → 9600 → 9900_

"With that much attacking power your defeat has been decided! Your ass is mine, Ruri! DIVINITY SIPHON STREAM!" Yuji yelled, his dragon firing a white beam of light, the green lines all over its body and the green orbs on its wings glowing brightly while doing so.

"Definitely not! It doesn't matter how strong that dragon is! Mimicry Cockatoo's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit she gains ATK equal to the monster she battles, lasting until the end of this turn! Furthermore I get to add a Lyrical Luscinia from my graveyard or deck to my hand when she inflicts battle damage! Go, Luscinia Imitation!" Ruri cried out as her monster eclipsed the dragon in terms of power.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 1100 → 900 → 10800_

"Her monster went over ten thousand and she countered his assault. Pretty well done on Ruri's side. You were right, Yuga, she is indeed pretty good now." Shiryu remarked as she observed Ruri's counter.

"And now that dragon is gone as well!" Kumo chimed in enthusiastically.

Yuji shrugged his shoulders. "Guess you can't always win. But I don't take anything bad from this short confrontation, so I guess it's fine." He stated in a nonchalant tone.

"What are you babbling about?! Your dragon is toast and so are 900 or your lifepoints! Go, Mimicry Slash!" Ruri yelled, her monster counterattacking as she charged at the dragon with her claws directed at it, splitting the luminous beam in half as she gradually drew nearer. Eventually she made it to the dragon's maw, ready to tear into the head of the white-greenish being. However, just as her claws were about to connect with Razor Fang, a brown barrier manifested in front of the dragon out of thin air, blocking the assault and repelling Mimicry Cockatoo, her owner Ruri looking majorly confused at that.

-"WHAT?!"- Rin and Ruri (and some of the bystanding people in their respective hideouts) exclaimed in unison as they suddenly faced the dragon with two brown barriers surrounding it, one shielding the front of Razor Fang while the other shielded its back. After the former had blocked the assault of Ruri's monster the whole frame that contained the two barriers spun around clockwise by a perfect 90 degrees, the brownish barriers now shielding the left and the right side of the dragon.

"These are those barriers from before!" Rin realized. "But why are they spinning around now?! And why are your lifepoints unscathed and your dragon still on the field?! Can someone explain this to me, please?!" She exclaimed in confusion.

Yuji rose an eyebrow. "You really don't know? It's just the standard Paragon Mechanic. Do you seriously not know how it works?" He addressed her in surprise.

Rin shook her head. "No, I've never seen such a Paragon-Monster so far, so I obviously have no clue about how they work." She replied to him.

As Yuji looked confused about her lack of knowledge, Alexandra spoke up to her boyfriend again.

"I guess these people don't have Paragon here in this world. Maybe it is unique to our world then." She theorized.

Yuji nodded. "Okay, that sounds logical. In that case let me give you a little Paragon 101! Like I said, we people from the Quetzalcoatl Cult value honor very highly, so in order to keep this duel going that way, it's only natural and fair if I explained it to you as keeping things secret is pretty underhanded if you ask me! Paragon Lesson #1!" He began with his explanation, raising a finger into the air. Ruri, Rin and the rest of the observing people turned all of their attention to Yuji as he started his lecture. "First off, the summon and the general details! As you see on my disk, Paragon-Monsters have a light green color and brown barriers printed around the artwork, framing it like shields. Those are the Paragon Deflectors, to which I'll come later. Paragon-Monsters have a Paragon Number and also a level. However, they have no Defense Position or defense points." Yuji told.

"Just like Link-Monsters..." Yubi murmured at the latter part.

"Now then, to summon one of these bad boys from one's Extra Deck you need to send a number of monsters from your field to the graveyard. More specifically ones that have a total level that is four times as high or more as the Paragon Number of the monster you want to summon." He went on.

"Is that why the four levels of your Astoros and Basal respectively transformed into two of those protracted brownish barriers?" Ruri asked, remembering the summoning animation.

Yuji nodded. "Exactly! My Razor Fang has two Paragon Deflectors and therefore a Paragon Number of two, meaning I need eight or more levels in total in order to summon him. There is a little restriction with the summoning material though. You see, a high level of a Paragon-Monster does only indirectly represent its strength." He told.

"Why that?" Rin said, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well, you need to understand that the level of a Paragon-Monster serves as a limitation. No monster with a level higher than that level can be used as Paragon Material. Meaning for my Level 7 Razor Fang for instance only monsters with a maximum level of seven can be used. I think whoever made up the method all those millennia ago didn't want high level spam decks to abuse the method since my dragon for instance could be summoned with only one monster if one was somehow able to easily summon Level 8 or higher monsters. Stronger Paragon-Monsters with a higher Paragon Number often have higher levels though since they need more resources and therefore the ability to have stronger monsters with higher levels used for them as Paragon Materials in order to be summoned without a bazillion tributes." Yuji continued.

Ruri nodded. "And how about Xyz-Monsters? Can you use them as materials for Paragon-Monsters as well? And if yes, would the level limit not affect them since ranks and levels are different from each other?" She asked.

Yuji scratched his head. "No idea to be honest. I've never seen any Xyz-Monsters before, much like you and Rin haven't seen any Paragon-Monsters before either, so I cannot give you an answer here." He retorted.

"Oh, I see." Ruri uttered to herself, the thought about combining the methods still within her head.

"But once we win, we can maybe use some of their cards and test it! Having more than one method would be pretty practical!" Alexandra chimed in.

"Surely." Yuji replied. "Anyway, Paragon Lesson #2! The monsters themselves will be my next topic! Paragon-Monsters enter the field in Up-Position. They have Paragon Deflectors on them, equal to their Paragon Number. These are those brown shields you've been talking about. They can either shield the upper, lower, right or left angle and are referred to as Up-, Down-, Right- and Left-Deflectors respectively. As long as a Paragon Deflector points to the opponent's direction, meaning upwards, the respective Paragon-Monster cannot be destroyed and any battle damage the player takes from battles involving them is nullified."

"Is that why your dragon is still there and you are unscathed?" Ruri inquired.

Yuji nodded. "Correct! The Up-Paragon Deflector of my Razor Fang functioned as a barrier, visible in the duel as it manifested as a wall-like structure that blocked your Mimicry Cockatoo's claws and therefore saved me and my dragon from harm."

"So does this mean that your dragon is immortal?!" Rin cried out in shock.

Yuji shook his head. "No, it doesn't. Firstly, he can still leave the field by any other hard removal like banishing, regardless of Paragon Deflectors. Secondly, Paragon-Monsters aren't always protected like this. You see, when a Paragon Protected monster – meaning one with a Paragon Deflector pointing upwards – would be destroyed, it is instead spun around by one Cycle Unit in its Paragon Rotation. Look, next to the ATK bar, where you would find the DEF in case of a normal monster, my Razor Fang has a spiraling arrow indicating the direction of "Clockwise". As such, whenever my Razor Fang would be destroyed either by battle or card effect while he is Paragon Protected, he is instead spun around clockwise by 90 degrees. This happens with the whole card on the duel disk by the way, as you see, he is now in Right-Position, which you might confuse for a normal Defense Position. However, as Paragon-Monsters have no defense points and therefore no Defense Position, this is merely another state. There are two more positions, Down-Position where the card is upside-down on my disk and Left-Position, which is like a reversed Defense Position. Due to the Paragon Deflectors printed on his card my Razor Fang is Paragon Protected whenever he is either in Up- or Down-Position and not Paragon Protected when he is in Left- or Right-Position. You got that?" He asked them.

Rin nodded. "Yeah. But one question, if your dragon can only spin whenever he would be destroyed, this makes it impossible for him to spin again, now that he is not Paragon Protected anymore, right?" She asked him.

Yuji shook his head. "No, he can still spin more. You see, once per turn, every Paragon-Monster can be spun around by one Cycle Unit by the turn player, selectable for every monster separately. This is not considered as activating an effect by the way, it's just the basic Paragon Mechanic. By doing so, the player is able to gradually return his monsters into a Paragon Protected position. Understood?"

Rin nodded again. "Understood. So you mean in order to beat your dragon we have to destroy it during our turns so it shifts into a position where it isn't Paragon Protected and then throw another destruction after the first before you get to return it into a safe position, finishing it off for good, right?"

"Right! Only continuous attacks can bring down a Paragon-Monster, a single one often won't do anything! I see you're a smart girl, Rin!" Yuji praised her.

Rin blushed slightly at that. "Thank you... I guess..." She murmured, flattered by his words.

"I see! So much like Pendulums have an inherent revival mechanic, these monsters have an inherent defense mechanic! We might wanna pick up that method for you and the other girls out there then!" Yuga spoke up, addressing his girlfriend and Kumo.

"An intriguing method indeed. The fortification it provides would surely make a great addition to my deck." Yubi contemplated.

"Agreed! With this method your formations would become even more unbreakable!" Kumo chimed in.

"Honestly, I'd really like to use one of those monsters as well, they look really cool and fun to play with!" Shiryu spoke up as well.

"So this is Paragon Summon. A foreign method from another world." Yuya stated.

"I guess. This whole story is getting weirder and weirder." Yuzu agreed.

"Now then, since you seem to understand the basics now, let's get to my dragon's effects! They are a little bit special after all! Whenever Razor Fang is spun around clockwise, one Positron Counter is placed on him for every Cycle Unit! As this was only a normal spin by one Cycle Unit, he gains one counter! Paragon Cycle!" Yuji went on.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Right-Position; Positron Counters: 0 → 1_

"Furthermore he has the unique ability of possessing effects based on his position on the field! In Up-Position this was the "tribute a monster for lifepoints"-effect I utilized before! In Right-Position his ATK doubles! Paragon Force!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 9900 → 19800_

"It's almost at twenty thousand!" Ruri cried out in shock.

Yuji nodded. "Yeah, but it wont stay like that for long! I now use the other effect of my Razor Fang! Once per turn, I can alter his Paragon Rotation! With this, he now spins counterclockwise! Paragon Alteration!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Paragon Rotation Clockwise → Counterclockwise_

"What was the point of that? No matter which way it spins, with its Up- and Down-Deflectors the result won't change." Rin questioned his move.

Yuji smirked. "Oh, we will see about that! Now I use the standard Paragon Mechanic and spin my dragon by one Cycle Unit! Now he regains his Up-Position effect and loses his extra ATK again! Also when he is spun around counterclockwise he gains one Negatron Counter for every Cycle Unit! When this effect is applied while he has Positron Counters one of those counters is subtracted from him instead though! Paragon Cycle!" He declared.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Right-Position → Up-Position; Positron Counters 1 → 0; ATK 19800 → 9900_

"Why would you weaken your dragon by half of its power? And what are those counters for if you subtract them from each other?" Ruri asked with lack of understanding in her voice.

Yuji chuckled. "Oh, you'll see! Anyway, I'll now set two of the remaining cards in my hand face-down and end my turn! Your turn, Rin!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Mimicry Cockatoo: ATK 10800 → 900_

"Alright! I draw!" The green haired girl shouted. "I'll start with the continuous spell Windwitch Winter Shrine! Then I special summon Windwitch – Ice Bell from my hand since I control no monsters! And upon doing that I can summon another Windwitch from my deck and inflict 500 damage to you! I'll summon Glass Bell and since your deck seems to revolve around healing, Yuji, I will instead hit your girlfriend Alexandra! Here you go!" Rin cried out, her monster firing an icy gale at the other girl.

 _Windwitch – Ice Bell_

 _Wind/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Spellcaster/Effect_

Yuji laughed. "Not bad, Rin! But I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to cool down my super hot girlfriend like that! Therefore I will play this! Trap card open! **Phantasmal Anti Matter**! During this turn, all damage I would take is converted into lifepoints instead! As this is the Battle Royal Team Mode, Alexandra profits from my card as well! My field spell also adds another 300 LP to that value! Here you go, honey!" He shouted in response, his trap transforming the icy gale into a warm, steam-like nebula that invigorated Alexandra.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 4000 → 4500 → 4800**

"Gee, thanks Yuji! That feels so good!" The girl exclaimed as the pleasant feeling of rejuvenation washed over her body.

Yuji smiled. "No problem! You know that I have your back in those situations! Just trying to be a good boyfriend!"

"Anyway, I still get to special summon my monster! And since the effect clarification of your Anti Matter states that it's still treated as if she took damage, I now get to profit from my Winter Shrine as well! Whenever you take effect damage while I control a Windwitch I can draw a card!" Rin spoke up again, her Glass Bell appearing as well.

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Glass Bell's effect! She searches out another Windwitch! I add **Windwitch – Arctic Bell** to my hand! Then I special summon her since I already control a Windwitch! Come, Arctic Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Arctic Bell_

 _Wind/Level 2/ATK 800/DEF 800/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Her effect! When summoned I can send a Windwitch from my deck to the graveyard in order to assimilate her level with that monster's! I'll dump Windwitch – Clear Bell to the graveyard and make her level one! This lasts for the rest of this turn!" Rin continued.

 _Windwitch – Arctic Bell: Lvl 2 → 1_

"Then I normal summon Windwitch – Frost Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Frost Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Her effect! When I summon her she can revive a level four or lower "Windwitch"-Monster! Furthermore I can inflict 500 points of damage! Even though it will heal you I still use this effect since my Shrine allows me to draw a card, thanks to Anti Matter's effect clarification that is!" Rin stated.

"Oh?" Alexandra spoke up, a slight trace of mockery in her voice. "Then who will you heal? If you choose Yuji, his dragon will grow even stronger! If you choose me, you're also in a lot of trouble! So which one of us will you choose, me or him?" She addressed her counterpart.

"I will of course pick you since you gain no profits from extra lifepoints except more durability! Draw!" Rin yelled, her Winter Shrine bringing her hand to five cards again.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 4800 → 5300 → 5600**

Yuji smirked. _'Foolish girl! She may be really hot – well, her deck not, you get what I mean though – but her decision making is rather questionable. Since Alexandra is by far the bigger threat of the two of us! I may be a terrifying opponent, but she is the sheer horror compared to me! Giving her more resources is just a synonym for your own death sentence! I guess Rin will soon learn that playing with fire gets her burned hands!'_ Yuji thought deviously.

"As I said before, I now get to revive a monster from my grave! Come, Windwitch – Clear Bell!" Rin spoke up again.

 _Windwitch – Clear Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Then I will tune her with my level four Glass Bell!" Rin declared, her monsters transforming into rings and a star respectively.

"Tuning?" Yuji wondered.

"Probably her method." Alexandra responded to him.

"She's a Synchro-User? Does this perhaps mean that all of your – no, our – counterparts use other methods then?" Yuya pondered.

Yuzu nodded. "Looks like it." She stated, observing the Synchro Summon of her counterpart.

"Rin's Synchro Summoning. Now this is something I was looking forward to see." Kumo spoke up.

-"Same here!"- Yuga, Yubi and Shiryu chimed in.

"Midwinter wind! Hit them with subzero temperatures and freeze them to the bones! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 5! Windwitch – Freeze Bell!" Rin cried out, the monster from the previous day's duel with Yuto appearing at that.

 _Windwitch – Freeze Bell_

 _Wind/Level 5/ATK 2000/DEF 1600/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"So this is the method she's using. Synchro, huh? Looks like these two prefer to use different summoning methods." Alexandra spoke up.

"Synchro? Man, that shit looks lit as fuck! Can you tell me how it works? Please?" Yuji addressed Rin.

"I don't know for sure..." The girl began in an unsure voice, not certain if she should reveal the secrets behind her method as that would make the duel harder for sure. But as the boy faced her with a look that came pretty close to the classic sad puppy eyes, she sighed and gave in. "Okay, fine! A Synchro Summon requires a so called Tuner and in most cases one or more non-Tuner monsters. You simply add up their levels and summon a Synchro-Monster with that level from your Extra Deck." She explained.

Yuji looked surprised. "That's all?" He inquired.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, that's all. Make a sum of monster levels with one of those monsters being a Tuner, sending the materials to the graveyard, summon a Synchro-Monster. If not stated otherwise, that's how it works all the time."

"Wow, this sounds so funny! Can you give me one of those Tuners and a Synchro-Monster please? I'd like to try it out!" Yuji exclaimed.

Rin sweat dropped. "Sorry, but I don't think I have any Tuner-Monsters that fit into your deck."

Yuji looked disappointed. "Aww, really not? Please, I'd even renounce grabbing you and Ruri inappropriately if you gave me some of those! Pleeeaaaase?" He begged with a protracted sound.

"That's a tempting offer, but I'm afraid that I must decline. I would really like to give you the necessary cards for a Synchro Summon, but I don't have any that suit your deck or playstyle!" She apologized.

Yuji sighed in disappointment. "Aww, what a shame! Well, I guess your and Ruri's butts aren't that bad either! Anyway, you can continue with your turn now!" He addressed the green haired girl.

Rin nodded, ignoring his words as she was gradually getting used to his inappropriate talk. "Sure thing! First is the effect of my freshly summoned Freeze Bell! I can inflict damage equal to half of her materials' combined ATK! Meaning with 1500 on Glass Bell and 500 on Clear Bell, Alexandra takes 1000 damage! Or rather gets healed by that amount while I draw a card!" Rin announced, now having six cards in her hand while her counterpart received more LP through Phantasmal Anti Matter's damage conversion.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 5600 → 6600 → 6900**

"Next up on my to-do list is this! Since I control at least two Wind monsters I can special summon Windwitch – Snow Bell from my hand!"

 _Windwitch – Snow Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Then I will activate my field spell Magical Winter Palace!" Rin said, a white snowy building emerging behind her, creating a counterpart to the white palace of Yuji's Paragon Realm field spell.

"It looks nice! But what can it do?" Alexandra spoke up, gazing at the cold palace.

"A lot! Winter Palace's effect!" Was Rin's reply. "Once per turn I can discard one card in order to add a "Windwitch"-Monster from my deck to the hand! I'll discard Windwitch – Hail Bell in order to add Windwitch – Subzero Bell to my hand! Then I will tune my level three Ice Bell and my level four Frost Bell with my level one Snow Bell!" Rin shouted, the three monsters combining at that.

"Another Synchro Summon?!" Yuzu exclaimed in surprise.

"Geez, this lookalike of yours is pretty good!" Yuya chimed in.

"Midwinter wind! Make ice and snow my power and blow through! The icy power that breaches through all and freezes them to death! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! The shining bell of unprecedented cold! Level 8! Windwitch – Diamond Bell!" Rin cried out, her new main ace appearing.

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"And there you have it!" Yuga exclaimed, gesturing at the monster. "Rin's new ace, a monster that breaches through any defense against her effect damage strategy!" He declared with pride in his voice. "Well, except damage conversion into lifepoints, unfortunately..." He added in a whispered tone of unsatisfactory shame.

"Diamond Bell's effect! Once per turn she can inflict 500 damage! I target Alexandra to draw once more! Colt Bolt!" Rin stated.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 6900 → 7400 → 7700**

"Draw!" Rin yelled before continuing. "Then I activate the effect of my recently discarded Hail Bell! By banishing her, I can revive a Windwitch Tuner from my graveyard other than another Hail Bell! Resurrect, Snow Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Snow Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Then I will tune my level one Arctic Bell with my level one Snow Bell! Midwinter wind! Bring eternal cold that covers the ground! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear! Level 2! **Windwitch – Permafrost Bell**!"

 _Windwitch – Permafrost Bell_

 _Wind/Level 2/ATK 500/DEF 1300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Tuner/Effect_

"Wait, this monster is a Synchro and a Tuner?" Shiryu cried out in surprise.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah, I've been cooking up something for her. She will eventually use it, but before that this monster alone should also be pretty practical." He explained.

"Permafrost Bell's effect! Once per turn I can mill one Windwitch from my deck or hand to alter her level to that monster's level until my next Standby Phase! I dump another Snow Bell into my grave and make her level one!" Rin announced.

 _Windwitch – Permafrost Bell: Lvl 2 → 1_

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Now battle! Since I can only attack Yuji I will use my Diamond Bell to attack his Razor Fang Paragon Dragon!"

Yuji blinked in confusion. "Err, you know that Razor Fang's ATK are at 9900, right? You're killing yourself, Rin." He remarked with lack of understanding.

"Not really! Quick-play spell activate! **Windwitch Icy Tailwind**! When a Windwitch battles, I can target one of your monsters with it! Its ATK are halved for the rest of this turn! Then I can target one of my Windwitches and give her that much ATK until the End Phase! And if I banish Icy Tailwind from my graveyard, I can use the second part again! I drain your dragon's power to strengthen my Diamond Bell with this effect!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 9900 → 4950_

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell: ATK 2800 → 7750_

"I see! But even with that my dragon is still Paragon Protected! And even if you use your second ATK-gain charge on your Freeze Bell to strengthen it by 4950 ATK as well, I will still only heal from your attack!" Yuji shouted in response.

Rin smirked. "I think not! My Icy Tailwind has another effect! During the Battle Phase it was activated damage you take cannot be lowered, negated by effects or converted into lifepoints! Meaning your Anti Matter is useless!" She shot back.

"What?!" Yuji exclaimed in terror.

"That's right! This card is able to bypass the last remaining way to avoid Rin's damage tactics! Thank you for reminding me about that when we made the girls' cards by the way, Yubi!" Yuga spoke up.

"No problem. Just doing what I can for a girl I like. Unfortunately I didn't consider something like Paragon Deflectors, thus leaving one option of defense open for Yuji." Yubi retorted.

"Now then, the attack continues!" Rin cried out, a storm of ice and snow colliding with the Paragon Deflector of Yuji's dragon, forcing it to turn around by 90 degrees.

"Kuh! But I still take no damage from this hit since my monster was Paragon Protected! Furthermore my dragon now gains a Negatron Counter as he was spun around counterclockwise! Paragon Cycle!" Yuji stated.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Left-Position; Negatron Counters 0 → 1_

"You see?! This is the power of a Paragon-Monster! Even if you strengthen your Freeze Bell I still have enough lifepoints to survive this turn!" Yuji yelled at her.

Rin smirked. "Oh, you're so wrong, my dear Yuji! Just look!" She told, raising her arm at that. "Permafrost Bell activates her effect! During either your Main- or Battle Phase or my Battle Phase, I can conduct a Synchro Summon using her and another Windwitch on my field as material! I now tune my level eight Diamond Bell with my level one Permafrost Bell!" Rin declared.

-"What?! A Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase?! With two Synchro-Monsters?!"- The Paragon-Couple exclaimed in disbelief.

Rin nodded. "That's right! Behold, where I come from this is known as an Accel Synchro!" She shouted, her monsters vanishing at that.

"Where did they go?!" Yuya wondered as the monsters abruptly disappeared. His question was answered as they suddenly returned from behind Rin, already transformed into the ring and the stars. Rin began chanting at that.

"Midwinter wind! Fill this place and turn the nocturnal sky into a white plain! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! APPEAR! LEVEL 9! **WINDWITCH – WHITE NIGHT BELL**!" She yelled, another humanoid ice sorceress entering the field, snow raining down from above as she rose her rod.

 _Windwitch – White Night Bell_

 _Wind/Level 9/ATK 3200/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Brr, is it just me or is it getting really cold in here all of a sudden?" Yuya said, slightly trembling from the temperature and obviously being not aware of the Real Solid Vision-Level the disk of people outside of Standard were capable of.

Yuzu nodded, also freezing. "No, it's really getting cold here. It reminds me of your lookalike, in his duel with Sawatari the cold wind of that yellow haired jerk's monster also felt real."

"Does this mean that these guys can play normal duels with Action Field physics then?!" Yuya realized in terror.

Yuzu nodded. "Looks like it. Since they apparently come from another world, maybe they have better dueling technology then." She then came to a sudden realization. "Wait, that means your double was no particularly dangerous opponent, but just had a disk that made his cards more realistic like them! Meaning there are... how should I express it?... ah, yes!, counterparts of me and you who come from other worlds and have realistic duel disks!" She concluded.

Yuya sweat dropped. "The more I learn about this ominous stuff, the more I think this is just some ridiculous prank orchestrated by some giant troll." He remarked.

" _Hey, that's no way to talk about your original self!"_ Zarc retorted in jocular indignation, playing the upset.

"Now I get to draw a card since I used my Permafrost Bell as a material for the summon of a Windwitch from my Extra Deck, bringing my hand to five cards again!" Rin went on.

"A Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase? Not bad, Rin! However, you still won´t be able to inflict enough damage!" Yuji spoke up, eyeing her newly summoned monster.

Rin smirked. "That's what you think,Yuji! But what you didn't know yet is that my White Night Bell inflicts the ATK your monster had on the field when she destroys one of them by battle! In other words, once my new monster receives the 4950 ATK from my Icy Tailwind by banishing said spell from my grave, you will get hit with the 3200 ATK of my White Night Bell plus a rough 5000 points of extra damage! With 'only' 7700 lifepoints that means game for you!" Rin explained, air-quoting his LP count as it was low enough for his defeat, but still relatively high for normal dueling standards.

Yuji looked shocked. "WAIT, WHAT?!" He shouted.

"You heard me, Yuji! Go, White Night Bell! Attack his Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! I use my Windwitch Icy Tailwind and banish her from my grave, giving my Windwitch another 4950 ATK!" She declared, her spell emerging from a portal on the ground and glowing brightly afterwards, affecting her monster and strengthening it.

"Oh no! Not like this! Hold up Rin, gimme a break!" Yuji exclaimed, clutching his head with both of his hands.

Rin smirked. "Sorry, not gonna happen! This is the end for you! GALE OF WHITE NIGHT!" Rin shouted, her monster firing a cold blast of snow.

"IMPOSSIBLE! I NEVER EXPECTED ANYTHING LIKE THIS!" Yuji screamed in terror as the icy avalanche advanced towards his dragon.

"THIS IS IT! THE FIRST OF THEIR OPPONENTS BITES THE DUST! **GO, RIN!** " Shiryu shouted enthusiastically, getting carried away as she was observing the duel.

" **OH NO, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?! I HAVE NOTHING TO STOP HER ATTACK!** " Yuji yelled, still panicking like before. Then suddenly, a smirk crawled onto his face. "Kidding..." He whispered with a grin. "It's just as I expected!" He went on, slightly louder than before. He rose his hand, pointing at his dragon. "You really thought this was it?! Are you mocking me, the Messiah of the Crimson Dragon?! I'm far from being finished!" Yuji shouted at once, spreading his arms dramatically in a challenging manner.

"WHAT?!" Rin yelled in confusion and shock. "What do you mean by that?!" She inquired, not believing that he had something to counter her attack with.

"Razor Fang Paragon Dragon's effect! Once per Battle Phase, while in Left-Position, he can negate a spell or trap card's activation or a spell or trap card effect, like the effect of your Icy Tailwind that banishes itself from the graveyard in order to give your White Night Bell attack points for instance! Go my dragon, crush that little spell of hers! Paragon Shatter!" Yuji screamed, his monster curling itself around the projection of Rin's Icy Tailwind on her side of the field, strangling it into submission like a boa constrictor until it was shattered.

"No way!" Rin cried out in disbelief.

"Yes way!" Yuji shouted back. "And since the battle continues, my much stronger Razor Fang Paragon Dragon will disassemble your White Night Bell into a million pieces! Go, Divinity Siphon Stream!"

"Well, guess me adding Subzero Bell to my hand was handy then! By discarding her I can nullify the battle damage and reflect it to you!" Rin shouted in response, her monster being annihilated by Yuji's dragon in the meantime.

 **YUJI LP: 7700 → 5950**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 4950 → 3200 → 1450_

"Oh, I think I can live with 1750 damage, now that your White Night Bell is gone! Especially since my dragon's special ability triggers! You see, my dragon and your Windwitch do the exact opposite when they destroy an opponent's monster by battle! While your monster gives an encore by inflicting extra damage, mine heals me by the force of the defeated foe! Meaning since your White Night Bell had 3200 ATK, I now gain that many lifepoints! Plus of course 300 from my field spell! Paragon Leeching!" Yuji cried out. Rin observed how the defeated White Night Bell's body dissembled into tiny parts of golden color which then reunited as a radiant orb, like a mini sun as her monster's grave. The dragon charged at it and bit the sun to shreds, extracting the life essence from the tiny sphere, transforming it into a breeze of golden particles that invigorated Yuji, whose lifepoint-counter rose at that.

 **YUJI LP: 5950 → 9150 → 9450**

"And as a result my dragon powers up! Paragon Superiority!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 1450 → 8450_

"He's almost at 10000 LP!" Ruri cried out in shock.

"Do you see that?! This is the power of my dragon! This is the reason why I changed his Paragon Rotation! Upon his first time getting hit he would enter the Left-Position which would then give him the power to foil your move! With this flexibility, as long as Razor Fang stays alive, you will inevitably lose!" Yuji announced.

"I have to applaud your counter! However, I also have something to activate! Namely my Winter Palace's effect! Once per turn, when a Synchro-Monster is destroyed, this field spell allows me to revive one of its materials from my graveyard! Come in defense mode, Diamond Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Now that she is back I can enter my Main Phase 2 and use her effect once more, inflicting – or rather healing – Alexandra by 500 points in order to draw once more with my Wind Shrine!" Rin continued.

"And as always Yuji's Phantasmal Paradoxus, the Paragon Realm triggers, adding an additional 300 LP to that value!" Alexandra chimed in as she gained more strength.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 7700 → 8200 → 8500**

"I now set two cards face-down!" Rin declared, now only having three cards in her hand. "And then I end..."

Yuji rose his hand. "Not so fast! First I will activate my second face-down, the continuous trap card **Paragon Switcher**! Once per turn a Paragon-Monster may be spun around by one Cycle Unit with its effect! I activate Razor Fang's effect and alter his Paragon Rotation! Paragon Alteration!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Paragon Rotation Counterclockwise → Clockwise_

"Then I apply my Paragon Switcher's effect on my dragon, turning him by one Cycle Unit! He also gains a Positron Counter because of this, which is then subtracted from his Negatron Counter! Paragon Cycle!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Left-Position → Up-Position; Negatron Counters 1 → 0_

"Now I'm done." Yuji declared.

Rin nodded. "Fine then! Turn end! The attack of your dragon returns to normal as my spell's effect expires!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 8450 → 13400_

"This dragon is crazy! With its natural ability and its equip spell Phantasmal Might combined, it turns Yuji's LP advantage into attacking force!" Ruri exclaimed.

Rin nodded. "Yeah, it's quite terrifying indeed. Lifepoints which are normally only a shield turn into a sword as well. It's an offense and a defense at the same time." She remarked.

Yuji, hearing these words, grinned victoriously. "That's right! I'm building up huge piles of LP to not only increase my survivability, but also my offensive capabilities! When my defense rises, my offense rises as well – and vice versa! This is why I call my style of dueling the Spear-Shield Formation, a tactic that unites both offense and defense into a single unit!" He explained proudly.

"I see. A rather interesting strategy." Yubi stated underneath the Vanisher.

"Anyway, now it's my turn!" Alexandra spoke up. "Oh, and by the way, healing me was a rather stupid choice! Even if Yuji's dragon would have gotten stronger by 2 ATK for every lifepoint you gave him, it would have still been a far better decision than healing me!" She stated.

Rin tilted her head in confusion. "And why that, if I may ask?"

The yellow and red haired girl smirked. "Well, because out of the two of us, I'm the far bigger threat! Yuji is terrifying, yes, but I am your nightmares come true in terms of strength!" She shouted at Rin.

-"Seriously?!"- Rin and Ruri cried out in terror.

"Seriously!" Alexandra yelled back. "I DRAW!" She screamed, her arm slicing through the air in a swinging motion.

"So our theory seems to be true after all. She is the real leader of their team, not Yuji." Yuga murmured, the others nodding.

Alexandra inspected the newly drawn card and grinned. "Well, well, well, looks like I got a rather good hand!" She gazed at her opponents with a predatory look. "Then let me make use of it and crush you!" She shouted, rising up a card. "I'll start with this! The spell Onslaught of the Fire Kings! When I control no monsters and my opponent does, I can special summon one Winged Beast-, Beast- or Beast-Warrior-Type Fire monster from my deck with its effects negated! It is furthermore destroyed during the End Phase! Come, Fire King High Avatar Garunix!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Fire King? Have you ever heard of that archetype, Yuzu?" Yuya addressed his friend.

The girl shook her head. "No, I haven't. This must be a rather unique deck I suppose."

"Fire King, huh? Didn't expect her to use that attribute, but I guess fire fits the untamed core of her personality." Kumo remarked.

"This monster looks like some colorful phoenix." Ruri remarked as she looked at the enormous bird with mainly red wings, the body of the monster being decorated with a variety of jewelry. Garunix also had a red dragonic tail in addition to the normal tailfeathers.

Alexandra smiled. "I knew you would like it, Ruri! You see, both me and you are quite the fans of birds, albeit mine are much hotter!" She remarked, suddenly remembering something and spinning around. Her head turned towards Yuji with an admonishing look. "No jokes about my or her looks, okay?" She warned her friend.

Yuji rose his hands, giving in. "Fine, I won't. Go on with your talk." He stated.

"Great!" Alexandra sighed in relief, turning back to Ruri. "Well, I play these monsters, but also Fire monsters of all other Beast Types, meaning Beast and Beast-Warrior. This is my deck, the Fire Kings!" She explained.

Ruri nodded. "Okay. Seems like you and Rin are polar opposites when it comes to archetypes. She has ice while you have fire." The Xyz-Girl said. "And what is the strategy of your deck?" She then inquired.

Alexandra smirked. "I will show you! I play my continuous spell **Samsara of the King Kings**! You will see what it does soon! Next up I'll activate my field spell Fire King Island!" She announced, a volcano emerging behind her, joining the two already activated field spells. "And once per turn this baby allows me to destroy a monster which I either control or that is in my hand! By doing so I can add a "Fire King"-Monster from my deck to the hand! I'll blow up my Garunix to add **Fire King Avatar Varaha** to my hand!"

The volcano erupted, consuming the giant bird in a gush of lava. Out of its charred remains a new card emerged, flying over to the girl who then took it into her hand.

"At this moment multiple effects trigger! First up is Samsara of the Fire Kings! When Fire King-Monsters are destroyed I gain 300 for each! Plus of course 300 more LP because of Yuji's field spell!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 8500 → 8800 → 9100**

"In addition to that the effects of the Fire Kings in my hand! Whenever a Fire King is destroyed by a card effect outside the Damage Step they can special summon themselves from my hand! Come, Fire King Avatar Varaha and **Fire King Avatar Kinnara**!"

Two monsters appeared from an inferno at her words, the first of them being a boar-headed humanoid with colorful flames decorating its body. The second was a female with the upper body half of a human and the lower body half of a swan, having a bird tail, wings, and legs. She also had flame-like features on her body.

 _Fire King Avatar Kinnara_

 _Fire/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King Avatar Varaha_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 200/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"So her strategy is self destruction and swarming, I see." Yubi remarked.

"Now Kinnara's effect! Once per turn I can destroy a Fire King on my field or in my hand to summon another from my deck with the same level! I sacrifice Varaha for **Fire King Avatar Fuuri** from my deck! Furthermore Kinnara gains a level when this effect is activated!" Alexandra declared, a monkey of blue color with a leopard-like pattern on its hair appearing at that. Its hair also contained flame-shaped elements and much like the previous creatures it was also based on mythological creatures from Asia.

 _Fire King Avatar Fuuri_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 200/Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King Avatar Kinnara: Lvl 3 → 4_

"I gain another 600 lifepoints thanks to the Samsara spell of mine and Yuji's Paragon Realm!" Alexandra went on.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 9100 → 9400 → 9700**

"And here it goes! I take my Fire King Avatar Kinnara and Fuuri and dissolve them in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" She declared. Her monsters did just that, their bodies dissolving in a burst of fire, levels oozing out and forming as a group that then divided itself into two smaller groups which transformed into two protracted rectangles, the Paragon Deflectors. At once the two deflectors began spinning around, creating a blazing whirlwind that raised the temperature of the surrounding air.

Yuzu looked at the fire tornado in awe. "So does this mean my counterpart is going to Paragon Summon as well?" She murmured to herself.

"It's there! Show them who's boss, Alexandra!" Yuji encouraged his girlfriend in an enthusiastic tone.

She nodded, turning to her opponents and beginning to utter her summoning chant.

"Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous...", Alexandra said, looking over to her friend with a gentle smile, "...and punishment and misery to the wicked!" She continued, facing her counterparts with a relatively hostile and disdainful look as she believed them to be imitators. "Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! PARAGON SHŌKAN! IGNITE AND SOAR AS A COLORFUL BIRD ROAMING THE HEAVENS! PARAGON 2! LEVEL 7! **FIRE KING HIGH AVATAR FENGHUANIX**!" Alexandra cried out, a fiery bird ascending into the sky at that. Its head resembled a pheasant and it had long wings of red color. It had several other body colors, its head being green, its neck white, its chest black and its feet yellow. The bird let out a cry as it unfolded its wings within the air, a blazing torrent surrounding it at that.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix_

 _Fire/Paragon 2/Level 7/Clockwise/ATK 2400/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U,D)_

"So this is her ace monster, her counterpart to Assembly Nightingale and Winter Bell. It looks pretty powerful." Shiryu remarked.

"It's really a Fenghuang! And not only a normal, but a burning version of it as well!" Ruri whispered in awe.

Her Paragon-Counterpart grinned at these words. "I knew that it would impress you, Ruri! After all the Fenghuang is the most noble of all birds, a sovereign ruling over all others, including yours of course! It only eats and drinks from the best of trees and fountains, living for a thousand years! It is a creature of virtue, grace and mercifulness! And as such, I – as its wielder – will grant you and Rin a merciful end as I finish you off! This blazing form of the legendary bird that now has even acquired immortality will be your undoing! Her effect! Once per turn she can destroy one of my cards and one of yours! I target her and Rin's left face-down with this effect! Mutual Blaze!" Alexandra shouted, her monster igniting itself and Rin's card.

"You're willing to sacrifice your ace monster for one spell or trap?!" Ruri cried out in shock.

Alexandra smirked. "You seem to forget the Paragon Mechanic! My Fenghuanix will simply be turned by 90 degrees! Her card on the other hand will perish!" She yelled, her monster spinning by one Cycle Unit while Rin's face-down was destroyed.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

"Her other effect! Once per turn when she destroys an opponent's card, she can revive a Fire King from my graveyard! Come again, Avatar Fuuri! Fiery Resurrection!"

 _Fire King Avatar Fuuri_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 200/Beast/Effect_

"I'm far from finished! I use the last card in my hand, **Crusade of the Fire Kings**! By destroying a Fire King on my field or in my hand, I can draw two cards! Furthermore the effect of Fuuri! When he is destroyed by an opponent's card, I can draw two cards from my deck!" She went on.

"But you're destroying it with your own card!" Rin shouted in response.

The other girl smirked. "I don't think so! You see, my Fenghuanix has a neat little effect which states that every Fire King on my side is treated as destroyed by my opponent instead of destroyed by me, even if that isn't the case! So since my Fuuri thinks that you were guilty of his destruction, I get to draw not two, but four cards! Also I gain lifepoints from my Samsara of the Fire Kings!" Alexandra shot back, now having four hand cards again.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 9700 → 10000 → 10300**

"She refreshed her hand just like I do with my Reloading Style. Also she went over ten thousand lifepoints. I gotta give that girl that she's really good." Yubi commented.

"Now I activate the second effect of Crusade! Normally this one would trigger during my next Standby Phase after this card was sent to the graveyard! But due to the effect of my Fenghuanix any effects of "Fire King"-Cards that would trigger during my next Standby Phase after their destruction or arrival in the graveyard are immediately activated instead! Now I can add a "Fire King"-Card from my graveyard back to the hand! I target Avatar Varaha! Instant Flame!" Alexandra declared, now sitting at five hand cards.

"So this ace of hers allows her to skip the waiting time that is the downside of her cards? Impressive if I do say so myself!" Yuga stated.

"Now to the next play! I normal summon Fire King Avatar Barong!"

 _Fire King Avatar Barong_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"Then I activate the quick-play spell Circle of the Fire Kings! I destroy my Barong and revive my High Avatar Garunix!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

"I gain more lifepoints! Furthermore Barong searches out a "Fire King"-Card from my deck during my next Standby Phase after his destruction – or now as I have Fenghuanix to skip the wait! I'll add **Blaze of the Fire Kings** to my hand! Instant Flame!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 10300 → 10600 → 10900**

"Plus the effects of my Fire Kings! Since Barong was destroyed they can special summon themselves from my hand! Come, Fire King Avatar Varaha and **Fire King Avatar Krute**!"

 _Fire King Avatar Krute_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 200/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King Avatar Varaha_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 200/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"Krute's effect! Once per turn upon his special summoning this little bird-man allows me to revive one of his friends from my graveyard! Come again, Avatar Barong!"

 _Fire King Avatar Barong_

 _Fire/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 200/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"Now that I have five Fire Kings the optimal time for my spell has come! I activate Blaze of the Fire Kings! With this I can inflict 800 damage for every Fire King I control! I hit Rin with 4000 points of damage! In other words, you're out! I guess fire really is better than ice! **Say goodbye!** " Alexandra yelled, a flaming burst rapidly advancing towards Rin.

"Useless! My Diamond Bell negates all effect damage I take!" Rin retorted, smirking in response. The projectile collided with an icy wall, dying down at that.

"Kuh! Damn you!" Alexandra cursed. "Then how about this?! I activate the secondary effect of my Blaze of the Fire Kings! Since I controlled a High Avatar when I used it, I now get to draw a card, bringing me to one hand card again! Then I activate the effect of my Avatar Varaha! Once per turn I can destroy a Fire King in my hand or on my field in order to draw one card! I destroy Barong, giving me 600 LP plus another free search from my deck! I draw and add **Fire King High Avatar Byakkix** to my hand!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 10900 → 11200 → 11500**

"Now it's time for some summons! I take my Fire King Avatar Krute and dissolve him in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" Alexandra declared, the standard summoning process beginning anew, a fire tornado starting to rage as her monster turned into four stars that then became one Paragon Deflector.

"Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous and punishment and misery to the wicked! Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! PARAGON SHŌKAN! Burn brightly and lead me the way! Paragon 1! Level 4! **Fire King High Avatar Basanix**!" Alexandra shouted, another flaming bird entering the field with a screech. It had one deflector shielding the upper angle.

 _Fire King High Avatar Basanix_

 _Fire/Paragon 1/Level 4/Clockwise/ATK 1500/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U)_

"Basanix's effect! First off all, my Fire monsters gain 300 ATK!"

 _Fire King Avatar Varaha: ATK 1600 → 1900_

 _Fire King High Avatar Basanix: ATK 1500 → 1800_

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: ATK 2400 → 2700_

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix: ATK 2700 → 3000_

"Also, once per turn, I can add a Fire King from my deck or graveyard to the hand! She must be Paragon Protected to activate this effect, but as she currently is, that's not an issue! I use this effect to recover my Krute! Then I will activate the spell card Pot of Greed!"

"Pot of Greed?! You have such a rare card?!" Rin shouted in a shocked tone.

Alexandra nodded. "I am the High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl, so why wouldn't I? Anyway, I draw two cards!" She looked at her newly drawn cards and smirked. "Huh, looks like the Crimson Dragon is rewarding my piety today! Do you know what's better than one Pot of Greed?! That's right, two Pots of Greed! Since lucky lucky me drew another of these babies I can now draw two cards once more!" She shouted, her hand rising again. "And then dissolve my High Avatar Basanix and Avatar Varaha to set up the Paragon Deflectors! Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous and punishment and misery to the wicked! Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! PARAGON SHŌKAN! Burn and howl as you chase them to the ends of the world! Paragon 2! Level 5! **Fire King High Avatar Inugamix**!" Alexandra yelled, a flaming wolf entering the field and announcing its arrival with a howl.

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix_

 _Fire/Paragon 2/Level 5/Clockwise/ATK 2200/Beast/Paragon/Effect (R,L)_

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: ATK 2700 → 2400_

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix: ATK 3000 → 2700_

"Now I use the Paragon Mechanic and turn my Fenghuanix and Inugamix by one Cycle Unit!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

"And then we can start the beginning of your end! I activate the effect of my High Avatar Inugamix! Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can destroy one Fire King on my side of the field or in my hand in order to temporarily raise the ATK of all Fire Kings on the field by that monster's level times 300! I destroy Garunix and strengthen my monsters by 2400 ATK, also gaining LP as always! Infernal Howl!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 11500 → 11800 → 12100**

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: ATK 2400 → 4800_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 2200 → 4600_

"She's going for an OTK strategy!" Rin realized.

Ruri hummed. "Definitely. At least we have enough defenses against that."

Alexandra chuckled. "Defenses?! And where, if I may ask?! Let me teach you about a little something! My Garunix has the ability to be reborn during my next Standby Phase after his destruction by a card effect, also wiping out all other monsters on the field in the process! However, due to my Fenghuanix's ability Instant Flame, this effect is applied immediately! Revive, High Avatar Garunix!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And now all other monsters are wiped out! But since my monsters are Paragon Protected they won't be destroyed, but spun around instead!" Alexandra went on.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Down-Position → Left-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

"And my dragon will survive as well as he is currently in Up-Position! Furthermore he gains a Positron Counter and his ATK double due to Paragon Force, his Right-Position effect! Paragon Cycle!" Yuji chimed in.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 13400 → 26800; Positron Counters 0 → 1_

"But my Freeze Bell cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Rin shouted back.

"Fine then! But your Diamond Bell and Ruri's Mimicry Cockatoo are still goners!" Alexandra retorted as the fire storm of Garunix consumed those monsters.

"It's almost done." Yuji remarked, knowing what his girlfriend planned on doing next.

"I will continue with the effect of my Fire King Avatar Fuuri! By banishing him from my graveyard I can turn up to two Paragon-Monsters by one Cycle Unit! I select Fenghuanix and Yuji's Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! This will put two of our monsters into a safe position again! But since Yuji", Alexandra began, the male nodding in response and tapping the button to use his card, "will be so nice to use his Paragon Switcher on my Inugamix, all three will be safe!" She declared, Yuji doing just as she said.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Left-Position → Up-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Down-Position → Left-Position_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Right-Position → Down-Position; ATK 26800 → 13400; Positron Counters 1 → 2_

"Their teamwork is pretty impressive!" Yuga stated as he observed how the two Paragon-Counterparts protected each other with their effects.

"Followed up by my spell card **Wrath of the Fire Kings**! By destroying one Fire King, I can increase the ATK of all Fire Kings I controlled when this card resolved by that monster's ATK! I destroy Garunix, gaining 600 LP and strengthening my monsters by 2700 ATK!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 12100 → 12400 → 12700**

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: ATK 4800 → 7500_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 4600 → 7300_

"And as always my Garunix comes back, wiping the field once more! Due to the previous redirection of our cards by my Fuuri's and Yuji's Paragon Switcher's effect, all of our monsters will be safe again!" The yellow haired girl stated.

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Left-Position → Up-Position_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Down-Position → Left-Position; Positron Counters 2 → 3_

"Now then, battle! Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix will attack Ruri Kurosaki directly! It was fun dueling with another bird lover, but now it's over for you! INCINERATION NOSEDIVE!" Alexandra yelled, her monster launching down at the Xyz-Girl with incredible speed, its blazing peck and claws ready to strike.

"Not yet! I activate the trap Waboku! This prevents me from taking battle damage!" Ruri shouted in response.

"Hah, did you already forget that I'm here as well?! Me and Alexandra are an experienced team, our aces are the Fenghuang and the Long, the two mythological creatures that represent the Chinese emperor couple! And as such they have each other's back! Now you'll find out the reason why Alexandra selected Garunix for her Wrath of the Fire Kings! It was so my monster could spin again once Garunix revived, bringing it into the position we needed! Razor Fang's effect! Since he is now in Left-Position and it's currently the Battle Phase, I can negate your trap card! Paragon Shatter!" Yuji cried out, his monster wrapping its long body around the trap and strangling it into destruction at that.

"No!" Ruri uttered fearfully, taken off guard by this counter. Luckily Rin chimed in as well only shortly after.

"But we're also a team! So here goes my trap, Call of the Earthbound! Since an attack is declared I get to select the target! I redirect your Fenghuanix to my Freeze Bell!"

"So you're sacrificing yourself for her?! Fine then, I'll take that option as well and prove that fire is better than ice! Go, attack once again! Incineration Nosedive!" Alexandra yelled in response.

"You're not taking Rin out! I activate my second face-down Damage Diet! This halves all damage I – and due to the Battle Royal Team Mode rules – Rin takes for the rest of this turn!" Ruri spoke up.

"Damn! But she's still taking a major beating!" Alexandra yelled, her monster setting Freeze Bell ablaze, melting her and evaporating the water the monster turned into from the heat.

 **RIN LP: 4000 → 1250**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 13400 → 18900_

"Oof, thanks Ruri!" Rin remarked, sweating from both the heat of Alexandra's monster and the strain of the intense duel.

"No problem! That's what teammates are there for!" Ruri replied, smiling warmly at her counterpart.

"Don't celebrate yet! My other High Avatar can still attack you!" Alexandra interrupted their conversation.

Rin grinned at her counterpart. "I think not! You see, as you destroyed my Freeze Bell you triggered her effect! Meaning no more attacks can be declared by you this turn! Wind Freezer!" The Synchro-Girl declared, a wind of icy cold freezing the three beasts of Alexandra solid, even their flames turning into ice. "Furthermore my Winter Palace allows me to revive one of Freeze Bell's materials! Come in defense mode, Windwitch – Glass Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"Since she was summoned I can add a Windwitch from my deck to the hand, namely **Windwitch – Snowflake Bell**!" Rin went on.

"Great! Rin has reconstructed a small defense for Yuji's next turn!" Shiryu cheered.

"Well, I suppose that I just proved that ice is better than fire after all!" Rin added with a victorious smirk.

Alexandra scowled, gritting her teeth. "Damn you! This discussion isn't over yet! I will show you just how much better fire is! But until then I will just set one card dace-down and end my turn I guess! The ATK of my Fire Kings returns to normal!" She declared grudgingly.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: ATK 7500 → 2400_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: 7300 → 2200_

"Alright! Then it's my turn! I draw!" Ruri exclaimed, her hand rising to three.

"Their opponents both have a staggering advantage in lifepoints and monsters. Also neither Rin nor Ruri has any face-downs left. It will take a major offense to turn the tables around." Yubi said, analyzing the situation as always.

Yuga grinned. "Just watch! I bet Ruri has a really great plan to turn things around again!" He said.

"I will start my turn by activating Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards! Next up I will activate the spell Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards, discarding two cards right after! I get rid of my Lazuli Bunting and Amber Cuckoo! Then I set up my continuous spell Card of Safe Return! Now I special summon Lyrical Luscinia – Turquoise Warbler! I can do that since I control no monsters!" Ruri announced, a petite girl in a bird costume appearing on the field.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Turquoise Warbler_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Turquoise Warbler's effect! When I special summon her from my hand I get to summon one of her friends from my hand or graveyard! I revive Amber Cuckoo!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Thanks to Card of Safe Return I get to draw a card whenever a monster is special summoned from my graveyard! Draw!" Ruri went on.

"Wow, you really put a lot of draw power into her deck!" Shiryu exclaimed in awe.

Yuga smiled. "Of course I did! Only the best for our girls!" He said.

"Her effect! I tribute her in order to add a "Lyrical Luscinia"-Card from my deck to the hand! I pick my second copy of Ruby Robin! Next up I will revive my Lazuli Bunting with her own effect as I currently control a Lyrical Luscinia! I draw thanks to my continuous spell and my Lazuli Bunting allows me to add another "Lyrical Luscinia"-Monster to my hand, namely Emerald Lark!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Lazuli Bunting_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Then I special summon Ruby Robin since I control at least two Luscinias!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And since I special summoned her from my hand I can now revive a friends of hers from my graveyard! I bring back Amber Cuckoo!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Card of Safe Return once more! I special summoned a monster from my grave, so I get to draw a card!" Ruri continued, now having six cards in her hand. "And I will tribute Cuckoo again in order to add another Ruby Robin to my hand, special summoning her from my hand, reviving Cuckoo again and so on!" She concluded.

"A loop?!" Alexandra exclaimed in disbelief.

Ruri nodded. "Yes! And every time this combo repeats my hand is strengthened by one card because of my Card of Safe Return!" She announced.

"Wow, this is a really clever loop! I suppose it was you or Yuga who came up with it?" Kumo asked her boyfriend.

Yubi nodded over to his counterpart who replied to her at that. "Yeah, I came up with it. Since Ruri told me that her brother Shun had a combo where he continuously searched out Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius with his Force Strix's effect, detaching Fuzzy Lanius which then added another copy of them to his hand, enabling Shun to summon two monsters again and Xyz Summon another Force Strix, repeating again and therefore resulting in a major formation of monsters, I thought that Ruri could also use a combo like this. And the Card of Safe Return just strengthens it, giving her draw engine." Yuga explained.

Kumo hummed. "I understand. Quite a good combo I'd say."

"Now then, I repeat this combo once more! As I announced I will now tribute Cuckoo, add Ruby Robin to my hand, special summon her, revive Cuckoo with her effect, draw one card!" Ruri yelled.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"Draw!" She shouted, now having seven hand cards. "Unfortunately I have no more copies of Ruby Robin in my deck! But do not fret! I tribute Cuckoo to add Lyrical Luscinia – Copper Jay to my hand! Then I can revive Amber Cuckoo from my graveyard! Namely since I control at least two Lyrical Luscinias! Come again!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Amber Cuckoo_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And guess what happens? That's right, I draw one card and I tribute her! I'll add **Lyrical Luscinia – Magenta Finch** to my hand with her effect! Then I normal summon Magenta Finch!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Magenta Finch_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 300/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect_

"Tuner?! Does this mean that you can also...?!" Yuji began in a shocked tone.

Ruri hummed. "Yes, I can! Me and Rin have been sticking together for a while now, so we learned from each other during that time! But before we get to the action I will activate the effect of my Finch! Once per turn I can raise the levels of all my Luscinias by up to one plus one more for every Lyrical Luscinia I control, selectable for each monster individually! I raise the level of my Finch and one of my Ruby Robins by one!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Magenta Finch: Lvl 1 → 2_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Ruby Robin: Lvl 1 → 2_

"Here it goes!" Yuga remarked with a grin.

"Birds with beautiful wings! Sing in unison and soar to the sky as one single being! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Warn and alarm! Level 4! **Lyrical Luscinia – Calling Drongo**!" Ruri cried out, an adult clad in a black bird costume with a forked tail appearing at that.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Calling Drongo_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1000/Winged Beast/Synchro/Effect_

"So this counterpart of yours can Xyz and Synchro Summon? Man, these girls are amazing!" Yuya exclaimed in awe.

( 47, Number One - Bleach OST Nightcore)

"Now then, onto the next monster! First I will activate the effect of my Drongo! She can banish herself with it! With this I have two free monster zones again! Now I special summon Sapphire Swallow from my hand since I control Luscinias! Furthermore she can bring along a friend, namely Cobalt Sparrow!" Ruri went on.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Cobalt Sparrow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 100/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Sapphire Swallow_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Effect_

"And then I will overlay these five monsters, Cobalt Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Ruby Robin, Sapphire Swallow and Turquoise Warbler!" Ruri shouted, the five monsters flocking together.

"An Xyz Summon with five monsters?!" Yuzu shouted in disbelief of her counterpart's move.

"Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! XYZ SHŌKAN! Dance in the sky! Rank 1! Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale_

 _Wind/Rank 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

-"Zero ATK?"- Yuya and Yuji stated in confusion.

"Not for long! First I will attach Golden Oriole to my Nightingale by Sapphire Swallow's effect! And then my Assembly Nightingale gains 100 ATK for every Xyz Material she has by her own effect!" Ruri announced.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 0 → 600_

Yuji whistled in amazement. "Wow, not bad Ruri! I bet this card must have an effect that turns even such low ATK into a deadly force, right?" He inquired.

Ruri nodded. "Yes! She can attack one time for every material she has and all of those attacks can be launched directly at you, bypassing your Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! With six materials and the effect of Lazuli Bunting that allows her an additional attack you will get hit seven times in total!" She responded.

Yuji looked impressed again. "Not bad! Really not bad at all! You have quite the **Ass** embly Nightingale I guess!" He remarked, looking at her monster before shooting its controller a side glance onto her backside.

Ruri blushed, trying to ignore his perverted remark and turning her backside away from him as much as it was humanly possible. Yuji chuckled at her embarrassed movement. After a while the girl continued with her turn.

"I will now activate the effect of my Calling Drongo, returning her to the field from my Banish Zone!" She declared.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Calling Drongo_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1000/Winged Beast/Synchro/Effect_

"And then I special summon Lyrical Luscinia – Emerald Lark from my hand since I already control Luscinias!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Emerald Lark_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 300/Winged Beast/Effect_

"I will activate the quick-play spell Cattle Call! By sending one face-up Winged Beast-, Beast- or Beast-Warrior-Type monster to the graveyard I can special summon one monster from my Extra Deck of the same type! It cannot attack, its effects are negated and it is destroyed during the End Phase though! I release Emerald Lark and summon Lyrical Luscinia – Raidboss Raven!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Raidboss Raven_

 _Wind/Rank 8/ATK 2500/DEF 2000/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

"What will this monster help if you cannot attack with it or use its effects?" Alexandra questioned.

"Oh, it will help plenty! Once I activate this! Rank-Up-Magic Luscinia Force! I added it back to my hand as I summoned my Calling Drongo! You should know that this spell returns to my hand every time I summon a Lyrical Luscinia from my Extra Deck while this card rests in my graveyard! Now I will use it to rank-up my Raidboss Raven by two ranks!" Ruri declared.

"She's summoning it! The monster I gave her on today's morning!" Yuga exclaimed in anticipation.

"Rank 10?!" Yuya chimed in, witnessing the summon of a monster that overshadowed the highest ranked monster he had ever seen up until this duel – Hokuto's Rank 5 Constellar Ptolemy M7 – with twice its rank. The Xyz-Girl began chanting as her monster was enveloped by a storm of feathers like always when she ranked-up.

(min. 1:17)

"Bird with beautiful wings! Transform on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! RANK-UP XYZ CHANGE! ASTOUND THEM WITH YOUR BEAUTY! RANK 10! **LYRICAL LUSCINIA – ENCORE LYREBIRD**!" She cried out as an ornithological female with the tailfeathers of its namesake appeared, albeit the ones of a male lyrebird, despite the monster's obviously female gender.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird_

 _Wind/Rank 10/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect_

Rin looked over to her counterpart. "So this is Ruri's new ace, the counterpart to my Glacier Bell. I see..." She murmured to herself, eyeing the monster.

"Now I play two continuous spells! The first is Lyrical Luscinia – Assault Formation!" Ruri said.

"More like **Ass** ault Formation!" Yuji shot back, grinning mischievously.

Ruri rolled her eyes. "Whatever! The other spell is Solidarity! While I only have one type of monster in my graveyard all monsters with the same type that I control gain 800 ATK! I only have Winged Beasts in my grave, so now my three monsters power up!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 600 → 1400_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Calling Drongo: ATK 1500 → 2300_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird: ATK 3000 → 3800_

"Furthermore I will detach Ruby Robin from my Assembly Nightingale to activate her effect! Her ATK rises by 800 until the End Phase! She may lose 100 ATK plus an attack by her other effect, but it will still be worth it in the long run! Bird Assault!" Ruri declared.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 1400 → 1300 → 2100_

 _"Wait, 800? Yesterday it was only 700. Did that girl somehow evolve her monster on her own?"_ Zarc wondered, floating nearby. Ray, hovering next to him, merely smiled knowingly.

Yuji smirked again. "You mean Bird **Ass** ault!" He stated.

A thick vein pulsated on Rin's forehead. "I swear, if you make one more joke about Ruri's butt during this duel I will kick you between your legs with full force, Yuji!" The green haired girl snapped at him.

Yuji shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, I'll stop! Go on with your turn, Ruri!" He said.

"Alright! Battle!" Ruri cried out. "My Encore Lyrebird will begin with a direct attack! She can do that due to her effect! However, the damage you will take will be halved! I attack Yuji!" She declared before raising her hand. "Now my Assault Formation will activate! When a Lyrical Luscinia from the Extra Deck attacks she receives ATK equal to the ATK or DEF of every Luscinia I control! This amount is halved when it comes from other Luscinias from the Extra Deck though! My Assembly Nightingale has 2100 ATK, meaning Lyrebird gains 1050 ATK from her! Plus 2300 ATK from my Calling Drongo divided by two means 1150 more ATK!" She shouted.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird: ATK 3800 → 6000_

(min. 2:17)

"Even with halved damage you are in for a beating! Graceful Blow!" Ruri shouted, Yuji getting hit with a hard impact by Lyrebird's tailfeathers, sending him skidding.

 **YUJI LP: 9450 → 6450**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 18900 → 12900_

"Lyrebird's effect! You should know that she hasn't the word "Encore" in her name for nothing! When she inflicts battle damage she can attack again! Lucky for you this effect is a once-per-turn, but that still means a major beating! Even without my Assault Formation as every monster may only receive its effect once per turn, otherwise my Assembly Nightingale would go absolute nuts with this card and the current setup! But I digress, so let's just battle again! Graceful Blow!" Ruri yelled, Yuji suffering another blow.

 **YUJI LP: 6450 → 3450**

"And now, much like before, your dragon will be impacted by your loss of lifepoints! As you no longer have more LP than me it will lose ATK! Since its effect Paragon Superiority and equip spell Phantasmal Might seem to count by the opponent who has the lowest LP it still has bonus ATK as Rin is at 1250 LP! But much less than before!" Ruri declared.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 12900 → 6900_

"And now, with six attacks on my Assembly Nightingale and the boost from Assault Formation, you're done for, Yuji! Go, attack him! Gale Dance – Step One!" Ruri shouted, her monster firing a blow of wind at him.

" **YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING TO HIM! YOU CAN HAVE YUJI OVER MY DEAD BODY!** " Alexandra snapped at her out of nowhere. Rin, Ruri and the spectators flinched from surprise at that sudden outburst of the Paragon-Girl. Said person then revealed her face-down.

"Trap card open! **Suffering of the Savior**! I select a monster and force it to attack me directly instead of its current target! Then this monster has to go at me for the rest of the turn while the battle damage is halved!" Alexandra yelled.

"But my Assembly Nightingale cannot be targeted by your card effects since she has Cobalt Sparrow as Xyz Material!" Ruri shot back.

"Are you deaf?! I said select, not target! Therefore my card succeeds and I get hit in Yuji's stead!" Alexandra screamed in response, gritting her teeth as she skidded back from the gale fired at her.

"Fine! But don't forget that my Assembly Nightingale powers up due to Assault Formation, increasing the damage you take by a lot! Half of Drongo's ATK is 1150 and since my Lyrebird powered up previously there's an additional bonus of 3000 ATK coming your way!" Ruri retorted.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 2100 → 6250_

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 12700 → 9575**

(min. 2:55)

"Even with the lowered damage it will only take four more blasts to finish you off! And with the remaining final blast your friend will meet his end as well!" Ruri pointed out.

"Not under my watch! I will banish Paragon Phantasma – Alpha Astoros from my graveyard! When a direct attack is declared this monster will give a player I choose LP equal to a Paragon-Monster on the field! I will obviously target my dragon for this effect and give Alexandra his ATK of 6900 as lifepoints! Normally I utilize this effect when my Razor Fang attacks in order to increase the damage, but now I will use it to protect her!" Yuji declared.

"Fine then! Then go again, Assembly Nightingale! Gale Dance – Step Two, Three, Four, Five and Six!" She shouted, her monster firing blast after blast at Alexandra. The yellow haired girl didn't flinch, despite continuously being sent farther backwards with every blast.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 9575 → 16475 → 13350 → 10225 → 7100 → 3975 → 850**

"She barely made it! Damn it, Ruri almost had her!" Shiryu cursed.

"Yeah. But these two managed to save both of them through their teamwork. I have to admit that they are pretty impressive when it comes to helping each other." Yubi chimed in.

"Those were some of the most unusual LP amounts I've ever seen." Kumo remarked.

"Most certainly." Yuga agreed.

"Now then, you have no more attacks since Suffering of the Savior prevents any other monsters from attacking after it was activated! And that means the second effect of my trap card Suffering of the Savior triggers! When the Battle Phase ends while I'm still in it and my lifepoints dropped past 2000, they become that value again! In addition to that I can draw two cards if I took 3000 damage or more! Draw!" Alexandra shouted.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 850 → 2000**

"She recovered some of her lost ground." Yuya said.

"Yeah. But the most impressive thing so far was the synergy between her and Yuji. Her and him being an experienced team seems to be no empty talk after all." Yuzu added.

"Alright then! I will set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Ruri spoke up, using two of the remaining cards in her hand. "The ATK of my monsters return to normal, aside from the bonus of my Solidarity of course!"

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 6250 → 1300_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird: ATK 6000 → 3800_

Rin looked over to her counterpart and smiled. "Good job, Ruri! You got rid of a lot of their lifepoints! Just one more turn and we have them!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

Ruri nodded. "Thank you. Hopefully you are right and you can finish them off next turn."

Rin grinned. "Don't worry, I do not plan on holding back!" She reassured her counterpart before they were interrupted by Yuji beginning his turn.

( 47, Number One - Bleach OST Nightcore end)

"Great! My turn again! I draw!" Yuji yelled, preparing his turn with the three cards he now had in his hand. "Well then, I will start my turn with the quick-play spell **Phantasmal Regeneration Updraft**! During this turn, all Lifepoint-Gains I receive will be doubled!" He said.

"I'm getting a really bad feeling..." Ruri whispered, knowing what lifepoints meant for Yuji's strategy.

"Next up is **Phantasmal Rejuvenation**! I add one "Paragon Phantasma"-Monster from my deck to the hand and gain 300 LP times its level! I add the level three **Paragon Phantasma – Theta Taebelli** to my hand! This means 900 LP for me! Plus 300 from my field spell and the whole thing doubled means 2400 LP to my bank account! And my dragon powers up as well! Paragon Superiority!" Yuji exclaimed victoriously.

 **YUJI LP: 3450 → 5850**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 6900 → 11700_

"And it begins anew..." Rin sighed in exasperation.

"Next up I will activate the spell card Card of Demise! I draw until I have five cards in my hand!" Yuji continued, drawing four cards. "Then I will reveal **Paragon Phantasma – Epsilon Estera** in my hand! By doing so until the End Phase I gain 600 LP! Don't forget my two spells by the way!"

 **YUJI LP: 5850 → 7650**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 11700 → 15300_

"Then I normal summon Epsilon Estera!"

 _Paragon Phantasma – Epsilon Estera_

 _Light/Level 2/ATK 1000/DEF 1000/Wyrm/Effect_

"Followed up by the effect of my Delta Dextronis! I pay 1000 LP and revive him!"

 **YUJI LP: 7650 → 6650**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 15300 → 13300_

 _Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis_

 _Light/Level 3/ATK 1000/DEF 1500/Wyrm/Effect_

"Then I activate the spell Double Summon! I can conduct another normal summon, which will be Paragon Phantasma – Theta Taebelli! Come!" Yuji cried out, another whitish serpentine dragon with golden jewelry and a Greek letter on its forehead joining the two others.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Theta Taebelli_

 _Light/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 1200/Wyrm/Effect_

"And when he is summoned I gain 500 LP for every Paragon Phantasma that I control! I have three, so that's 1500! Plus 300 and the whole thing times two makes it 3600 LP!"

 **YUJI LP: 6650 → 10250**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 13300 → 20500_

"Man, this guy is insane! It's barely the beginning of his turn and he's over ten thousand lifepoints again! Plus his dragon sits at a crazy amount of ATK as well!" Rin whispered.

"I activate the continuous spell **Phantasmal Aura**! Not only do all "Paragon"-Monsters receive 600 ATK while I have more LP than you, but it also has two additional effects!" Yuji went on.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis: ATK 1000 → 1600_

 _Paragon Phantasma – Epsilon Estera: 1000 → 1600_

 _Paragon Phantasma – Theta Taebelli: ATK 1600 → 2200_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 20500 → 21100_

"Now then, I dissolve my three Paragon Phantasmas in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" Yuji went on, his monsters vanishing, stars oozing out of their bodies. Eight levels turned into two deflectors, the latter of them beginning to spin around at that, creating another tornado. "Radiant dragons, assemble for your holy quest! Become a cry that shakes the heavens and descend! Paragon 2! Level 5! **Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme**!" Yuji cried out, a white dragon with golden jewelry meandering around its body appearing. It had a golden chest plate with a diamond in its middle, featuring its Greek letter Sigma which was engraved into the diamond and glowed with golden color. It let loose a roar as it joined its comrade Razor Fang, Yuji now controlling two bigger dragons that resembled the Chinese Long.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme_

 _Light/Paragon 2/Level 5/Clockwise/ATK 2300 → 2900/Wyrm/Paragon/Effect (U,D)_

"Now all of my Light monsters gain 400 ATK while Sigma Supreme is Paragon Protected!" Yuji stated.

 _Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme: ATK 2900 → 3300_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 21100 → 21500_

"Wait, why did your Razor Fang power up as well? Isn't he a Dark monster?" Rin questioned.

Yuji nodded. "Yeah, he is. But by his effect he also becomes a Light monster. I guess that fits him as he shares the looks of my Paragon Phantasmas anyway, being a white dragon resembling the Long. Now the second effect of my Phantasmal Aura! Once per turn, when a Paragon Phantasma is summoned, I can gain LP equal to its ATK! My setup will make this increase skyrocket, bringing me to 17400 lifepoints! Furthermore my three smaller Paragon Phantasmas give me 300 LP each since I used them as Paragon Material! Plus 300 more per monster by my field spell! Then this total of 1800 LP will be doubled by my Regeneration Updraft!" Yuji announced.

 **YUJI LP: 10250 → 17450 → 21050**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 21500 → 43100_

"This guy! He gained 10800 LP off one Paragon Summon!" Yuya exclaimed in terror.

"And his dragon is over forty thousand attack!" Yuzu chimed in with equal disbelief.

Yuji sighed in a pleased way. "Ah, having so many lifepoints feels so good! I feel like I could do anything without major consequences! In the real world I might have been very restricted with every mistake I could possibly make resulting in severe punishment, if not my death. But in a duel I can mess up as much as I want without losing it! This is the power of Paragon Phantasmas, the power to ascend to the heavens of survivability!" He declared.

"Wow, this guy is one tank and a half! He could take on squads of Obelisks Force and withstand their attacks for ages!" Shiryu stated in awe.

Yuga nodded. "Surely. We should try to convince these guys to help us, they would be a really good addition to our team." He agreed with his girlfriend.

"Anyway, I activate the effect of Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis! Up to twice he can be revived from the grave for the price of a thousand LP! I use this effect the second time and bring him back!"

 **YUJI LP: 21050 → 20050**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 43100 → 41100_

 _Paragon Phantasma – Delta Dextronis_

 _Light/Level 3/ATK 1000 → 1600 → 2000/DEF 1500/Wyrm/Effect_

"Then Delta Dextronis field effect! Like all Paragon Phantasmas he can turn one Paragon-Monster by a Cycle Unit during each turn! I use this effect to redirect my girlfriend's Fenghuanix into a Paragon Protected position again! Furthermore I use the effect of my Paragon Switcher to do the same with her Inugamix!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

"Sigma Supreme, your turn! Once per turn I can tribute one Paragon Phantasma to destroy one card you control while also gaining LP equal to the tributed monster's ATK! I tribute Dextronis and destroy your Encore Lyrebird! Phantasmal Ying-Yang Blast!" Yuji shouted, his dragon firing two beams from its body, one white aiming at Yuji and one black aiming at Ruri's monster.

"Hold up! Lyrebird's effect! Once per turn I can detach an Overlay Unit from her to make her unaffected by card effects until the End Phase! And you cannot react to this effect's activation! Go, Indomitable Bird!"

The tailfeathers of Ruri's monster wrapped themselves around the body of Lyrebird, shielding her against the effect at the cost of one material and 800 ATK as Solidarity no longer affected her. Meanwhile Yuji's lifepoints went even further up.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird: ATK 3800 → 3000_

 **YUJI LP: 20050 → 24650**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 41100 → 50300_

"And then finally I will make the probably greatest move of this Main Phase! I use the Paragon Mechanic and turn my Razor Fang by one Cycle Unit!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Left-Position → Up-Position; Positron Counters 3 → 4_

"Haha, I'm dying from laughter!" Rin remarked sarcastically about Yuji's joke.

The green and orange haired male smirked. "You think I made a joke, Rin? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I was being serious there! Turning my Razor Fang by one Cycle Unit WAS the best move I did so far! You see, the Positron and Negatron Counters serve as an indicator for when my dragon has completed a Paragon Cycle, meaning a full spin of 360 degrees. Since my dragon can go either way through his changing rotation, these two different kinds of counters subtract themselves from each other. And now that my dragon has completed a full clockwise spin, his true power will be unleashed!" Yuji announced.

Rin gulped. "His... true power?" She uttered in fear.

"Whatever this true power is, you will not attack Rin's one-monster-defense with it! Due to Lyrical Luscinia – Assault Formation you can only attack Lyrical Luscinias from the Extra Deck!" Ruri chimed in.

"Oh, is that so? Then I guess this means I have to deal with you instead! Fine! I attack that Calling Drongo of yours with my Sigma Supreme!" Yuji declared.

Ruri shook her head in negation. "You can't! Calling Drongo cannot be attacked while I have other Luscinias!"

"Fine! Then let me test the waters and attack your Assembly Nightingale!" Yuji retorted.

"Assembly Nightingale's effect! I detach Turquoise Warbler and negate the damage and her destruction! Bird Armor!" The Xyz-Girl cried out in response.

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 1300 → 1200_

"I knew it! This monster had some defensive ability! Good that I didn't waste my Razor Fang's attack on it! Because now it will begin!" Yuji declared, crossing his arms above his chest and beginning to utter a chant.

Alexandra grinned. "Now the time has come! The messenger of Quetzalcoatl will unleash its true form and send these nonbelievers to their demise!" She murmured.

"What is he saying?" Ruri wondered, listening to Yuji's words, but understanding not a thing.

"I believe that he is speaking in some weird ancient language." Rin responded to her.

"That's right!" Yuji addressed him, finishing his chant. "This was the language of the People of the Stars, the first ones to worship the Dragon Star and therefore Quetzalcoatl, the Crimson Dragon, our lord and savior! As its deputy my Razor Fang needs these ancient words to awaken his true form. But as a sign of my respect towards you, I will repeat these words in your language once more!" Yuji announced.

"The dragon's color! It's changing!" Shiryu remarked, noticing a golden glow slowly consuming the dragon.

( 53, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disc 2 #17 Numeron Dragon, the Dragon of Genesis)

"Great dragon of majestic white color! Transform and let god's splendor and magnificence become visible to me and my enemies! With the radiant power of Quetzalcoatl my foes shall be vanquished! BEHOLD TRUE DIVINITY! RAZOR FANG PARAGON DRAGON – TRUE FORM! **GOLDEN LONG MODE!** " Yuji shouted, his dragon's scales emitting a blinding light as they turned fully golden, the glow coming from Razor Fang's eyes surpassing the definition of the expression "glistening bright" by far, its antlers and irises turning into light green flames. At the same time the green lines over its body began shining as well. The dragon was enveloped by a golden and light greenish aura whose radiance consumed the surroundings as the dragon revealed its true form to the duelists and the spectators alike.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Positron Counters 4 → 0; ATK 50300 → 100600_

"What the hell is happening?!" Rin cried out in horror.

"The beginning of my holy crusade is happening! Battle! Razor Fang Paragon Dragon attacks Lyrical Luscinia – Encore Lyrebird! His equip spell increases my LP by 1000 since I'm attacking! Plus 300 from my field spell! Oh yeah, the Golden Long Mode also increases healing from all sources, doubling them! Meaning with Phantasmal Regeneration Updraft the amount I now receive is quadrupled! DIVINITY SIPHON STREAM – PEACEMAKER!" Yuji yelled, pointing at Ruri's monster.

 **YUJI LP: 24650 → 29850**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon:ATK 100600 → 121400_

"It's over a hundred and twenty thousand!" Yuzu murmured in terror.

"Not like that! I activate the trap Waboku! This negates all battle damage and the destruction of my monster!" Ruri shot back.

"Not bad! But before the true form of my dragon far from being good enough! Paragon Shatter!" Yuji shouted in response, his dragon strangling the card with its serpentine body until it was destroyed.

"WHAT?! BUT YOUR DRAGON ISN'T IN LEFT-POSITION! YOU CANNOT USE THIS EFFECT!" Rin screamed in disbelief.

Yuji smirked. "Not really! By turning my Razor Fang to Up-Position if he isn't in that position already while also removing four or more Positron or Negatron Counters, the Golden Long Mode can be activated! Until the end of this turn my dragon becomes unable to be spun around, making him practically invincible! In addition to that he gains all of his effects, regardless of his position! That's why my Razor Fang's ATK doubled and that's why he could negate Ruri's card! He used his Left- and Right-Position effects! And now his attack continues!" He explained, the dragon charging up a beam at Ruri's monster.

(min. 0:45)

"Damn it! Then I will activate the effect of my Calling Drongo! Once per turn when a battle is declared I can turn either the attacking or the attacked monster to Defense Position! Then I may also summon a Lyrical Luscinia from my deck, which I won't in case your dragon has any additional abilities it could exploit on my poor bird! Since your Razor Fang is a Paragon-Monster, rendering this effect useless against him, I will instead protect myself by switching my own monster to Defense Mode!" Ruri shouted.

"But isn't your Lyrebird unaffected by card effects, meaning this won't work on her either?" Alexandra asked.

Ruri shook her head. "No! Not against "Lyrical Luscinia"-Cards! Therefore my effect will work on her, protecting me from any battle damage!"

"Hah, do you really think so?! My Razor Fang's Down-Position effect gives him piercing damage! Paragon Piercer!" Yuji shot back.

"What?! It really can do this as well?!" Ruri shouted in disbelief.

"Uh huh! Since my main win condition is battle I have a way to counter most of your precautions regarding it! Now go, annihilate her! **DIVINITY SIPHON STREAM – PEACEMAKER!** " Yuji yelled once more.

(min. 1:13)

"Shit! Then Plan C! Trap card open, **Extra Shield**! This halves the battle damage I take from this battle one time for every Extra Deck monster I control! With three of them I only take an eighth of the original damage as it is halved thrice! In addition to that I can destroy two spells and traps when I control at least three of such monsters! I destroy your field spell and your Phantasmal Might, weakening your dragon!" Ruri cried out, the white temple collapsing at this and the little wyrms roaming the air vanishing as well. "Furthermore I will banish my three Ruby Robins from my graveyard! By doing this I gain 200 LP for every Lyrical Luscinia in my graveyard for each! I currently have Turquoise Warbler, Copper Jay, Emerald Lark, Amber Cuckoo, Lazuli Bunting, Magenta Finch, Recital Starling, Mimicry Cockatoo, Raidboss Raven and two Ruby Robin's in my graveyard! Meaning I gain 2200 LP! As my next Robin is banished this amount will be lowered by 200 respectively, meaning I also gain 2000 and 1800 LP!" Ruri announced, her LP skyrocketing at that.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 121400 → 64200_

 **RURI LP: 4000 → 6200 → 8200 → 10000**

"Even if you weakened my dragon, with ten thousand lifepoints and only an eight of the original value the damage you take will still be enormous and cut down your counter like crazy!" Yuji shouted back, Ruri being hit by the beam of his dragon and sent flying at that, suffering a major loss of lifepoints.

 **RURI LP: 10000 → 2288**

 **(Note: I rounded down the damage here. The value had a .5 at its end, so since no half LP exist in Yu-Gi-Oh and damage is always rounded in favor of the receiver (somebody with 1 LP who gets his LP halved remains at 1 LP, dropping to zero and losing the duel because of that would be stupid after all), I rounded the 7712.5 down to 7712 instead of rounding it up to 7713)**

" **RURI!** " Rin cried out worriedly, her gaze following the other girl in concern as she was knocked back several feet.

"Over 7000 damage, even if it was cut in eight! This guy is a monster!" Yuzu exclaimed in terror, observing the scene as well.

"A nice counter by Ruri! But seriously, this dude is insane! While he might only be good at battle and underwhelming at everything besides that and swarming and healing, his mastery in that department is undoubtedly commendable!" Kumo praised both her ally and said person's opponent.

Yubi nodded. "Definitely. He focuses on doing one thing, but does it incredibly well. A specialist in every sense of the word." He commented.

"Now Razor Fang's effect! Since he destroyed your monster he gives me lifepoints equal to Lyrebird's ATK or DEF she had on the field, whatever was higher! Paragon Leeching!" Yuji went on, his dragon shredding the golden orb of light that had been created from Lyrebird's remains to bits, converting it into a golden rain that invigorated Yuji.

 **YUJI LP: 29850 → 41850**

"Since I gained 12000 LP my dragon powers up by that amount times two, considering his Right-Position effect that doubles his ATK is currently active! Paragon Superiority!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 64200 → 88200_

"Now I activate the spell card Pot of Greed! I draw two cards! Then I will activate the spell **Shared Fortune**! I select two players and assimilate their LP until both have the same! Normally I use this card to even out the odds with my opponent! But now I select me and Alexandra, adding up the 2000 LP of hers with my 41850 LP! I distribute our combined value equally among us two!" Yuji said.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 2000 → 21925**

 **YUJI LP: 41850 → 21925**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 88200 → 48350_

"Oh Yuji, you're so good to me!" Alexandra exclaimed in joy as her lifepoints skyrocketed at the expense of her boyfriend.

"Anything for you, babe!" Yuji smiled back. He eyed the remaining hand card with a devious grin and placed it face-down. "Now then, with this face-down my turn and the effects of the Golden Long Mode and my Phantasmal Regeneration Updraft ends! My Razor Fang now only has his Up-Position effect, I no longer gain quadrupled lifepoints and Razor Fang can spin and gain counters again!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 48350 → 24175_

( 53, Yugioh Zexal Sound Duel 5 Disc 2 #17 Numeron Dragon, the Dragon of Genesis end)

"It's still at over twenty thousand." Shiryu remarked.

"I guess so. But since Yuji won't have an Anti Matter again Rin will most likely be able to weaken this dragon with her burn damage strategy." Yubi chimed in.

"Alright! Then it's my turn! Draw!" Rin shouted, now having five cards in her hand. "First I will set one card face-down! Then I special summon **Windwitch – Cold Bell** from my hand! I can do this because I currently control a Windwitch, namely Glass Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Cold Bell_

 _Wind/Level 2/ATK 500/DEF 500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

"And if I summon her this way you take 500 damage! I hit Yuji with this effect!" Rin declared before raising her hand. "At this moment my set card triggers! You see, when you would take effect damage while this card is face-down I can immediately activate this card, regardless if I set it during this turn or not! So here it goes, the continuous trap **Windwitch Acceleration Broom**! While this card is on the field effect damage my opponent takes is doubled! Meaning Yuji gets hit by 1000 damage rather than only 500!"

 **YUJI LP: 21925 → 20925**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 24175 → 23175_

"My continuous spell Windwitch Winter Shrine allows me to draw one card from my deck, evening out my hand again! Then I normal summon Windwitch – Snowflake Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Snowflake Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1600/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Then her effect! When she is summoned I can target her and one more Windwitch I control and grant them both a level that is up to the sum of their levels! I target my level four Glass Bell! Since their combined level is eight, I can now pick any level from one to eight and make both of my monsters that exact level! I pick seven!" Rin declared.

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell: Lvl 4 → 7_

 _Windwitch – Snowflake Bell: Lvl 4 → 7_

"And then I hit you with the original level of the second monster I targeted with this effect times 200! Glass Bell was level four, so now Yuji takes 800 damage! Also the times two multiplier of my continuous trap doubles that amount to 1600 damage!" Rin went on.

 **YUJI LP: 20925 → 19325**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 23175 → 21575_

"I draw thanks to my spell! Then I play my spell card **Windwitch Magical Transformation**! I send one monster I control to the graveyard and special summon one "Windwitch"-Monster from my grave or deck with one level lower or higher! I get rid of my Glass Bell which I turned into a level seven and revive Windwitch – Diamond Bell!" Rin cried out, reviving her new base ace.

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Her effect! I inflict 500 points of burn damage to you! I'll hit Alexandra so she doesn't get bored! Don't forget the doubled damage and my Winter Shrine!" She said, smirking at her counterpart who scowled, getting hit by a blast of ice shortly after.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 21925 → 20925**

"Draw!" Rin yelled, having four cards again. "I activate another spell, **Windwitch Magical Winter Ritual**! This revives one of my Windwitches! Resurrect, Frost Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Frost Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1400/DEF 1400/Spellcaster/Effect_

"And when she is summoned I can special summon another level four or lower Windwitch from my graveyard! Come, Windwitch – Glass Bell! Furthermore she inflicts 500 damage! I hit Alexandra again!" Rin stated.

 _Windwitch – Glass Bell_

 _Wind/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 1500/Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect_

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 20925 → 19925**

( 54, Attack on the Beat - Bleach OST Extended)

"I draw thanks to Wind Shrine! Then Glass Bell's effect! She searches out a Windwitch! I'll add a copy of Clear Bell to my hand! Then I will take my level four Glass and Frost Bell and overlay them!" Rin cried out, her monsters spiraling upwards into an icy galaxy portal.

"You can Xyz Summon as well?!" Alexandra cried out in shock.

Rin nodded. "Of course! My bond with Ruri is a mutual one after all! She can use Synchro and I can use Xyz! Now then, time to show you my newest monster!" She announced.

"Wow, these girls are really versatile! They can use multiple methods, just like Reiji Akaba!" Yuya exclaimed in admiration. This caused Yuzu to frown, showing traces of jealousy and shame as she was regretting that she was only capable of performing one method, and that not for very long as well, taking into account she was a newbie at Fusion Summoning.

"Icy gales blowing through the plains of midwinter! Overlay and turn into an adversity so harsh that everything opposing your coldness perishes! XYZ SHŌKAN! Appear, Bell of splendor echoing magnificently! Rank 4! **Windwitch – Gold Bell**!" Rin cried out as a golden sorceress appeared within a cold blizzard.

 _Windwitch – Gold Bell_

 _Wind/Rank 4/ATK 2600/DEF 2400/Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect_

"A solid first Xyz Summon, Rin!" Ruri praised her counterpart for her first successful Xyz Summon.

Rin smiled. "Thanks, Ruri! Moving on, I now tune my level eight Diamond Bell with my level two Cold Bell! Midwinter wind! Unite with immense cold and drive the temperature far past subzero! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Appear, Icy bell of glacial cold! Level 10! Windwitch – Glacier Bell!" Rin went on, her currently strongest monster entering the field.

 _Windwitch – Glacier Bell_

 _Wind/Level 10/ATK 3500/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"Xyz followed up by Synchro? Amazing!" Yuya whispered in admiration as he observed the scene, Yuzu having a jealous look on her face once more as her crush kept praising the other girl.

"Another spell! Monster Reborn aka Resurrection of the Dead! I bring back Diamond Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Diamond Bell_

 _Wind/Level 8/ATK 2800/DEF 2300/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"And I use her effect again, this time on Yuji! Cold Bolt!"

 **YUJI LP: 19325 → 18325**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 21575 → 20575_

"And as always I draw, bringing me to five cards again! Then I special summon Clear Bell as I currently control a Windwitch from the Extra Deck!" She announced.

 _Windwitch – Clear Bell_

 _Wind/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500/Spellcaster/Effect_

"Clear Bell's effect! I target her and one or more "Windwitch"-Monsters I control! And then I conduct a Fusion Summon using these monsters!" She went on.

"Fusion Summon as well?! Damn, this girl is totally like Reiji! Well, except her order of summoning, Reiji started with Fusion, went on with Synchro and finished with Xyz while she started this turn with an Xyz, followed by a Synchro and finishing with a Fusion!" Yuya stated.

' _She can even do Fusion?! Damn it, just how far am I behind compared to one of these girls?!'_ Yuzu thought grudgingly as she realized the obvious gap between herself and the likes of Ruri and Rin, gritting her teeth.

"Man, there are so many other methods out there!" Yuji whistled in surprise.

Alexandra nodded. "Right. But that means more methods for us once we beat these girls!" She replied.

"I will fuse Clear Bell and Diamond Bell as this monster requires one Windwitch plus another that is an Extra Deck Monster of either at least Level or Rank 7 or at least Link 4!" Rin went on.

Yuzu rose an eyebrow in curiosity. "Link?" She asked.

Yuya rubbed his temples. "Probably another method as well. Gosh, just how many of them are there?!" He sighed in exasperation. Meanwhile Rin's monsters began swirling into a vortex of cold.

"Chiming wind running through a snowfield of midwinter! Blow and freeze, destroy and annihilate! YŪGŌ SHŌKAN! Appear, Precious bell echoing menacingly! Level 10! **Windwitch – Amethyst Bell**!"

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell_

 _Wind/Level 10/ATK 3400/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect_

"Three methods from the Extra Deck? Impressive! But that's still far from proving that your ice is better than my fire!" Alexandra addressed her counterpart.

Rin smirked. "Oh, really? Then let me show you a little more so I can deliver the proof! I will now take my remaining Main Deck monster, Windwitch – Snowflake Bell which is level seven through her effect! I do that in order to Ritual Summon!" She stated.

"WHAT?! But a Ritual Summon needs a ritual spell first!" Yuji interrupted her in confusion.

Rin shook her head. "Not this one! You see, I have this really great friend who gave me a lot of good cards, including the soon following one! It is a monster that is placed in the Extra Deck by its effect and can be summoned from there without any ritual spells! I just need to tribute monsters that equal or exceed level seven and boom, I can Ritual Summon it from there! This is a technique called Chō Gishiki!" She explained.

"Ritual Summoning from the Extra Deck?! What nonsense, I bet that's just a bluff!" Alexandra retorted in disbelief.

"I think not!" Rin declared, her sole monster starting to transform into a blue orb of energy that emitted icy cold, much to Alexandra's surprise.

"Wait, this method! Isn't that the same as you used, Yuya?!" Yuzu addressed her friend in shock.

Yuya nodded. "It is. Seems like I didn't invent Chō Gishiki then, but this friend of hers. I wonder whom she was meaning with that..." He stated, oblivious about the identity of his counterpart, the one who gave him the name of the mechanic as he watched Yuya's duel.

Seven stars vertically aligned above the orb and Rin began chanting shortly after.

"By cold and ice you'll meet your demise! Shine as you freeze them to death! GISHIKI SHŌKAN! Appear, Glowing bell of deadly force! Level 7! **Windwitch – Shining Bell**!"

 _Windwitch – Shining Bell_

 _Wind/Level 7/ATK 2500/DEF 2100/Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect_

"Impossible! Synchro, Xyz, Fusion and Ritual! All of the Ultimate Summoning Methods of our world before you discovered Pendulum and these other new methods!" Yuzu cried out in disbelief.

Yuya nodded, gulping as he imagined what would happen with him if he was facing Rin with such a board.

"Great! Rin now has four monsters on her field, each of them originating from the Extra Deck!" Shiryu spoke up.

Yuga nodded. "And one of them is from our method! I'm so glad that the Chō Gishiki Energy accepted her deck so we could make one of them for her! And I'm even more glad that she is using this monster right now!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Now then, these two are in for one hell of a beating!" Yubi spoke up, eyeing the formation of Windwitches with neither of them having used their effects yet.

Rin's eyes narrowed. "Now it's time for the storm to come! Windwitch – Glacier Bell's effect! Once per turn she can inflict the total Level-, Rank- and Link Rating-Sum of all Windwitches I control times 100 to my opponent! My Glacier Bell is Level 10 and so is my Amethyst Bell! Furthermore I have a Level 7 Shining Bell and a Rank 4 Gold Bell! Since the total sum is 31, you're now going to take 3100 damage! I hit Yuji with it! Glacial Storm!"

"Kuh! Damn it!" Yuji cursed as the wave of ice hit him. His lifepoints were weakened as he suffered a total hit of 6200 damage, Rin's continuous trap doubling the damage.

 **YUJI LP: 18325 → 12125**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 20575 → 14375_

"At this moment my Winter Shrine and my Amethyst Bell kick in! I draw one card thanks to my Shrine and Amethyst Bell inflicts 500 extra damage to you whenever you take effect damage! Furthermore Amethyst Bell gains one Windwitch Counter whenever you take effect damage!"

 **YUJI LP: 12125 → 11125**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 14375 → 13375_

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 0 → 1 → 2_

"And thanks to this little encore I also get to draw a card from my Shrine!" Rin stated, now sitting at six hand cards. "Speaking about encores, how about my quick-play spell **Windwitch Encore**?! I chain this card to Glacier Bell's successful effect activation! You now take the same damage as before again, but doubled this time! Before you took 6200 damage, so now I will hit you with 12400 damage and end you! With this you are finished! **Goodbye, Yuji!** " Rin shouted pointing at him.

( 54, Attack on the Beat - Bleach OST Extended end)

Yuji furrowed his eyebrows. "Too hasty, Rin! I banish Paragon Phantasma – Beta Basal from my graveyard! I can do this when I would take lethal damage! Now the damage I would take is converted into lifepoints instead!" He then smirked. "Which is a great counter against your damage and a massive reinforcement for me, right?" He added, Rin gritting her teeth as his lifepoints skyrocketed.

 **YUJI LP: 11125 → 23525**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: 13375 → 25775_

"Fuck it! Then I'll just aim at Alexandra from now on! I activate the effect of my Shining Bell! Once per turn I can tribute a Windwitch in order to inflict her ATK as burn damage to you! I'll tribute my 3500 ATK Glacier Bell and hit your girlfriend with that amount of damage times two! Ice Lance!" Rin went on, her counterpart suffering a major hit by a frosty projectile.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 19925 → 12925**

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 2 → 3_

"Draw! Amethyst Bell also gives you 500 extra damage and I draw for another time thanks to Shrine! This ought to cool you down a bit!" Rin went on, her counterpart losing even more LP at that.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 12925 → 11925**

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 3 → 4_

"Now Amethyst Bell's effect! Once per turn I can remove three Windwitch Counters from her in order to special summon a Windwitch from my hand or graveyard! Resurrect, Windwitch – Glacier Bell!"

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 4 → 1_

 _Windwitch – Glacier Bell_

 _Wind/Level 10/ATK 3500/DEF 2800/Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect_

"And since she has returned she can use her effect again! 100 damage for every Level, Rank and Link Rating, remember? Have 3100 more points of damage! Times two obviously!" Rin shouted.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 11925 → 6725**

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 1 → 2_

"Draw! Then the encore from my Amethyst Bell! Plus another card and another counter of course!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 6725 → 5725**

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 2 → 3_

"Gold Bell's effect! Once per turn I can detach one Overlay Unit from her in order to add a "Windwitch"-Monster from my deck to my hand! However, I won't use this effect, but another! Gold Bell's second effect! The one I'm going to use revolves around detaching a number of materials in order to inflict 800 damage for each! I detach both of her materials and hit you with 1600 damage! Also add 500 more damage and multiply the whole thing with two!" Rin went on.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 5725 → 2525 → 1525**

 _Windwitch – Amethyst Bell: Windwitch Counters 3 → 4 → 5_

Rin drew another two cards. "Well, with twelve hand cards I have enough damage to defeat you!" She stated, eyeing cards like Tremendous Fire or Ookazi within her hand that would put an end to her counterpart.

Alexandra shot her a devious smile. "You think so? Your greed for cards and victory will not lead to my defeat! On the contrary, you will be punished for your sins while I am rewarded for my piety!" She retorted.

"What are you talking about?!" Rin shouted back in confusion, a little pissed off by her counterpart's beliefs of moral superiority towards her.

"I'll show you! This card can be activated if the conditions are fulfilled, regardless of its Card-Type and the current phase! The quick-play spell **Compensation of Greed**! If you have six or more cards in your hand than me, this card will force you to discard your entire hand while I get to draw three cards!" Alexandra declared in a victorious tone as she revealed the card in her hand.

" **What?!** " Rin shouted in shock as the cards slipped out of her hand one by one, being pulled into her graveyard by some magical force. Meanwhile Alexandra got three cards, now having five cards in her hand.

"She reversed the situation, got rid of twelve of Rin's cards and drew three herself. A splendid counter!" Yubi praised the yellow haired girl's move, admitting his honest respect for Alexandra's dueling, even if it was at the expense of Rin, a girl whom he loved dearly.

Rin narrowed her eyes. "Fine then! I will find another way to eliminate you! Battle! My Windwitch Gold Bell will attack your Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix!" She declared, her monster hurling a frosty missile at Alexandra's monster.

"But my monster is Paragon Protected, so she will just spin by one Cycle Unit!" The Paragon-Counterpart retorted, the RSV-Projection of her fiery bird's card performing a 90 degrees clockwise rotation.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Down-Position → Left Position_

"Fine then! Next attack! Go, Amethyst Bell! Attack her again and finish her off!" Rin went on.

"Not so fast! My continuous trap Paragon Switcher! Once per turn it can spin one Paragon-Monster by a Cycle Unit! I target her Fenghuanix with this effect!" Yuji chimed in, turning his girlfriend's monster into a safe position again. A barrier appeared, deflecting Amethyst Bell's attack.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix: Left Position → Up-Position → Right Position_

"Damn it! But I still have two more attacks and your monster is in a lethal position once more! Finish the job, Glacier Bell! ARTIC SHATTER!" Rin yelled, a blast of ice and snow consuming the flaming bird who was buried underneath the cold avalanche, letting out a high-pitched screech before it was drowned underneath the waves of ice.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 1525 → 425**

"Samsara of the Fire Kings' effect! I gain 300 LP since a Fire King was destroyed!" Alexandra shouted in response.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 425 → 725**

"Whatever! You're still dangerously close to hitting rock bottom! Since my remaining attack won't do anything against your Inugamix I will instead use my Shining Bell in order to attack your defense position High Avatar Garunix! Go, have her other colorful birdie join its friend!" Rin shouted, an ice blast sending the other Fire monster into the afterlife right after Fenghuanix.

"Very well! I now gain 300 LP! Furthermore Garunix's effect! When he is destroyed by battle I can summon a Fire King from my deck, except another High Avatar Garunix! Come, **Fire King High Avatar Sigbinix**!" Alexandra shouted, a creature resembling a hornless, bipedal goat with gigantic ears and a long tail appearing at her words. Its body had a silver color, wearing ornate gold armor and having long fangs of golden color.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 725 → 1025**

 _Fire King High Avatar Sigbinix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"She substituted one of her High Avatars for another." Kumo remarked.

"I activate my continuous spell's effect! Once per turn my Phantasmal Aura allows me to spin one "Paragon"-Monster! Like my Razor Fang Paragon Dragon for instance!" Yuji spoke up.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Right-Position; Positron Counters 0 → 1; ATK 25775 → 51550_

"He is preparing his Golden Long Mode again..." Ruri whispered, slightly worried by this.

Rin had a look of annoyance on her face, her last attack having only increased Alexandra's lifepoints while the offensive force had remained the same as Garunix and Sigbinix had exactly the same ATK. "I... end my turn!" She uttered grudgingly, exasperated that she hadn't been able to finish off either of her opponents, even if she had severely weakened them – or at least her counterpart.

"Great! Then the final turn of this duel begins! I draw!" Alexandra yelled, the yellow and red haired female's hand rising to six cards at that. "I will start with Samsara's main ability! Its 300 healing effect is surely handy, but nothing compared to this! Once per turn I can destroy a "Fire King"-Monster in order to add one "Fire King"-Card from the deck to my hand! I destroy Inugamix! However she is currently Paragon Protected, so that won't happen! Meaning I get to add another copy of Circle of the Fire Kings to my hand for free!" She declared.

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

"Then I will use the spell **Rejuvenating Offer**! By discarding two cards I can revive one monster from my graveyard while also gaining its ATK as LP! Come again, my loyal Fenghuanix!" She cried out, reducing her hand to four cards in order to revive her ace.

 _Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix_

 _Fire/Paragon 2/Level 7/Clockwise/ATK 2400/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U,D)_

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 1025 → 3425**

"And she is back to over 3000 lifepoints..." Rin cursed silently.

"That's not all! During this turn all monsters the players currently control that are of the same Card-Type as the revived monster are immune to destruction! My Fenghuanix is a Paragon-Monster, meaning both her and Inugamix are safe from my own monsters' destruction effects! Plus of course Yuji's dragon and his Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme as well! Anyway, I now activate the spell Circle of the Fire Kings! I destroy one King to revive another! I trade High Avatar Sigbinix for High Avatar Garunix!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 3425 → 3725**

"At this moment my Sigbinix activates his effect! Much like Garunix he revives during my next Standby Phase after his destruction! Due to Fenghuanix however this waiting time is skipped! Instant Flame!" She cried out, her monster's ability accelerating Sigbinix's revival.

 _Fire King High Avatar Sigbinix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"And much like Garunix he does something when he comes back! Namely forcing my opponent to discard up to two hand cards! This is a once-per-turn effect, but as Ruri only has her Copper Jay which she most likely planned on discarding for defense this should suffice anyway!" The Paragon-Girl said, her monster removing the sole card out of Ruri's hand with a swipe of its long tail.

"She is preparing her assault." Yubi murmured to himself, realizing what the removal of such a defensive handtrap monster meant.

"Now then, another spell, the good old Monster Reborn! I bring back one of the monsters I discarded for my Rejuvenating Offer, namely High Avatar Byakkix! With this all three High Avatars from my Main Deck have arrived on the field!" Alexandra announced as a white tiger appeared, having flame-like features of bright colors on its body, much like the previous two High Avatars.

 _Fire King High Avatar Byakkix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Beast/Effect_

"I activate my field spell's effect! Once per turn I can destroy a monster in my hand or on my side of the field in order to add a Fire King from my deck to my hand! I destroy High Avatar Garunix to search out **Fire King Avatar Chinthe**! Now I gain 300 LP and my Garunix comes back, destroying all monsters on the field!"

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 3725 → 4025**

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

"I banish the trap **Mirror Barrier** from my graveyard! By doing this mine and Ruri's monsters are safe from effect destruction until the end of this turn!" Rin cried out in response.

"Nice counter!" Alexandra praised her counterpart before continuing. "Now I gain 600 LP as two Fire Kings were destroyed, namely Sigbinix and Byakkix! But do not fret, because they will return now!" Alexandra shouted, the two fiery beasts being reborn once more.

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **4025** **→ 4625**

 _Fire King High Avatar Byakkix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King High Avatar Sigbinix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Beast-Warrior/Effect_

"Byakkix's effect! When he is reborn he takes out two of your spells and traps! Much like Sigbinix's discard effect this can only happen once per turn though! I get rid of your Windwitch Winter Shrine and Acceleration Broom!" Alexandra declared, her monster burning away the two cards that Rin controlled.

"She has five powerful monsters. That means she will..." Ruri began in a deliberating tone.

Alexandra's eyes widened. "Yes! I will Paragon Summon! I use my Byakkix and Sigbinix and dissolve them in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors with them!" She shouted, speaking again shortly after. "For this monster's summon Level 8 or higher monsters may be used, despite this Paragon-Monster's restricting level of seven! But in that case I must fulfill not the conditions for a Paragon 3-Monster, but a Paragon 4-Monster instead! Byakkix and Sigbinix have a combined level of sixteen, which is exactly the required material!" She stated, her monsters level splitting up into two groups respectively that aligned into group of four. Four Deflectors formed, though one dissolved again only shortly after, the remaining shielding the front, the left and the right. Alexandra began chanting at that.

"Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous and punishment and misery to the wicked! Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! PARAGON SHŌKAN! Flicker with grace and beauty! Enchant them and make them your own! Paragon 3! Level 7! **Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix**!" She shouted as a fiery fox with nine blazing tails appeared, each of them possessing a different shade of red, green or blue, either mixed together or purely in one of the respective colors.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix_

 _Fire/Paragon 3/Level 7/Clockwise/ATK 2800/Beast/Paragon/Effect (U,R,L)_

Alexandra rose her hand. "Now Fenghuanix's effect! I destroy both Garunix and Rin's Magical Winter Palace! Mutual Blaze!" She cried out, the fire of her ace consuming both Rin's field spell and the fiery bird, the white ice palace melting away.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 4625 → 4925**

"Now Kitsunix's effect! Whenever one of my Fire Kings would be or is destroyed she gains one Fox Counter for each! Meaning one in this case! Now Garunix revives, his effect annihilating all other monsters! Yours are protected and so are mine! Despite that Kitsunix wasn't on the field when Rejuvenating Offer was activated and therefore doesn't possess its protection she will simply be spun around by a Cycle Unit! But since three of my Fire Kings WOULD have been destroyed, she gains three more counters!" Alexandra proclaimed.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Up-Position → Right-Position; Fox Counters_ _0 →_ _1 → 4_

"And the next summon! I dissolve my Inugamix and Garunix in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" She cried out. While the latter monster normally transformed into eight stars of whom four vanished as they were not needed, the former monster's two already existing Paragon Deflectors merely shifted and aligned anew. She noticed the confused gazes of her opponents and spoke up again. "Oh yes, Yuji forgot to tell you that Paragon-Monsters used for the summon of other Paragon-Monsters count by their Paragon Number, not their level! Meaning a Paragon 2-Monster plus other monsters with four or more levels in total equals a Paragon 3 or lower monster! Like this one for instance!" She said.

"I see. So it works like with our Link-Monsters. Smaller Link-Monsters' Link Ratings transfer one-to-one in terms of materials for bigger monsters." Yubi contemplated. Meanwhile the yellow haired girl began chanting anew.

"Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous and punishment and misery to the wicked! Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! PARAGON SHŌKAN! Blaze with honor and pride! Keep flying until you find your true purpose! Paragon 3! Level 8! **Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix**!" She yelled, a flaming bird appearing and joining its colleagues.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix_

 _Fire/Paragon 3/Level 8/Clockwise/ATK 3000/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U,R,D)_

"Now Aosaginohix's effect! Since she was summoned I can now jam the activation of all card effects of a certain type for the rest of this turn, either monsters or spells and traps! I select the former to intercept any monster effects of you until the end of this turn! Fiery Blockade!" She announced, rings of fire binding Rin's and Ruri's monsters, disabling them from moving. "Furthermore her other effect! Once per turn, while Paragon Protected, I can destroy one Fire King in order to banish one opponent's monster! I destroy herself – she is Paragon Protected though – and banish your Glacier Bell! Purifying Flare!" She went on.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Fox Counters 4 → 5_

"Sorry to disappoint you, but it won't work! You may have prevented us from activating monster effects, but Glacier Bell has a continuous effect that will protect her! Once per turn every Windwitch on my field survives the first time it would leave the field! So this effect won't achieve anything!" Rin yelled in response.

Alexandra chuckled. "Very well, I will beat you anyway!" She announced, prompting Rin to grit her teeth in annoyance. "Now then, we're approaching the grand finale of this duel! I activate the quick-play spell **Rise from the Ashes**! By this card's power I may pay half of my lifepoints in order to revive as many Fire Kings from my graveyard as possible! I revive Fire King High Avatar Inugamix and High Avatar Garunix! Now my zones are full! But since Paragon-Monsters possess the ability to be summoned into the so called Extra Monster Zones when all other Monster Zones of a player are full I will also summon High Avatar Basanix into my Extra Monster Zone!" She told, oblivious of the fact that Rin and Ruri already knew what Extra Monster Zones were, due to their friends from the Link-Dimension and Yuga that is.

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **4925** **→ 2463**

 _Fire King High Avatar Basanix_

 _Fire/Paragon 1/Level 4/Clockwise/ATK 1500/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U)_

 _Fire King High Avatar Garunix_

 _Fire/Level 8/ATK 2700/DEF 1700/Winged Beast/Effect_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix_

 _Fire/Paragon 2/Level 5/Clockwise/ATK 2200/Beast/Paragon/Effect (R,L)_

"So they also have Extra Monster Zones in their world, though for other purposes." Kumo spoke up.

"Quite intriguing." Yubi agreed.

"What the hell is an Extra Monster Zone?!" Yuya cried out in confusion.

Yuzu shook her head, sighing. "I suppose something from another world as well. Sigh, I'm starting to feel like we're living in the 90s with what we have here in this world compared to the others!"

Alexandra's eyes widened. "And with this the preparations for my ultimate trump card are finished!" She announced.

"Your ultimate trump card?! Your Kitsunix and Aosaginohix aren't your strongest monsters?!" Rin shouted in surprise.

Alexandra chuckled. "Of course not! While they might compare to your Glacier Bell or Ruri's Encore Lyrebird in terms of strength they are not my limit! I'm far stronger than the two of you after all, and so is this monster! I will dissolve Fire King High Avatar Garunix, Fire King High Avatar Fenghuanix and lastly Fire King High Avatar Inugamix in order to set up the Paragon Deflectors!" She announced, the three monsters transforming into Deflectors and stars that gathered on a single Monster Zone, surrounding it like a frame, building a rectangle.

"Wait! Could this monster possibly be...?!" Shiryu spoke up in shock.

Yuga and Yubi nodded. -"Yes, it must be!"- They replied in unison.

Kumo hummed. "I also think so. This must be her bigger ace, the one comparable to Shiryu's Susanoo or my Link 6 Ace." She stated.

"What kind of blazing abomination is she going to summon now?!" Yuzu whispered, shocked, but observing with awe in her gaze.

"I wonder about that too..." Yuya chimed in, awaiting the arrival of Alexandra's final monster.

"What the hell are you planning on summoning?!" Rin addressed her counterpart. Ruri merely gulped, an anxious look on her face.

"I'll tell you! This monster needs at least three Fire Kings and at least two of them need to be Paragon-Monsters of Paragon 2 or higher! With the arrival of this divine creature our duel will come to an end!" She announced, the four Deflectors beginning to spin, creating a blazing tornado that eclipsed the previous firestorms by far in terms of intensity.

"It's time! Now they will know the true terror that is Alexandra at full power!" Yuji whispered, smirking deviously in anticipation.

( 55, Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Battle! Ultra Ho-Oh; if the video gets deleted the normal Ho-Oh Theme from HG & SS suffices as well)

Alexandra's body was surrounded by a blazing aura, much like before the duel when she had used her Divine Spell. As she chanted the fire whirlwind began raging even more.

"Within the heat of burning cinders a new creature will arise! The searing temperatures of this planet's molten core will bring prosperity and felicity to the righteous and punishment and misery to the wicked! Pious flame, shine and rise as a pillar that stretches up into the ether! Your power will burn malice to ashes and incinerate all evildoers! As you rise with blazing wings the path to their end opens up! Your blessing will reward the pious with eternal life and your fury will judge and punish the wicked! **PARAGON SHŌKAN!** IGNITE AND BURN WITH FLAMES OF ETERNITY! THE ALMIGHTY CREATURE THAT NEVER TRULY DIES, FOREVERMORE BEING REBORN EVEN STRONGER THAN IT WAS BEFORE! RESURRECT FROM A BURNING NOVA OF FIRE! BY ITS HOLY, EVIL-INCINERATING MIGHT YOU NONBELIEVERS SHALL NOW PERISH LIKE SCUM! **BEHOLD IMMORTALITY!** " She screamed, her eyes widening at that sentence, her irises burning just like the monsters she used. " **PARAGON 4! LEVEL 12!** _**FIRE KING GOD AVATAR PHOENIX!**_ " Alexandra yelled at the top of her lungs as an enormous bird emerged from a raging pillar of flames, spreading its wings. The major part of its head and the lower part of its wings were crimson while the upper part of its wings and a few parts of its head were yellow. On its back it had a row of multicolored feathers going all the way from its neck to the lower end of its body, having a head crest and tailfeathers of the same multitude of colors. Its silver claws and golden peck burned with a flaming aura, its bright red eyes possessing golden irises that also flickered with a burning intensity – in every sense of the word as they were literally on fire. As Rin – much like all others facing the newly summoned monster – looked at it, she had to admit that there was most likely no spot where this enormous creature sitting at a height of roughly sixty feet had no flames. This was confirmed as the bird opened its mouth to let out a screech, the Synchro-Girl catching sight of its crimson tongue in the process, which was – surprise, surprise – also on fire. The phoenix finished its protracted screech at that. As it was done with announcing its arrival the stat indicator appeared, the small box showing an ATK of 4000 and a Paragon Number of 4.

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix_

 _Fire/Paragon 4/Level 12/Clockwise/ATK 4000/Winged Beast/Paragon/Effect (U,R,D,L)_

"Paragon... 4?!" Ruri whispered in shock. "Does this mean that...?!" She stammered.

Alexandra smirked. "Exactly! This monster can never die by card effects or perish by battle and I will never take any damage from attacks involving her! She will simply spin and spin and spin! This is the power of the phoenix, the immortal bird! This is the power of Paragon! And much like Fenghuanix she has an ability that can destroy herself in order to destroy two cards in my opponent's control! I will activate this ability and destroy both her and your Lyrical Luscinia – Assault Formation and Solidarity! The loss of the latter lowers you monsters' ATK! BLAZING JUDICATOR!" She yelled, three flame pillars erupting from the ground, searing all three of its victims, including itself.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Fox Counters 4 → 5_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Assembly Nightingale: ATK 1200 → 400_

 _Lyrical Luscinia – Calling Drongo: ATK 2300 → 1500_

"Now God Avatar Phoenix's effect! Whenever her destruction is prevented she gains 400 ATK! ASHES OF AEONS!" The yellow haired girl shouted, the mighty phoenix – true to its name – arising from the ashes once more, this time even bigger and stronger than it was before, its wings burning even more intensely.

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 4000 → 4400_

(min. 1:26)

"Now all the preparations for the ultimate finale have been met!" Yuji spoke up at once.

"And why, if I may ask?" Rin questioned while raising an eyebrow.

He smirked. "I told you that we were a good team, right? And as such we will now unleash our ultimate team-move! Behold, this is the climax of this duel!" He shouted, Rin and Ruri gulping nervously. Meanwhile Yuga addressed his squad inside the Vanisher.

"Guys, I have a really bad feeling about this. That's why we will execute the following plan..." He began, starting to explain the plan to his friends. In the meantime Yuji flipped up a card.

"TRAP CARD OPEN! ****MAGMA-TWILIGHT FINALE**** **!** This card can only be activated if there are both Light, Dark, Fire and Earth monsters on the field!" He declared.

"But there are no Earth monsters here! You cannot use that trap!" Rin snapped back in response.

Alexandra grinned. "Oh, how wrong you are! You should know that all my High Avatars from the Extra Deck and my God Avatar are also treated as Earth monsters by their effects! So since I have Fire and Earth monsters while Yuji has Light and Dark monsters due to his Razor Fang which is treated as both, the conditions for our trap have been fulfilled!" She retorted, much to her counterparts' shock.

"Now then, Magma-Twilight Finale's effect! First of all I get to destroy something! Four times to be exact! I fire the first charge at Alexandra's God Avatar Phoenix! And also the second, third and forth!" He exclaimed, missiles of lava being hurled at the monster repeatedly, causing the card to spin multiple times while the monster resurrected over and over, High Avatar Kitsunix gaining Fox Counters in the process.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Fox Counters 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Right-Position → Down-Position → Left-Position → Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 4400 → 4800 → 5200 → 5600 → 6000_

"So your goal was powering up that Phoenix?" Ruri guessed.

Alexandra shook her head. "Only partially, Ruri! The main goal was spinning my Phoenix! Because once per turn, if she completes a full rotation of 360 degrees and enters her Up-Position once more, which is called a Paragon Cycle, her true power can be unleashed, much like Yuji's dragon has its Golden Long Mode!" She announced with visible anticipation in her tone.

-"WHAT?!"- The two other girls cried out in shock. Before they could ask any more questions their counterpart continued.

"Fire King God Avatar Phoenix's effect!" Alexandra yelled, crossing her arms and beginning to utter a brief incantation. "Divine beast! Flicker and burn! Blaze and sear! Flaming vessel of immortality, take your true form and bring justice upon them! Set the world ablaze! Kill and destroy! Annihilate the wicked and get rid of the scum besmirching our beautiful world! This place will burn until it is reborn from the flames as an utopia! FIRE KING GOD AVATAR PHOENIX – TRUE FORM! ****INFERNO GODDESS OF JUDGEMENT!**** " She shouted, the flaming aura around her monster increasing tenfold, a halo-like ring of golden flames flaring to life above its head.

(min. 2:33)

"What... is this?!" Rin stammered in horror.

"This, my fellow faker, is my monster's true form! Upon activation of it she destroys all "Fire King"-Monsters I control! And then all cards you control will be banished!" She yelled.

"Over my dead body! Windwitch – Glacier Bell's effect will protect three of my monsters!" Rin shot back.

Alexandra smirked. "Unfortunately Magma-Twilight Finale has another effect that negates your monster effects until the end of this turn! Now do it, Phoenix! Burn all of them to ash! DIVINE INCINERATION!" She screamed, her monster flapping its wings, creating a firestorm that consumed each and every card of Ruri and Rin without exception. Meanwhile both Phoenix and Alexandra's other Fire Kings were protected against the downside of this effect, merely spinning by one Cycle Unit each.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Basanix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Right-Position → Down-Position; Fox Counters 9 → 10 → 11 → 12 → 13_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Right-Position → Down-Position; ATK 6000 → 6400_

"Furthermore Phoenix gains 300 ATK for every banished card until the End Phase! I got rid of Ruri's Assembly Nightingale and Calling Drongo and your Glacier Bell, Amethyst Bell, Gold Bell and Shining Bell! Six cards make 1800 ATK!" She went on, addressing Rin.

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: ATK 6400 → 8200_

"Plus Magma-Twilight Finale's effect goes on! I can now spin one Paragon-Monster up to four times! I pick my Razor Fang Paragon Dragon!" Yuji chimed in again.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Right-Position → Down-Position → Left-Position → Up-Position → Right-Position; Positron Counters 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5; ATK 51550 → 25775 → 51550_

"I will now tribute High Avatar Basanix to activate her effect! I can now bring back a Paragon 2-Monster from my graveyard! I revive Inugamix with it! Come!" She shouted, the wolf entering the field anew with a howl.

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix_

 _Fire/Paragon 2/Level 5/Clockwise/ATK 2200/Beast/Paragon/Effect (R,L)_

"Now I activate one of the two remaining cards in my hand, the continuous spell **Collective of the Fire Kings**! Then I spin my monsters into a safe position again!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Down-Position → Left-Position_

"And lastly my Inugamix activates her effect! Once per turn I can destroy one Fire King in order to give them all 300 ATK times that monster's level! My Phoenix is level twelve! Meaning they all gain 3600 ATK until the end of this turn! Furthermore my Phoenix spins, gaining 400 more ATK and my Kitsunix gains a Fox Counter!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 3000 → 6600_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: ATK 2800 → 6400; Fox Counters 13 → 14_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 2200 → 5800_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Down-Position → Left-Position; ATK 6400 → 10000 → 10400_

"Why are you strengthening your monsters when you can attack us directly anyway?" Rin asked in bewilderment.

Alexandra smirked. "Oh, obviously to stress who of us is the better duelist and to point out just how much better fire is compared to ice!" She remarked, prompting the green haired girl to grit her teeth. "Battle! I now use two more effects! First of all my Collective of the Fire Kings gives all my Avatars 200 ATK for each of them! I have Phoenix, Inugamix, Kitsunix and Aosaginohix! With four Fire Kings they all gain 800 more ATK!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 6600 → 7400_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: ATK 6400 → 7200_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 5800 → 6600_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: ATK 10400 → 11200_

"And finally my Kitsunix can convert all of her Fox Counters into 200 ATK for every removed counter! Blazing Empower!" She concluded.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Fox Counters 14 → 0; ATK 7200 → 10000_

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 7400 → 10200_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 6600 → 9400_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: ATK 11200 → 14000_

(min. 3:39)

"Now then, this should teach you a lesson about who's truly on top, Rin!" Alexandra stated. "And to not imitate the High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl like a cheap faker!" She added in a hissed tone, scowling from her anger about this apparent insolence, obviously not aware of the whole counterpart-story. Her face lit up as he turned to her boyfriend and smiled at him. "But since Yuji was such a great help to me during this duel I won't just directly attack you with all of my monsters. That would be rather cheap and especially disrespectful against Yuji. Therefore he will get to do half of the honors and finish Ruri while I finish you, Rin!" She addressed her counterpart.

"Huh? But how should Yuji do that? His sole win condition is battle, right?" Rin asked the yellow haired girl.

Alexandra nodded. "Exactly! And this will be the way he will do it! Mind explaining them, Yuji?" She asked.

"Not the least bit!" He retorted before rising up his right arm. "Our trap has one last effect! During the turn Magma-Twilight Finale is activated I can pick one Paragon-Monster and enable it to attack, even during an opponent's turn! Usually such an effect would be used in order to counterattack! But I will do something different, select my Razor Fang Paragon Dragon and use him to attack Ruri during this turn while my gorgeous as hell girlfriend takes care of Rin with her God Avatar Phoenix!" He declared.

-" **WHAT?! ATTACKING DURING AN OPPONENT'S TURN?!** "- Both Rin and Ruri (and some of the bystanders in their respective hideouts) shouted in shocked unison. Meanwhile Yuji went on with his talk, grinning from ear to ear.

"And you know what?! There will also be a very special way to finish this duel!" He announced before crossing his arms above his chest, beginning to murmur strange words.

"Wait! Is he really going to this power again?!" Ruri whispered in terror as she perceived the ancient words once again. Yuji finished his chant and repeated it once more, this time understandable for the others as well as he switched the language.

"Great dragon of majestic white color! Transform and let god's splendor and magnificence become visible to me and my enemies! With the radiant power of Quetzalcoatl my foes shall be vanquished! BEHOLD TRUE DIVINITY! RAZOR FANG PARAGON DRAGON – TRUE FORM! **GOLDEN LONG MODE!** "He shouted as his dragon took its divine, golden form again. The card redirected itself into Up-Position, the dragon briefly losing its ATK-increasing Right-Position effect before regaining it through the power of the Golden Long Mode.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Right-Position → Up-Position; Positron Counters 5 → 0; ATK 51550 → 25775 → 51550_

" **NO WAY! BOTH OF THEIR MONSTERS HAVE TAKEN THEIR DIVINE FORMS!** " Rin yelled in horror as she stared at God Avatar Phoenix and Razor Fang, hovering next to each other enveloped by a fiery red and golden-light greenish aura respectively.

"IT'S TIME FOR YOU NONBELIEVERS TO SAY YOUR PRAYERS AND BEG QUETZALCOATL FOR MERCY!" Alexandra screamed at them, pointing at the other girls with her left arm. With a smirk towards Rin she added. "And it's also time that you realize just how much better my fire is compared to your ice!"

"THAT'S RIGHT! REPENT FOR YOUR VIOLATIONS OF THE MACROCOSMIC PEACE! GIVE YOUR SOULS INTO THE PURIFYING HANDS OF THE MESSIAH OF QUETZALCOATL SO YOUR SINS MAY BE WASHED AWAY!" Yuji chimed in, stretching out his right arm and standing shoulder to shoulder with his girlfriend, their positioning almost looking like a dramatic choreography. "And in addition to your souls your may give your hot looking bodies into my hands as well!" He added with a mischievous grin.

-" **NOW THEN, ATTACK!** "- Yuji and Alexandra yelled, their monsters beginning to charge up their attacks.

"I... I … I activate the effect of the trap ****Vanguard Blockade**** and banish it from my graveyard! By doing so I end the Battle Phase!" Rin stammered before collecting herself to declare her move, her voice filled with immense panic and fear as she activated one of the many cards that Alexandra had sent to the Synchro-Girl's graveyard with her Compensation of Greed.

Yuji chuckled. "Man, you are so desperate Rin!" He exclaimed as he noticed her panicked tone. "Did you already forget that my Razor Fang has access to all of his effects in his Golden Long Mode?! Like its Left-Position effect for example! Once per turn, during the Battle Phase, he can negate the activation of a spell or trap card or the activation of one of their effects! Paragon Shatter!" The green and orange haired male said, his monster's long, slim body wrapping itself around the trap and destroying it per strangling.

"No! This can't be happening! Are we really going to...?!" Rin murmured in horror, Ruri looking equally scared as her.

"So these counterparts of yours are really going to..." Yuya began.

-" ** _ **NOW YOU LOSE**_** _!_ "- The Paragon-Couple finished for them. -" ** _ **HOLY NOVA OF EVIL'S SEARING – PURIFIER! / DIVINITY SIPHON STREAM – PEACEMAKER**_** ** _ **!**_** "- They yelled their respective monster's attack name in unison, the blazing phoenix flapping its wings and sending a firestorm at Rin while the white greenish dragon firing a golden beam of light from its maw that headed for Ruri. -" ** _WITH THIS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, THE CRIMSON DRAGON, TRIUMPHS ONCE AGAIN! HAIL QUETZALCOATL_ _!_** "- They heralded their victory as the two attacks connected, sending the girls flying.

 ** **RIN LP: 1250 → 0****

 ** **RURI LP: 2288 → 0****

( 55, Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Battle! Ultra Ho-Oh end)

"I'm sorry, Yuga..." Ruri whispered as she was thrown backwards, her body heading for the opposite end of the alleyway, the walls on the sides of her drifting away in slowmotion. _'You gave me so much potential for my deck and I failed to make use of it properly. I am such an incompetent girl.'_ She went on in her thoughts. She remembered the morning of this day, when the Gishiki-Duelist had given her a new, even stronger ace, Encore Lyrebird. _'Even with all of your help I couldn't win. I'm so sorry for my failure.'_ She regretted within her mind. She closed her eyes, awaiting the impact of hitting the hard walls of the alleyway's end to which she was sent by the strong knockback. She braced for the pain in her back and waited. But it never came. When she opened her eyes again she noticed that she was still in the middle of the alleyway. She furthermore felt a pair of arms around her body. Turning around she looked at the grinning face of a blue and gray haired male. Said person addressed her now.

"Did you seriously think I would simply stand somewhere and watch you slamming against the walls of the alleyway from the knockback? Like I said on today's morning, I love you Ruri, so I will always be on standby to save you if you get into situations like this!" Yuga said to her, having a caring look in his eyes and a smile on his face as he reassured her.

Ruri briefly looked around, seeing that a few feet left from them Yubi had also caught Rin as the two girls were sent flying. She looked back to Yuga and blushed as she faced his caring expression once more. Then she spoke up to him, slightly embarrassed about her previous failure.

"But... I lost the duel. Aren't you mad at me for that?" Ruri asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah, we lost. Isn't that a failure for our team?" Rin chimed in, giving Yubi a confused look as he held her in a similar fashion as Yuga did with Ruri.

Yuga chuckled. "Oh please Ruri, this was merely a minor setback for us. Besides that you and Rin tried really hard to win, so you don't have to blame yourselves for anything." His smile intensified. "Also you don't have to achieve victory to be useful members of this team. Your duel gave us vital information about their decks' strengths which we can exploit now. For all I care you could have lost spectacularly in a one-sided duel and I would still love you the same." He said, prompting the girl to smile warmly. He went on with a deliberating tone. "Also your duel gave me a confirmation about something." He stated.

Ruri looked confused, her Synchro-Counterpart sharing that expression. "A confirmation?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes, a confirmation. Namely one that says that you and Rin need better cards. You have a lot of methods and high-quality cards in your decks, but despite that you lack a proper ace. One that eclipses even your Encore Lyrebird and stands on par with Shiryu's Susanoo, Kumo's Link 6 Ace or Alexandra's God Avatar Phoenix. This counts for Rin as well." Yuga replied.

"So do you mean that you plan on giving us monsters...?" Rin chimed in from the other side of the alleyway.

"Yes. Yuga has already been working on yours, but now that we know that you definitely need them we will accelerate the process and finish them. We will give you aces that reach the limits of your methods. A Level or Rank 12 Ace for both of you respectively." Yubi responded, the girls' faces lighting up at that.

"Well, you know what, Yubi? Let's not quit with giving all girls an ace of that power for only one method! How about doing that for every method? Rin has already shown her mastery about four different methods anyway, so let's not stop there, right?" Yuga spoke up.

Ruri's expression changed into one of sheer disbelief. "You want to give us one of such cards... for every method?!" She asked in a shocked tone, the declaration sounding way too unbelievable.

Yuga nodded. "Yeah, I want! You girls need to defend yourselves from the Professor's henchmen anyway, so with multiple very powerful aces this should be way easier to accomplish! It might not work for Pendulum as we cannot reproduce its energy properly, but aside from that we will make sure that you get a very powerful ace for each and every summoning method out there! Only the best for girls I love!" He said. As Rin looked around to him in confusion he added. "Oh, I didn't outright say that before, did I? Well, I love you as well, Rin. Not as much as Shiryu and Ruri, but still a lot. You make it very hard to not love you after all." He stated, causing the green haired girl to blush massively.

"Hey! You there! I dunno what the hell you want to accomplish with all that lovey-dovey talk, but I'd appreciate it if you handed over those imitators to us! We won the duel and therefore we get to have their cards and Yuji their butts!" Alexandra addressed them abruptly, the girls and their side-crushes turning around to the Paragon-Counterparts at her words.

Yubi grinned. "This duel and over? Don't you see that the Sphere Field is still activated? I'm afraid that this duel will have to continue for a while!"

"Right. This isn't over yet." Kumo chimed in, walking out of her hideout behind the trash container. Much like her boyfriend Kumo showed them her duel disk – an activated duel disk.

-" **INTRUSION PENALTY!** "- A robotic voice spoke up from their disks.

 ** **YUBI: 2000****

 ** **KUMO: 2000****

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 51550 → 50050_

( 56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 # 10 Revolver Theme; It happened, guys! They released the first Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains Sound Duel! Meaning we can finally have the Knights of Hanoi Theme without obnoxious background sounds! So here you go with said theme, in this story also referred to as "The Power of Revolver" as you might remember)

"What?! An intrusion?! Seriously?! And why the hell do you and that other guy look like me?! Imitating the Messiah of Quetzalcoatl is also a great sin!" Yuji exclaimed in an exasperated tone, infuriated that after his girlfriend he also met fakers who seemingly tried to look like him.

Yubi nodded. "That's right! We will finish this duel on Rin and Ruri's behalf! I will take Ruri's place and my girlfriend Kumo will take Rin's! Meaning the next turn will be mine!" He stated. "And regarding your other question, we will wait with the explanation of that!" The white and black haired male added.

"Too hasty, my fellow imitator! Did you forget that I still have three powerful Fire Kings to attack you and that other girl looking like me with?! Go, Kitsunix, Aosaginohix and Inugamix, finish them!" Alexandra shouted fiercely, sending out her beasts against the Link-Couple.

(min. 0:21)

Yubi yawned. "I discard ****Blockadevullet Dragon**** to end the Battle Phase!" He stated, a dragon appearing in front of him and forming a barrier that deflected the attacks.

"Kuh! I end my turn! My monsters' ATK lower as the effects of Collective of the Fire Kings, Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix, High Avatar Inugamix and the Inferno Goddess of Judgement Mode of my God Avatar Phoenix expire! She gets to maintain the ATK-boosts from her other effect Ashes of Aeons though!" Alexandra declared.

"Also the Golden Long Mode ends as well!" Yuji chimed in as his monster also lost its divine aura.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: ATK 10000 → 2800_

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 10200 → 3000_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: ATK 9400 → 2200_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: ATK 14000 → 6800_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 50050 → 25025_

"Great! Then it's my turn! I draw!" Yubi shouted. Meanwhile the Standard-Counterparts discussed about the recent developments.

"Hey Yuya, are there really two other guys looking like you?" Yuzu spoke up in disbelief.

Yuya sighed. "I guess so. Plus one more girl looking like you as well. Slowly I'm starting to believe that someone had a lot of fun with a cloning machine or something like that." He replied in exasperation. He eyed one person more closely after that. "This one guy though, the one with the dark blue and gray hair... he reminds me of someone." He stated in a deliberating tone.

Yuzu nodded as she contemplated about said person's identity herself. Suddenly it clicked inside her mind as she put all the pieces together. "Wait! He is a blue haired guy and seems to be a friend of that green haired girl! And that Rin said that she had a really good friend who gave her a lot of cards – something this dude even talked about just now – one of them being this Super Ritual-Monster of hers! Meaning this guy over there...!" She cried out in realization.

"...is the inventor of Chō Gishiki!" Yuya finished in a shocked tone as he also realized the truth. "Man, this story is getting weirder and weirder. We have multiple counterparts and one of them was watching my duel against Michio Mokota during which I somehow magically unlocked two new monsters." He went on.

Yuzu hummed. "This is definitely weird. Also the whole variety of our counterparts is very frightening. There are at least six of them including me, considering that this newcomer over there clearly wasn't the girl from the storage hall." Her eyes widened as Shiryu also stepped out of her hideout to walk to her boyfriend. "Wait, there she is! The girl from the storage hall!" She exclaimed, pointing at her before continuing with her previous sentence. "And you have that one stranger who vanishes over and over again, that Yuji-Guy, the dark blue and gray haired dude and the one guy with the black and white hair who's currently dueling." Yuzu finished.

"And all of these girls seem to have a differently colored bracelet on their right arm's wrist." Yuya added, looking at the girls.

"Plus these boys all seem to have a dragon akin to your Odd-Eyes." Yuzu finished.

"Wow, this is one hell of strange circumstances. If I didn't see it with my very eyes, I'd laugh about it." Yuya stated. Meanwhile Yubi had finished outlining his plans and started his move.

"I will begin by activating the spell Graceful Charity! I draw three cards and then discard two, namely Essencevullet Dragon and Magnavullet Dragon! Then I activate the field spell Revolve Sector Launch! With this all Vullets I control will gain 300 ATK and DEF! Now I use its second effect! Once per turn I can either special summon two Vullets from my hand in defense mode or special summon a number of Vullets from my graveyard in defense mode, up to the difference in monsters we control! Alexandra has four, so I can now revive up to four "Vullet"-Monsters from my graveyard! Come, Essencevullet, Magnavullet and Blockadevullet Dragon!"

 _Blockadevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1100 → 1400/DEF 2000 → 2300/Dragon/Effect_

 _Essencevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2100 → 2400/DEF 1500 → 1800/Dragon/Effect_

 _Magnavullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 1200 → 1500/Dragon/Effect_

"Blockadevullet Dragon's effect! I can tribute it to draw a card!" Yubi stated, his hand growing to five cards. "Furthermore I will activate the effect of Essencevullet Dragon! Once per turn I can target another Vullet and gain LP equal to its ATK! I target Magnavullet, giving me 2100 lifepoints!"

 **YUBI LP: 2000 → 4100**

(min. 1:46)

"Now appear, the circuit that illuminates my path into the future! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two effect monsters! With my Powervullet and Essencevullet Dragon I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Dragon with the tail of punishment, become the link to my allies and with your alliance, facilitate my victory! My whiplash that jolts humanity to awaken it from its confined perception of reality! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 2, Whip Tail Link Dragon!" Yubi shouted, his light blue an yellow ace appearing, whirling its tail around and lashing out into the direction of its opponents.

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 2500/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙↘)

"Link Summon? Another method?" Alexandra said, amazed how many different summoning methods there were except her own. "Also why does this dragon remind me so much of Yuji's Razor Fang?" She added as the two dragons called out to each other with their respective roars.

Yubi put a finger onto his chin in a deliberating manner. "I think these dragons are all one of the same kind, despite their different dimensions of origin. My friend over there also has one of these dragons by the way, albeit one of his summoning method." He retorted, looking at Yuga.

"Really? How interesting! I'd be down for a duel with you once I finish this other guy off! Now then, show me what this dragon of yours can do!" Yuji spoke up, looking at Yuga with an anticipating grin before redirecting his attention to Yubi, challenging him.

"Very well! First of all I place Whip Tail in my Extra Monster Zone!" Yubi declared.

"Extra Monster Zone? Your method uses them as well?" Alexandra spoke up, lightly surprised.

Yubi nodded. "Yes. It is the only kind of zone where Link-Monsters can go. Well, except if you have Link Markers pointing to one of your other zones in the Main Monster Column." He replied.

"Link Markers? You mean those arrows?" Alexandra asked.

Yubi nodded once more. "Correct. Now then, I activate Whip Tail's effect! He can change himself into a Link 8-Monster for the remainder of this turn, gaining all missing Link Markers! Link Extension!" He announced, his dragon now pointing to all directions.

"I'm not an expert at Link Summoning, but I assume this is pretty bad for us?" Yuji addressed him, slightly worried.

The young Revolver hummed. "Really bad actually! Now I can make use of these new arrows with my dragon's second ability! Once per turn he can summon any monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring summoning conditions and treating it like a proper summon! It will be summoned into a zone one of my Link-Monsters points to! Furthermore the Left-Arrow of Whip Tail can cross the gap between Extra Monster Zones! I summon my monster into one of your Extra Monster Zones, using Yuji's! Alliance Force!" He declared.

"What?! Crossing the gap between Extra Monster Zones?!" Alexandra repeated in terror as a dark blue mechanical dragon appeared.

"LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth, Link 4, The defense with crushing impact! The destructive Topologic Gumblar Dragon!" Yubi shouted, establishing the foundation of his standard formation.

 _Topologic Gumblar Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (◄▲►▼)

"Extra Link!" Yubi proclaimed stoically.

"These dragons! They're dangerous!" Yuji cried out, his gaze altering between Whip Tail and Gumblar.

( 56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 # 10 Revolver Theme, "The Power of Revolver" end)

"Most certainly they are, both of them. But I'm not finished yet! I activate the spell card ****Spell Economist****! During this turn I will gain a value of lifepoints whenever I pay them! This will come in handy as I use my next spell card! The normal spell ****Genocidal Extra Burial****! By paying all of my lifepoints except 100 I get to send a number of monsters from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, namely one for every 500 LP I paid! Since I'll have to pay 4000 LP I can now mill up to eight of them! I select these eight!" He declared, sending a variety of monsters to his graveyard at that. "Now Spell Economist's effect gives me my lifepoints back! Meaning I have technically never lost any lifepoints at all!"

 **YUBI LP: 4100 → 100 → 4100**

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 25025 → 29025 → 25025_

"And next up is this card! The continuous spell ****Pendulum Phalanx Formation****!" Yubi went on.

"Pendulum?!" Yuya exclaimed in surprise, alarmed by the word.

"Okay. And what does this card do?" Alexandra inquired.

"Well, there is this really cute girl who has a friend, one who has invented a method called Pendulum Summon. It works the following: You set two monsters of a special kind – so called Pendulum-Monsters – into special Spell & Trap Zones called the Pendulum Zones. The Pendulum-Monsters have a Pendulum Scale and once you set two of them into your Pendulum Zones you can once per turn summon a variety of monsters from your hand with levels that are in between the currently set Pendulum Scales. This isn't all, but I'll spare you with the details for now." Yubi explained, making a short pause. Meanwhile Yuya looked at Yuzu in bewilderment.

"Wait, did this guy just call you cute? Do you know that boy by chance?" The green and red haired male addressed her.

Yuzu shook her head, her cheeks flushed. "No, I don't. But somehow he knows me." She replied.

"I knew it. He has a crush on her as well." Kumo whispered, her suspicion about this circumstance finally being confirmed. Yubi continued with his explanation at that.

"To go on with my story, I saw the potential of this summoning method, but I didn't really need it as my deck is already really good at swarming. So I wanted to make use of these Pendulum Zones in another way. This was the reason why I made this card! You see, while Pendulum Phalanx Formation is in play I can extend my usual attack and defense formation even further. With Link-Monster and an Extra Link I can already control seven monsters and more, but this shouldn't be the limit for me!" He said, his voice now getting fiercer. "My goal is to tear down the borders of the closed world! And I will do that not only in the real world, but also in my duels!" He shouted, pointing at his card as his voice intensified. "Pendulum Phalanx Formation's effect! While this card is in play, my Pendulum Zones become Monster Zones and are shifted next to the two Extra Monster Zones! Furthermore, while there's an Extra Link, the zone in the middle of the field between the two Extra Monster Zones also becomes a Monster Zone in my possession! In other words, I now have ten Monster Zones!" He screamed as ten zones lit up, creating two perfect rows of five zones each.

" ** **WHAT?! HE CAN USE PENDULUM ZONES AS MONSTER ZONES?!**** " Yuya shouted in terror, forcing Yuzu to put her hand over his mouth in order to silence him as they were still hiding.

"TEN ZONES?!" Alexandra repeated in horror.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Yuji chimed in, equally disturbed by this declaration.

"Hah! I knew Yubi was cooking up something really interesting!" Yuga spoke up, grinning in an amused manner.

"Like I said so often already, this guy is full of surprises." Rin said.

"Not really. He already had more than seven zones as he said himself. This is merely a new approach to that goal." Kumo responded.

"Really?" Ruri asked her.

Kumo nodded. "Yes. One of his ten older ace dragons has an ability that makes using more than seven zones possible. It is probably the strongest of his Topologics, aside from Savior Dragon of course. Plus there is another way to go past seven zones, a regular one available to all players." She explained.

"Speaking about Savior Dragon, I have a suspicion." Shiryu, who previously had walked out of the hideout after the boys, remarked. As the Synchro- and Xyz-Girl shot her a questioning look she went on. "Don't you think that Yubi sending so many Link-Monsters to his graveyard was a bit strange? Such a move cannot be a coincidence. He is definitely up to something." Suddenly it dawned Rin and Ruri and Kumo smirked, already knowing what Yubi was planning.

"I will use the spell Card of Sanctity! With this we all draw until we have six cards in our hands again!" Yubi said.

Yuji blinked in confusion. "Thank you... I guess."

"Yeah, thank you very much! But why did you give us cards again? Yuji's hand was already empty and I had nothing much either! You on the other hand got only five and your girlfriend only one! So your move mostly benefited us!" Alexandra pointed out in a victorious tone.

Yubi smirked. "Oh, giving you cards was part of my plan as well! Topologic Gumblar Dragon's effect! I destroy Yuji's entire hand and inflict 3000 points of damage to him! This effect cannot be negated! Deus Ex Machina!" Yubi shouted as the dragon fired its two arms at the green and orange haired boy, dealing him a major blow.

 ** **YUJI LP: 23525 → 20525****

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 25025 → 22025_

"Destroys the entire hand and deals 3000 damage?! Dang, you better not go second against this guy with how easily he can summon that Gumblar Dragon!" Yuya spoke up, voicing the exact thing that had led to Yugo receiving a major ass-beating the day before.

"Kuh! So that's why you gave me cards!" Yuji hissed, slowly recovering from the hit while saying those words.

Yubi nodded. "That's right! But wait, there's more!" He announced, raising his arm. He tapped a button on his duel disk after that, using said arm. "I think with my classic soundtrack already used I should take this one next! It should fit the occasion pretty well!" He declared, another track he used for entertainment purposes beginning to play at that.

( 57, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #27 Extra Link)

"Hmm? This one sounds new. What kind of music is that?" Rin asked.

"Oh, this? This is a track Yubi uses whenever he builds a huge monster formation surpassing normal standards. True to that it is called "Impenetrable Formation". It's one of his rarer soundtracks, but also one of his more impressive." Kumo explained.

"I see. Thank you for the explanation." Rin retorted.

"No problem." Answered Kumo before Yubi went on with his turn.

 **"** Now I activate the quick-play spell ** **Instantaneous Trigger****! By this card I can activate traps from my hand during this turn! And I will use this one! Trap card activate! Varrel Repetition!" Yubi declared.

"That's this card from yesterday!" Rin realized. "We saw its phantom effect, but what is its field effect?" She wondered.

Yubi smirked. "I'll tell you, Rin! By this card's field effect I can activate a once-per-turn-effect of a Dragon-Type or Cyberse-Type Link-Monster again! And I pick my Whip Tail! Now I can summon another monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring any summoning conditions and treating it like a proper summon! And you know what monster I'm going to summon!" He stated.

Rin smirked. "Damn right I know! Now show it to them, Yubi! Kick their asses before that pervert tries grabbing mine!" She cheered for her friend.

"Do it, Yubi!" Kumo addressed him, standing a few feet left from Yubi.

-"Yeah! Show them the strength of our squad!"- The rest of his troupe chimed in.

Yubi grinned. "I guess with that encouragement from our audience I must give you a proper show now! Fine by me! Let the great spectacle begin! CIRCUIT OVERDRIVE!" He yelled as he and his dragon created an artificial Link Circuit that overflowed with energy.

"What the hell is coming next?!" Yuya whispered in shock. Yuzu stared at the duel as well, equally if not more aghast than her friend.

"CONNECTION OVERDRIVE LINK SHŌKAN! SHINE, LINK 9, THE MESSIAH WHO WILL RESCUE US ALL! THE DIVINE AND HEROIC TOPOLOGIC SAVIOR DRAGON!" Yubi shouted as the white dragon with the multicolored irises and the seven pairs of wings appeared, each of them having another color as they represented the seven elemental Ignis who had been partially absorbed into the dragon.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon_

 _Light/Link 9/ATK 5000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (O↙◄↖▲↗►↘▼)

"Link 9?! But from what I can tell Link Markers point to all cardinal points! And there are only eight of them, so what does the ninth arrow mean?!" Alexandra asked in terror and confusion.

"Oh, that is the Omni Link which makes this monster Co-Linked to all of my other Monster Zones! Now then, I can place my dragon into any of my Monster Zones through its effect! I select the newly created Central Zone in the middle of the frontrow!" Yubi declared, the monster emerging right in the middle of the field. His eyes narrowed, the white haired male raising his hand in the process. "Normally this monster can only be Link Summoned when at least three Link 4 "Varrel"-Monsters have been summoned by me beforehand! But Whip Tail's ability bypasses this and treats it like properly Link Summoned! This triggers its effect upon Link Summon! Which is the following! I can now revive a number of Link-Monsters from my graveyard! Arise, my loyal dragons! BONDS TO THE PAST!" Yubi shouted, multiple rays of light emerging from a portal.

Yuji gulped. "Alexandra, I'm getting the feeling that we might have bitten off more than we could swallow..." He whispered anxiously.

(min. 1:30)

"To my second relocated Pendulum Zone, Link 4, The embodiment of annihilation! The unstoppable Topologic Bomber Dragon!" Yubi shouted, the orange mecha-dragon emerging in the zone right from Whip Tail and unleashing its signature roar. Yuji and Alexandra shielded their faces as Bomber's classic gale upon its summoning blew against them.

 _Topologic Bomber Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/ (↙▲↘▼)_

"To my first relocated Pendulum Zone, Link 4, The canon that slaughters all my enemies! My namesake Topologic Revolver Dragon!" Yubi went on, the dragon that shared its colors with Yubi's hair appearing in the zone left from Gumblar with a shot from the giant cannon on its back, the missile cracking the surface of the Sphere Field as it hit it.

 _Topologic Revolver Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (↙↖▲▼)

"To my third Main Monster Zone, my gale that pierces through the closed world! Link 4, An all-purpose artifact of mass destruction! The unmatched Varrelload Dragon!" Yubi continued as the red dragon with its translucent turquoise wings emerged at the middle of Yubi's backrow.

 _Varrelload Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄►↘)

"To my fourth Main Monster Zone, my gale that slices open the closed world! Link 4, A fierce dragon cutting through everything! The menacing Varrelsword Dragon!" Yubi yelled, a red dragon similar to Varrelload but with yellowish wings and multiple blades fixed on its mouth, similar to a swordfish, appearing at that.

 _Varrelsword Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/_ (↙◄▲▼)

"To my second Main Monster Zone, my gale that blows open the closed world! Link 4, A resolute dragon blocking everything! The steadfast Varrelguard Dragon!" Yubi shouted as the final Varrel Dragon, also red in color, distinguishing itself from the two other Varrels with its orange wings, was summoned in the zone left from Varrelload.

 _Varrelguard Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000/Dragon/Link/Effect/ (▲►↘▼)_

"To Alexandra's Extra Monster Zone, Link 3, The clawed executioner with razor-sharp edges! The terrifying Topologic Trisbaena!" Yubi cried out, a dragon mostly painted in black and white, but also a variety of other colors appearing. The notorious transforming Topologic Dragon briefly changed into its effect-mode, slashing through the air with greenish energy claws and even tearing into the walls of the alleyway's left side. Then it changed back into its normal-mode and hovered on the very top left of Yubi's monster formation, left from Topologic Revolver Dragon.

 _Topologic Trisbaena_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect/_ (↙▲↘)

Yubi made a brief pause to shoot them a grin. "Do you see that?! I used my Extra Link built by the three Varrel Dragons in order to gain access to your zone as well! Therefore I have achieved something even greater than a normal Extra Link, a Double Extra Link! This is the beauty of facing multiple opponents! In my many duels in the league I have already constructed Double, Triple or even Quadruple Extra Links! And now my Savior Dragon gains the ATK of all my monsters Co-Linked to him, meaning all! Collective Might!" Yubi shouted, his dragon powering up. Simultaneously all nine dragons let out a collective roar, frightening both Alexandra and Yuji who had observed the summoning sequences with disbelief and terror.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 5000 → 25000_

"This is it! Double Phalanx Formation!" Yubi yelled, having two rows of dragons, the frontrow consisting of six monsters while the backrow was only half as broad, only the three Varrel Dragons occupying zones there. Two of Yubi's Main Monster Zones, the first at the very left and the fifth at the very right were still free. This caused Yuzu to gasp in terror.

"He controls nine monsters and still has two zones left?! What is this guy?!" The pink haired girl exclaimed, both deeply shocked and impressed by this display of power.

"I have to admit that he is extremely good... to say the very least." Yuya remarked, gulping audibly as he imagined the prospect of facing such an opponent.

( 57, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #27 Extra Link end)

Yubi smirked as he continued. "But I'm not done! I normal summon Vullet Synchron!"

 _Vullet Synchron_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Dragon/Tuner/Effect_

"Synchron?! As in Synchro?!" Alexandra cried out in shock.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah! Now I will avenge my dear Rin with another dragon! I could activate Vullet Synchron's effect, but I won't do this! Instead I will activate the effect of **Advancevullet Dragon** in my hand! By banishing one Vullet from my graveyard I can summon this monster from my hand and boost its level by the banished monster's! I banish Magnavullet Dragon and summon it!" He announced.

 _Advancevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3 → 7/ATK 1200/DEF 700/Dragon/Effect_

"Alright! Now Yubi has the resources for his monster! Beat the crap outta that bitch and her perverted friend!" Rin shouted in encouragement, still a bit mad from losing to her counterpart, using the opportunity and dropping a rather nasty remark.

"HEY!" Alexandra yelled indignantly at the nefarious insult of her. The activation of Yubi's monsters distracted her from these thoughts though, bringing her back to the terrifying reality that was the progression of this duel.

"At this moment a multitude of effects is activated! First off my Topologic Bomber Dragon! When a monster is special summoned next to a Link-Monster's Link Marker it annihilates all cards in the Main Monster Zones! Full Overlap!" Yubi shouted, the orange dragon changing up its wings and releasing their power into all directions.

"You're taking out your own formation again?!" Yuji questioned in disbelief.

"No, I don't! Whip Tails effect! He can target a number of monsters I control and protect them by destroying himself on their stead! However Topologic Gumblar Dragon's Extra Link effect states that none of my Link-Monsters can be destroyed by card effects! Meaning this destruction is negated and all of my monsters survive! Yours on the other hand are goners!" Yubi responded.

"Not entirely! Our Paragon-Monsters spin!" Alexandra retorted as just that happened.

"And my dragon's attack doubles as a result! Also Alexandra gains 400 more ATK on her Phoenix! And then I use my continuous spell Phantasmal Aura and Paragon Switcher in order to spin my Razor Fang and her Aosaginohix! Unfortunately my Light monsters lose their extra ATK again as Sigma Supreme is no longer Paragon Protected." Yuji went on.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Down-Position → Left-Position → Up-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Inugamix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Left-Position → Up-Position; Fox Counters: 0 → 4_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Left-Position → Up-Position; ATK 6400 → 6800_

 _Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme: Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 3300 → 2900_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Right-Position → Down-Position; Positron Counters: 0 → 1 → 2; ATK 22025 → 21625 → 43250 → 21625_

"Fine! Then let me continue with Topologic Revolver! Whenever a monster is special summoned to a zone a Link-Monster points to you have to mill the top five cards from your deck! Decimation Salvo! Furthermore while Extra Linked you take 300 damage for every monster sent to your graveyard! So go ahead, mill five cards!" Yubi went on, the Paragon-Counterparts grudgingly obeying, Alexandra taking 600 damage as she milled two monsters while Yuji also took 600.

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **2463** **→ 1863**

 ** **YUJI LP: 20525 → 19925****

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 21625 → 21025_

"Then Topologic Trisbaena! When a monster is special summoned to a zone a Link-Monster points to that monster can be banished, alongside all spells and traps! While my field spell will take its leave my Pendulum Phalanx Formation is quite safe as this card cannot leave the field while I control five or more Link-Monsters! My Advancevullet won't be harmed either due to Whip Tail's effect! You on the other hand will now take 500 damage for each of your banished cards, meaning Fire King Island, Samsara of the Fire Kings, Collective of the Fire Kings, Phantasmal Aura and Paragon Switcher! So with three banished cards on Alexandra's side of the field and two on yours you will now take 1500 and 1000 damage respectively! And due to Alexandra's Fire King Island which destroys all monsters she controls upon her field spell being destroyed or banished her Inugamix will also fall and give her 300 damage from my Revolver Dragon!" Yubi declared.

"Not like this! I will protect Alexandra by banishing **Paragon Phantasma – Gamma Gryselius**! You sent this monster to the graveyard with your Gumblar Dragon's effect! By doing so I can negate the damage Alexandra would take from Trisbaena and convert it into lifepoints for her!" Yuji chimed in protectively.

"How noble! But while she will only take 300 points of damage now, you will still feel the sting of my dragons' full power! Plus your Paragons lose 600 ATK as your Phantasmal Aura is gone! Go, Migration Force, Heart-Seeking Howitzer!" Yubi shouted in response, his first dragon transforming into its clawed mode again, banishing all of their spells and traps plus Yubi's own field spell with a clean swipe of its claws before they later pierced into the Paragon-Duelist himself. Meanwhile an eruption from the volcano depicted on Fire King Island's artwork consumed a variety of Fire Kings with most of them simply spinning rather than being destroyed – excluding Inugamix. In response to this the second dragon fired a projectile from its cannon at the girl.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 1863 → 3363 → 3063**

 **YUJI LP: 19925 → 18925**

 _Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme:ATK 2900 → 2300_

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 21025 → 20025 → 19425_

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Up-Position → Right-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Up-Position → Right-Position; Fox Counters: 4 → 8_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 6800 → 7200_

"Well, this was it! No more effects! Instead I will do this now! I will tune my level seven Advancevullet Dragon with my level one Vullet Synchron! Heroic dragon! Transform the sharpness of your fangs into firing power! Gain the velocity of a bullet and pierce through! My gale that ravages through the closed world! SYNCHRO SHŌKAN! Come out, Level 8, Varrelload Savage Dragon!" Yubi shouted as a recolored and heavier armed version of his main Varrel Dragon arrived on the field, bringing the boy to a total of ten monsters under his control.

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK 3000/DEF 2500/Dragon/Synchro/Effect_

"You can even Synchro Summon?!" Alexandra asked in terror.

Yubi nodded. "Sure I can! Thank Rin over there for it! Anyway, my monsters' effects! First of all Varrelload Savage Dragon's own! It can equip itself with one Link-Monster from my graveyard, Gatlingvarrel Dragon in this case! Before that the usual stuff happens though! I negate the banishment of Varrelload Savage with Whip Tail, same goes for its destruction! Also I won't activate Gumblar's main effect Unformed Card! Now the other effects resolve! Full Overlap! Decimation Salvo! Migration Force! Heart-Seeking Howitzer!" Yubi shouted. The Paragon-Monsters spun once more due to Bomber while Yuji and Alexandra milled five cards from their decks and took 900 and 1200 damage respectively. Trisbaena's effect got nothing though, contrary to High Avatar Kitsunix which got more Fox Counters while Alexandra's main ace Phoenix powered up. Unfortunately Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme fell from the explosive power of Bomber because the Phantasma was no longer Paragon Protected as its effect resolved.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Right-Position → Down-Position_

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Right-Position → Down-Position; Fox Counters: 8 → 11_

 _Fire King God Avatar Phoenix: Right-Position → Down-Position; ATK 7200 → 7600_

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **3063** **→ 2163**

 ** **YUJI LP: 18925 → 17725****

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 19425 → 18225; Down-Position → Left-Position; Positron Counters: 2 → 3_

"Now the first effect of the chain resolves, my Varrelload Savage Dragon equipping itself with Gatlingvarrel! It now gains half of its ATK plus one Varrel Counter for every Link Rating it has!"

 _Varrelload Savage Dragon: ATK 3000 → 4300; Varrel Counters 0 → 3_

"I will equip Whip Tail Link Dragon with the equip spell United We Stand!" He continued.

"Hey, that's the card I used for my metaphor back in Link when I had to persuade them! It's great to see that he's using it now!" Yuga exclaimed.

"Yeah! But mostly importantly this card is immensely powerful while he controls that many monsters!" Shiryu chimed in.

"My dragon gains 800 ATK and DEF for every monster I control! With ten that is 8000!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 2500 → 10500_

"And as a result my Savior Dragon grows stronger too! Collective Might!"

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 25000 → 33000_

"Next up I will power up my Whip Tail even more with the continuous spell Zero Extra Link! This card gives one Link-Monster Co-Linked to a Link-Monster in the Extra Monster Zone 800 ATK for every Link-Monster on the field! With nine that's 7200!"

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 10500 → 17700_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 33000 → 40200_

Yubi's eyes narrowed. "Now battle! I will attack your Razor Fang Paragon Dragon with my Topologic Savior Dragon! Cyberse Annihilation Savior Stream!" He cried out.

"Not like this! I banish Paragon Phantasma – Epsilon Estera in order to spin one Paragon-Monster by a Cycle Unit! I target Razor Fang!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Left-Position → Up-Position; Positron Counters: 3 → 4_

"Oh no! Is he going to...?" Rin whispered in fear.

"He is!" Kumo said grimly.

Yuji crossed his arms and began chanting.

"Great dragon of majestic white color! Transform and let god's splendor and magnificence become visible to me and my enemies! With the radiant power of Quetzalcoatl my foes shall be vanquished! BEHOLD TRUE DIVINITY! RAZOR FANG PARAGON DRAGON – TRUE FORM! ****GOLDEN LONG MODE!**** " He shouted, his dragon taking its empowered form again.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 18225 → 36450; Positron Counters: 4 → 0_

"I see. Now his dragon not only gains multiple effects, but also the ability to be unspinable, if that's even a real word. And since this happens as the dragon is in Up-Position or returns to this position if not, all battle damage is mitigated, as well as its destruction." Yuga said.

"That's right! Now you can do nothing in order to breach trough my defenses!" Yuji cried out victoriously.

Yubi smirked. "Don't be so sure! The battle continues! Now Savior Dragon activates its effect! If it battles a monster of the same attribute that monster has its effects negated until the end of the Damage Step! Meaning your dragon loses its extra ATK again – as well as the ability to not be spun around upon its supposed destruction! While you may take no damage your monster will spin into a position where it's vulnerable! Go, Cyberse Domination!"

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: ATK 36450 → 2500_

"He... did it... He really found a way to bypass the Golden Long Mode! No one has ever done that before!" Alexandra murmured in terror.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Yuji cried out as his dragon reverted to normal and spun around before taking its empowered form again as the effect of Savior Dragon expired.

 _Razor Fang Paragon Dragon: Up-Position → Right-Position; ATK 2500 → 36450_

"Now your dragon is vulnerable! But it will not end here! However, before that I will get rid of another problem! Battle! Varrelload Dragon attacks Fire King God Avatar Phoenix! Thunder Varrel Cannon!" Yubi shouted, pointing at the monster whom the girl in the white robe controlled.

"What the hell?! Why would you kill yourself?! That monster has 7600 ATK and even if your monster can somehow get stronger she will take no damage and only have her monster power up!" Yuji shouted in confusion.

"Varrelload Dragon's effect!" Yubi shouted loudly. "If it attacks a monster I can use this ability – AND GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR MONSTER! **STRANGE TRIGGER!** " He yelled, the bullet fired by his dragon changing its color until reaching red. Upon hitting God Avatar Phoenix it transformed into a viscous substance wrapping itself around the monster. The bird then disappeared with noises that give one the feeling of a bug infecting a computer system. Surrounded by lightnings and fire it reappeared in Yubi's first Main Monster Zone.

" **WHAAAH! THEY GOT OUR BOSS MONSTER!** " Yuji cried out, melodramatically clutching the sides of his head. Meanwhile Alexandra eyed Yubi with a scowl, observing how her ace monster changed sides.

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 17700 → 18500_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 40200 → 41000_

Yubi grinned. "With this I have completed the Double Phalanx Formation! I now control eleven monsters with the powers of an established Double Extra Link and my Pendulum Phalanx Formation spell card combined! Now then, time to put these monsters to use! I will use my Topologic Bomber Dragon to attack your Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix! Ultimate Malicious Code!" He announced.

"Hold up! I will activate the effect of my Kitsunix! I get rid of all Fox Counters she has and my Fire Kings gain 200 ATK for each, lasting until the end of this turn! With eleven counters they will gain 2200 ATK, turning this fight in my favor! Blazing Empower!" Alexandra yelled in response.

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: Fox Counters: 11 → 0; ATK 2800 → 5000_

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 3000 → 5200_

"Not bad! But I am already prepared! In fact I had two ways to stop this move of yours! Since I won't invest Varrel Counters from my Varrelload Savage Dragon I will instead use the effect of Varrelsword Dragon! Once per turn I can halve an opponent's monster's ATK and give these ATK to Varrelsword, as well as giving my dragon a second attack this turn! I will use this effect to shift the odds in my favor again! Varrel Twin Piercer!"

 _Fire King High Avatar Kitsunix: ATK 5000 → 2500_

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 3000 → 5500_

"Damn it!" Alexandra cursed as Topologic Bomber made short work of her fox monster, reducing her lifepoints by 500.

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **2163** **→ 1663**

"Now I can activate the effect of Topologic Bomber Dragon, Aiming Blast! This effect can be used after a fight between my dragon and another monster! It consists of two different abilities which can either be activated together or alone without using the other. The first thing is destroying the monster Bomber battled against, even if Bomber itself was destroyed by the battle. And the second thing is inflicting the ATK the opponent's monster had on the field as burn damage!" Yubi declared. The wings of Bomber Dragon flared to life at that, preparing to launch a blast of air at the Paragon-Girl. Alexandra gulped as she faced the dragon which charged up the attack that would finish her off. "However, I will activate neither of these two abilities!" Yubi stated, much to the girl's surprise, the two protrusions on Bomber's back deactivating again.

" **What?!** But I would lose the duel if you activated this effect, so why won't you activate it?!" She questioned in bewilderment.

Yubi pointed leftwards to Kumo. "Don't you see it? My girlfriend is also participating in this duel and I won't end this until she got her chance to do something as well. So I will settle for removing some of your monsters and taking out Yuji. You see, Kumo has a few anxiety problems, especially in times of war like this. Therefore I'll help her with her mental rehabilitation by giving her the chance to duel in a safe environment. That's why I set up this whole formation. It is to ensure that no matter what you do she will be secure and protected against potential traps you've set up." He explained.

"Wow, he's doing all of this for her?" Rin asked.

Shiryu nodded. "I guess so. It makes sense though, if you really think about it. Through dueling she can overcome her fears of violence and Yubi makes sure that nothing happens to her while doing so." The girl said. "Man, Kumo has such a cute boyfriend! He cares about her so much, it's almost unreal!" She continued in a dreamy tone, closing her eyes as she imagined to be in the other girl's situation. As she heard a cough, namely Yuga clearing his throat, she sweat dropped and rose her hands in apology as she turned to him. "Of course you're also very caring, Yuga!" She addressed her boyfriend in an embarrassed tone. This prompted Yuga to let go of the scowl that had previously occupied his face, though rather hesitantly as he didn't like being ignored by her in favor of another male.

' _Wow, he can actually be somewhat jealous. I wonder why I didn't see that earlier.'_ Ruri thought while looking over to the Ritual-Counterparts.

"Now then, I attack High Avatar Aosaginohix with Varrelsword Dragon! Since your monster is Paragon Protected you won't suffer any battle damage and your High Avatar will not be destroyed! However, it is still spun around, now being in the only vulnerable position! Electric Varrelsword Slash!" Yubi went on.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: Down-Position → Left-Position_

"And now the attack that will end you!" Yubi said, pointing at his counterpart. "Whip Tail Link Dragon attacks Razor Fang Paragon Dragon! Your dragon may be stronger for now, but that will change with the effect of my dragon! Once per turn Whip Tail can target another monster I control and then give either of these two the ATK of the other until the End Phase! I target my Topologic Savior Dragon and choose to increase the ATK of my Whip Tail! Adapter Boost!" He stated, his dragon plugging its long tail into the body of the great white dragon, pulses of energy flowing into the smaller dragon over the connection between them. Gradually the power inside the light blue and yellow dragon began exceeding Topologic Savior until the smaller dragon eclipsed the bigger by far. However the effect of Savior Dragon returned this new strength as Topologic Savior gained the ATK of all monsters Co-Linked to it, Yubi's move essentially doubling its ATK.

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 18500 → 59500_

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 41000 → 82000_

"Yuji has around 18000 LP and his dragon sits at about 36500 ATK! If Whip Tail Link Dragon attacks it with an ATK of 59500 while not being Paragon Protected...!" Rin spoke up in audible enthusiasm.

-"Yubi wins!"- Yuga and the rest of his squad aside from the duelists finished, smirking.

" ** **WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! LET US TALK THIS OUT PLEASE! I'M SURE WE CAN FIND A COMPROMISE****!" Yuji cried out in panic, trying to talk himself out of the situation as he observed how the opposing dragon started winding up its long tail, the metallic, spear-like tip directed at his Razor Fang. Bullets of sweat ran down his forehead while the Link Dragon kept going to prepare its attack.

"Sorry dude, but you just happen to stand in my way! ****IT'S OVER!** ** _TAIL OF PUNISHMENT – LASHING STRIKE!_**** " The male from the Link-Dimension shouted, his dragon lashing out with its long tail in the manner of a gunshot, a perfectly straight thrust forward piercing the other dragon with ease, the resulting explosion sending Yuji flying as all of his 17725 lifepoints were depleted at once.

 ** **YUJI LP: 17725 → 0****

"I end my turn! Due to the previously discussed rules the order of players was Ruri, Yuji, Rin and you, Alexandra, so with me replacing Ruri and Kumo replacing Rin while Yuji had been kicked out that means my girlfriend gets to have her turn now! Go, Kumo!" Yubi shouted in encouragement while his monsters dropped to normal.

 _Topologic Savior Dragon: ATK 82000 → 41000_

 _Varrelsword Dragon: ATK 5500 → 3000_

 _Whip Tail Link Dragon: ATK 59500 → 18500_

The brown haired female nodded. "Okay! Here I go! Draw!" She shouted, beginning her turn with seven hand cards due to Yubi's previous use of Card of Sanctity.

"Finally I get to see her dueling as well! I already know how normal Cloudians look and play like, but I'm curious to see how the deck works in a world such as the Link-Dimension! I wonder how strong those Cloudians unique to her are!" Rin spoke up.

"I have talked about that with her, but never actually seen it, so I'm curious as well!" Shiryu chimed in.

"Wow, that guy got obliterated!" Said Yuya in the meantime, commenting about Yuji's loss. "Anyway, let's observe what the girl does. If everything works according to the scheme I've come up with then this girl must be from the same world as that boy and use the same summoning method, that weird Link Summon. If we get proof about this, my theory might be correct after all!" He contemplated.

"Your theory?" Yuzu asked while raising an eyebrow.

Yuya nodded. "Yes, my theory! Just think about it! There are multiple other worlds and practically everyone from there seems to prefer using a certain method. Well, as of now there are seven ultimate summoning methods, my Pendulum, that guy's Link Summon, then of course the three extra methods that are mainly used in this world, Synchro, Xyz and Fusion, the first of them being mastered by that Rin while the second seems to be Ruri's original method. In addition to that Ritual Summon with this Chō Gishiki modification wielded by that blue and gray haired guy. Lastly Paragon Summon which is used by both one of my counterparts with Yuji and one of yours with Alexandra. If one Counterpart-Couple is from another world, the rest might also be, considering they all have these better-than-reality RSV-Systems in their disks, making holograms realistic without using Action Fields. Now, if that Kumo-Girl also has Link Summon that might be the proof that there are seven worlds in total with each of them having one counterpart of us. Also Alexandra's words clearly gave us the message that these other worlds only have a limited number of summoning methods, namely one in her case – Paragon. Therefore I conclude that all of these seven worlds revolve around one specific summoning method – they're summoning-method-dimensions so to speak. That Xyz-using stranger could be from the Xyz-Dimension then should this theory be correct, which would make Ruri over there his companion." Yuya theorized.

Zarc appeared in his spectral form and whistled. _"Nice thinking! I'm impressed, Yuya! Detective Conan would be proud of you!"_ He praised his fragment.

"But why would Ruri and that guy be separated then? I never saw them together when I encountered that guy." Yuzu wondered.

"Good question, this confuses me as well to be honest. As of now I have no answer for that, but we might eventually get one if we just listen to them a bit more." The male responded, prompting them both to return their attention to the duel.

Kumo took a deep breath before looking to her boyfriend. "I'm ready, Yubi!" She said.

He nodded. "Then go ahead! Show them your dueling!" He retorted in an encouraging tone.

"Okay! Then here I go! I normal summon **Cloudian – Cirrocumulus**!"

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1100/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"And its effect distributes one Fog Counter on monsters I control for every "Cloudian"-Monster I control when I summon it! Meaning one in this case!"

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus: Fog Counters 0 → 1_

"Next up is my spell **Meteorologic Draw**! I discard one "Cloudian"-Monster and draw two cards! Then I can distribute Fog Counters on the field equal to the level of the monster I discarded before! My Cloudian – Turbulence is level four, so now my Cirrocumulus gets four Fog Counters!"

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus: Fog Counters 1 → 5_

"I go on with the quick-play spell **Cloudian Division**! I can target one "Cloudian"-Monster I control and summon another copy of it from my deck, graveyard or hand! Come, Cirrocumulus!" Kumo said, her cloud monster splitting into two halves, forming the previous monster plus an exact copy of it.

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1100/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"Cirrocumulus' effect! When I summoned it I can distribute one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian"-Monster I control! I place two Fog Counters on my first Cirrocumulus!"

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus (#1): Fog Counters 5 → 7_

"That's a lot of counters..." Rin whispered in awe as she observed her counterpart.

"Next up I will activate the effect of Cirrocumulus! I remove three Fog Counters from anywhere on the field and get to normal summon another Cloudian this turn! I remove three counters from Cirrocumulus and normal summon **Cloudian – Altostratus**! And with the effect of my other Cirrocumulus I will remove three more counters from my first Cirrocumulus in order to normal summon **Cloudian – Altocumulus**!"

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus (#1): Fog Counters 7 → 4 → 1_

 _Cloudian – Altostratus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 400/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

 _Cloudian – Altocumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"Both of their effects! They place one Fog Counter on themselves for every Cloudian I control as I summon them! There were three as I summoned Altostratus, so it gains three! And Altocumulus gains one more as there were four Cloudians when I summoned it!" The brown and light blue haired girl announced as her fluffy cloud monsters gained more counters.

 _Cloudian – Altostratus: Fog Counters 0 → 3_

 _Cloudian – Altocumulus: Fog Counters 0 → 4_

"Now Altocumulus' effect! Up to twice per turn I can remove two counters from it to add one "Cloudian"-Card or a card that mentions "Cloudian" or "Fog Counter" in its card text from my deck to my hand! I will remove all of its counters to add **Cloudian – Cumulus** and the continuous spell **Cloudian Fog Machine** to my hand!"

 _Cloudian – Altocumulus: Fog Counters 4 → 0_

"Then I will special summon Cumulus as I already have "Cloudian"-Monster on my field!"

 _Cloudian – Cumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 300/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"And upon summoning this monster I can distribute Fog Counters according to the usual scheme! I will place five counters on itself as I currently control five Cloudians!"

 _Cloudian – Cumulus: Fog Counters 0 → 5_

"And up to twice per turn I can remove three Fog Counters from anywhere on the field to draw a card from my deck with Cumulus' effect! I remove five from her and the one remaining Fog Counter from my first Cirrocumulus in order to use this effect twice and draw two cards!" Kumo stated, her hand rising to six cards at that.

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulus (#1): Fog Counters 1 → 0_

 _Cloudian – Cumulus: Fog Counters 5 → 0_

"Wow! Her deck really plays differently than in my dimension! She distributes way more counters and swarms way more as well! And she is also really good at managing those counters if the fact that she perfectly used all of them without leaving one of them unused has a say about something!" Rin exclaimed in admiration.

Shiryu nodded. "Yeah, she is very impressive indeed, but then again Yubi said that she had a 95 percent winrate in the Japanese Dueling League! She will most likely invest the three counters on her Altostratus for some effect eventually and use her monsters for Link Summons! Well, at least this is what I think will happen, so let's just keep on watching!" She said.

Kumo's eyes widened. "It's time! Now appear, the circuit that leads me high up into the sky!" She said, stretching out her right arm skywards, a nebula engulfed circuit forming above her. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least two "Cloudian" monsters! With my two Cloudian – Cirrocumulus and my Cloudian – Cumulus I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Clouds of the sky, gather and form into a new heavenly being that slices apart my foes with its strong gales! Filled with immense meteorologic power and ready to strike them down! Soft and fluffy in appearance, but powerful in battle! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth! Link 3, **CLOUDIAN – CUMULOGENITUS**!" She yelled as a humanoid being made from clouds appeared, having a long cape composed of the sky's signature bodies – white, fluffy clouds. Its body looked more compact than its cape, but Alexandra who was gazing at the monster still didn't doubt an attacker would slip right through this being upon assault. While the clouds that resembled the humanoid creature's skin had a white color the armor-like layers of clouds above them worn by the monster were light blue. As the Paragon-Girl looked at Cumulogenitus' face she was surprised to see something looking so human-like, even having eyes with raindrops as irises. The Cloudian also wore a cloud crown of silver color on her head and had a silver scepter with a whitish gem on its tip, surrounded by a thick fog. It rose said scepter into the air as she struck a pose, her cloud cape fluttering in the wind.

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2600/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘)

"So this is her ace monster?" Rin stated in a curious tone, eyeing the monster that was the equivalent to her Winter Bell.

"Medium-high summoning requirements, around 2500 ATK, probably having decent effects, yup, that's her ace." Ruri chimed in.

"I place her in my Extra Monster Zone!" Kumo announced. "Then I activate the spell Monster Reborn, bringing back my Cumulus! Furthermore I will activate the effect of my Altostratus! I remove three Fog Counters from it so I can revive one Cloudian from my grave and treat it as a Normal Summon! I bring back my Cloudian – Turbulence which I discarded earlier!"

 _Cloudian – Altostratus: Fog Counters 3 → 0_

 _Cloudian – Cumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 300/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

 _Cloudian – Turbulence_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"Now Cumulus' effect lets it distribute four Fog Counters! And Turbulence places one counter on itself for each Cloudian I control when I normal summon it! Due to the effect of my Altostratus this is treated as a normal summon, giving Turbulence five Fog Counters!" The Link-Girl went on.

 _Cloudian – Cumulus: Fog Counters 0 → 4_

 _Cloudian – Turbulence: Fog Counters 0 → 5_

"And since Cumulus has reentered the field I can make use of its effects again, removing two counters from it twice to draw two cards!" She said, replenishing her hand and getting to seven in the process.

 _Cloudian – Cumulus: Fog Counters 4 → 0_

"Looks like Yubi isn't the only Link-Duelist with hand renewal! Man, at this rate her offense will be crazy!" Rin cried out as she kept observing the girlfriend of her second-favorite Yu-Boy.

"Now appear again, the circuit that leads me high up into the sky! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Cloudian" monsters! With my Cloudian – Altocumulus and Cloudian – Altostratus and I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Clouds of the sky, gather and soar in heaven! Soft and fluffy in appearance, but powerful in battle! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth! Link 2, **Cloudian – Cirrogenitus**!" Kumo shouted as a smaller, but very similar looking version of Cumulogenitus appeared, having dark blue irises, a shorter cape and a bronze scepter and crown. What she shared with her though except from the general looks was the scepter's gem, which was also white.

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus_

 _Water/Link /2ATK 2000/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

"This monster will be placed into my fifth Main Monster Zone! Subsequently I activate the effect of my Cloudian – Turbulence! I remove one Fog Counter from it to special summon one Cloudian – Smoke Ball from my deck or either player's graveyard!" Kumo declared, a small yellow being emerging which even got one comment from Ruri of how cute it looked like.

 _Cloudian – Turbulence: Fog Counters 5 → 4_

 _Cloudian – Smoke Ball_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 600/Fairy/Normal_

"And again!" Kumo repeated.

 _Cloudian – Turbulence: Fog Counters 4 → 3_

 _Cloudian – Smoke Ball_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 600/Fairy/Normal_

"Then the effect of my ace monster! Once per turn Cumulogenitus can gain one Fog Counter per "Cloudian"-Card I control, meaning six! Cloud Generator!" Kumo told as her monster created a veil of mist around itself, increasing the diameter of the aura of fog around her scepter and her Fog Counters alike.

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 0 → 6_

"I will activate the other effect of Cumulogenitus! Once per turn I can remove three Fog Counters from her in order to search out any "Cloudian"-Card or card that mentions "Cloudian" or "Fog Counter" in its card text! I pick Cloudian – Storm Dragon! Meteorologic Impulse!"

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 6 → 3_

"And then appear once more, the circuit that leads me high up into the sky! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more "Cloudian" monsters! With my two Smoke Balls and my Cumulus I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Clouds of the sky, gather and strike down! Soft and fluffy in appearance, but powerful in battle! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth! Link 3, **Cloudian – Cirrocumulogenitus**!" Kumo cried out, another humanoid cloud monster with a cape appearing. It had silver equipment like Cumulogenitus, prompting Alexandra to conclude that the color of Kumo's Link-Monsters' crowns and scepters was based on their Link Rating, with Link 3-Monsters having more precious silver while her Link 2 Cirrogenitus had only bronze.

 _Cloudian – Cirrocumulogenitus_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2400/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"I place her in my third Main Monster Zone! She has an effect that allows me to remove three Fog Counters from anywhere on the field to destroy a card and then draw one card from my deck! However, as your Fire Kings are exceptional in preventing their own destruction by card effect and battle alike I'm going to assume you have a countermeasure against this, so I will destroy one of my own cards to draw a card! I remove one counter from Turbulence and summon another Smoke Ball! Then I destroy it by removing three counters from my Cumulogenitus with my Cirrocumulogenitus' effect and draw one card!" Kumo said, executing her combo.

 _Cloudian – Turbulence: Fog Counters 3 → 2_

 _Cloudian – Smoke Ball_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 600/Fairy/Normal_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 3 → 0_

"Draw!" Kumo yelled, now sitting at nine cards. "Great! We are almost there! I remove two more Fog Counters from Turbulence in order to summon two more Smoke Balls, revving them from my graveyard!"

 _Cloudian – Turbulence: Fog Counters 2 → 0_

 _Cloudian – Smoke Ball (X2)_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 200/DEF 600/Fairy/Normal_

"Appear, the circuit that leads me high up into the sky! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least three "Cloudian" monsters! With my two Cloudian – Smoke Balls and my Link 3 Cloudian – Cirrocumulogenitus I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Clouds of the sky, unite and gather the power of the medium layer of the atmosphere! Soft and fluffy in appearance, but powerful in battle! LINK SHŌKAN! Come forth! Link 5, **CLOUDIAN – MESOSPHERE**!" Kumo shouted as another cloud empress with a cape appeared, her crown and scepter being made of jade. She also eclipsed Cumulogenitus in size and grace, being two Link Ratings above her.

 _Cloudian – Mesosphere_

 _Water/Link 5/ATK 3500/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (↙◄▲►↘)

"Link 5? That's more than Yubi's Ace Dragons, excluding Topologic Savior of course!" Ruri cried out in awe.

"And now I will use a variety of cards!" Kumo announced. "The first is the continuous spell I added to my hand before, Cloudian Fog Machine! Then I also banish a Smoke Ball to special summon Cloudian – Storm Dragon from my hand!"

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"The next is the spell Double Summon! I conduct another normal summon and call forth Cloudian – Altus!" She said as a big, corpulent cloud appeared, having rough similarities to a human. Her hand dropped to five cards at that.

 _Cloudian – Altus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1300/DEF 0/Fairy/Effect_

"Now Altus gains one Fog Counter for every Cloudian I control! Meaning six!" Kumo went on. "Furthermore my Storm Dragon can place one Fog Counter on a monster on the field with its once-per-turn effect and my continuous spell Cloudian Fog Machine can distribute two counters per turn! I now place a total of nine Fog Counters on Altus! Then I remove them to have you discarding three random cards from your hand as my Altus can make you discard one for every three counters on the field I remove!" Kumo declared, cutting Alexandra's hand in half with this move.

 _Cloudian – Altus: Fog Counters 0 → 6 → 7 → 9 → 6 → 3 → 0_

"I'm almost ready! I activate the effect of my Cloudian – Mesosphere! Once per turn I can inflict 500 burn damage for every "Cloudian"-Monster she points to while also distributing one Fog Counter for each! I hit you with 1000 damage and my Storm Dragon gains two Fog Counters!" Kumo declared.

 **ALEXANDRA LP:** **1663** **→ 663**

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: Fog Counters 0 → 2_

"Next up I activate the spell card Cloudian Aerosol! I discard a "Cloudian"-Monster and place Fog Counters on a Cloudian I control equal to that discarded monster's level! I discard the level four **Cloudian – Cirrus** to give my Storm Dragon four Fog Counters!"

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: Fog Counters 2 → 6_

"Great! And now my field spell! Behold, **Atmosphere – Realm of the Cloudians**!" Kumo stated as everyone was suddenly surrounded by clouds of any color resembling the monsters in Kumo's deck. It also appeared to affect the weather as the different people in the area faced different climates and weather conditions, Kumo being bathed in sunlight while Ruri marveled as she looked at a rainbow above her. Meanwhile Alexandra stood there with a scowl as a small rain cloud above her head poured its droplets onto her, the yellow haired girl being pissed at her opponent as she assumed that Kumo could control who got to experience which weather condition. Yuga shouted questions about the whereabouts of Shiryu and the others as he stumbled around in a dense mist while Rin shivered as snow and hail rained down upon her, meeting the phenomenons her deck was based on. Yubi had a sky clear as day and relaxed while Shiryu went searching for Yuga in the nebula, only to get lost and shout around to find the others as well. Yuya and Yuzu experienced strong winds, one gust flipping up Yuzu's skirt for a second, much to her embarrassment and causing the pink haired girl to blush like crazy. It was at this moment that Yuya swore to thank the girl from the Link-Dimension eventually for her "great service" as he called it.

"And now the climax will begin!" Kumo announced, raising up her arm, another circuit forming above her, one much bigger than the previous ones.

"It's time! Her ace is about to arrive on the field!" Yubi remarked as he observed his girlfriend.

"Now appear, the circuit that leads me high up into the sky! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are at least three "Cloudian" monsters with one of them having a Link Rating of at least four and another one having a Link-Rating of at least three! Furthermore this summon allows me to exceed the Link Rating of the monster I summon! I didn't know the true term for such a Link Summon up until yesterday, but thanks to my dear boyfriend I now do! With my Link 3 Cloudian – Cumulogenitus and my Link 5 Cloudian – Mesosphere as well as my Cloudian – Turbulence and Cloudian – Altus I set the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Clouds of the sky, unite and gather the power of the layers that enable life on our planet! Become an ultimate meteorologic force that sweeps down my enemies with a simple wave of its hands! A world-engulfing storm is about to arrive! Brace for it or be blown into the stratosphere from its force! Now bath them in heavenly glory! **CONNECTION OVERDRIVELINK SHŌKAN! _COME FORTH, LINK 6, THE HEAVENLY BEING THAT GOVERNS THE SKIES!_ _CLOUDIAN – ATMOSPHERE LORD: THE ADMINISTRATOR OF ALL GALES!_**" The brown haired female yelled as a gigantic monster of at least fifty feet height appeared. Despite her cloud cape and otherwise cloud-based design she looked incredibly humanoid, especially since her skin was more like flesh than a mere aerosol. Speaking about her skin, it was very fair and light colored, her eyes having irises of a gentle light blue. She also had cloud armor made from all types of clouds, resembling the other monsters in her deck and therefore possessing a multitude of colors. Much like her colleagues she wielded a staff-like scepter, one made of radiant diamonds in her case. Her crown shared this material and much like her cloud cape and scepter it was surrounded by a variety of meteorologic phenomenons such as rain, sunshine, wind, rainbows, snow and hail. Occasionally there were even natural catastrophes and some of the more devastating weather phenomenons, a lightning cracking as she rose her scepter while letting out a war cry-like shout, the monster taking a seat on a throne of white fluffy clouds after that.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales_

 _Water/Link 6/ATK 4000/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (↙◄▲►↘▼)

( 58, Last Surprise - Persona 5 OST)

"So this is her actual ace, the one my future trump card is supposed to rival..." Rin murmured as she marveled at the monster's beauty. A grin formed on her face shortly after. "So me and Ruri will get a monster of that caliber? Good to know!" She added with a smirk of anticipation.

"Great! Her ace has been summoned! Now things will get real interesting!" Yuga remarked, having reunited with Shiryu and left the nebula alongside her in the meantime.

His girlfriend nodded. "Yeah, now things ought to get serious at last!" She stated.

"A really great monster! And a Connection Overdrive Link-Monster as well! Well done, Kumo!" Ruri praised her counterpart, earning her a smile from Kumo as she rejoiced about Ruri's supportive words.

"So this girl has a huge-ass boss monster too? Man, whoever prints cards in those other worlds is surely a lot better at it than Leo Corporation!" Yuya remarked from the Standard-Couple's hideout.

"I guess so. Especially if this monster is just as strong as it looks like." Yuzu retorted to him.

"Atmosphere Lord's effect! She now gains one Fog Counter for every Link Rating I exceeded at her summoning! I used a Link 3 and Link 5 Monster as well as two other materials, so the total material was ten! With only a Link Rating of 6 herself that gives her four counters! Meteorologic Foundation!" Kumo said, her monster gaining four Fog Counters that appeared as four clouds assembling on her diamond staff like emblems.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: Fog Counters 0 → 4_

"Her second effect! She gains 100 ATK for every Fog Counter on the field while my other Cloudians also gain 100 for each! Force of Weather!"

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: ATK 4000 → 5000_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 2000 → 3000_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 1000 → 2000_

"Her third effect! Once per turn she can special summon a "Cloudian"-Monster from my hand or graveyard and treat it like a normal summon! Since my Mesosphere can only be Link Summoned I will revive the second best option, my smaller ace Cumulogenitus, placing her in the third Main Monster Zone! Birth of a Cloud!" Kumo ordered, her monster creating a collection of clouds from thin air that formed into the girl's smaller ace.

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2600 → 3600/Fairy/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘)

(min. 0:46)

"Then I activate the effect of my Cloudian – Cirrogenitus! Once per turn I can remove four Fog Counters from anywhere on the field to summon one Cloudian from my hand or graveyard! I remove four counters from Storm Dragon and summon **Cloudian – Stratocumulus** from my hand!"

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: Fog Counters 6 → 2_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 600/DEF 0/Fairy/Tuner/Effect_

"And due to its effect I get to place one Fog Counter on it for every "Cloudian"-Monster I control! With five that's five counters! This also raises the previously lowered ATK of my monsters again!"

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: Fog Counters 0 → 5; ATK 600 → 1700_

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: ATK 5000 → 4600 → 5100_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 3000 → 2600 → 3100_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 2000 → 1600 → 2100_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: ATK 3600 → 3200 → 3700_

"In addition to that I can also revive my previously discarded Cirrus when I summon a "Cloudian"-Monster! Come from my graveyard, Cloudian – Cirrus!" The Link-Girl went on.

 _Cloudian – Cirrus_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 700 → 1800/DEF 0/Fairy/Tuner/Effect_

"And much like most of my Cloudians it does what?" Kumo addressed her counterpart.

"Placing Fog Counter or distributing them?!" Alexandra hissed back.

Kumo nodded. "Absolutely correct! Cirrus distributes one counter for each "Cloudian"-Monster I control, meaning six! I place them onto my ace!"

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: Fog Counters 4 → 10_

"And my monsters gain ATK!" She went on.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: ATK 5100 → 5700_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 3100 → 3700_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: ATK 1800 → 2400_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: ATK 3700 → 4300_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 2100 → 2700_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: ATK 1700 → 2300_

"Then the effect of my Cumulogenitus again! Once per turn she can gain one Fog Counter for every "Cloudian"-Card I control! I have six monsters and my continuous spell Cloudian Fog Machine as well as my field spell Atmosphere – Realm of the Cloudians! This means eight counters for her! Cloud Generator! Don't forget my Atmosphere Lord's Force of Weather!"

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 0 → 8; ATK 4300 → 5100_

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: ATK 5700 → 6500_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 3700 → 4500_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: ATK 2400 → 3200_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 2700 → 3500_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: ATK 2300 → 3100_

(min. 1:18)

"Next up my field spell! Once per turn my Atmosphere – Realm of the Cloudians can place a number of Fog Counters on monsters I control, namely one for every Cloudian on each! With six "Cloudian"-Monsters they all gain six counters, in turn boosting the ATK of all Cloudians I control by a total of 3600!" Kumo declared.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: Fog Counters 10 → 16; ATK 6500 → 10100_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: Fog Counters 0 → 6; ATK 4500 → 8100_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: Fog Counters 0 → 6; ATK 3200 → 6800_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 8 → 14; ATK 5100 → 8700_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: Fog Counters 2 → 8; ATK 3500 → 7100_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: Fog Counters 5 → 11; ATK 3100 → 6700_

"And lastly my Cloudian – Stratocumulus' effect! Once per turn I can remove three Fog Counters from it to place a number of Fog Counters onto my monsters equal to the amount of Fog Counters they currently have! Or in other words, their respective Fog Counters double!" Kumo said.

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: Fog Counters 11 → 8 → 16_

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: Fog Counters 16 → 32_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: Fog Counters 6 → 12_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: Fog Counters 6 → 12_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: Fog Counters 14 → 28_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: Fog Counters 8 → 16_

"Holy shit! This version of Cloudians is crazy! Not even close to that one guy whom I once dueled against!" Rin cried out in an impressed voice.

Kumo grinned. "Thanks Rin! Now my Cloudians all lose a small amount of 300 ATK each before their attack ascends skywards! Force of Weather!" The Link-Duelist shouted, her bigger ace monster raising its diamond scepter, emitting a strengthening aura onto itself and her other Cloudians.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: ATK 10100 → 9800 → 15600_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 8100 → 7800 → 13600_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: ATK 6800 → 6500 → 12300_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: ATK 8700 → 8400 → 14200_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 7100 → 6800 → 12600_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: ATK 6700 → 6400 → 12200_

"Six monsters with more than twelve thousand ATK?! Wow, Kumo is even crazier than Yuto!" Rin exclaimed in awe before she remembered something. "Well, she has more monsters with that much ATK at least, Yuto's Dark Rebellion on the other hand is another story I guess." She added, reminded of the almost third of a million ATK dragon launching its attack against her.

(min. 1:47)

"Impressive Kumo! As such a formidable duelist I honestly wonder why you should even be afraid of violence! You can defend yourself pretty well from what I can see!" Shiryu commented, making Kumo blush from her flattery.

' _Dang, this girl is really trying to make sure that I go down no matter what, strengthening her monsters like that! But this will only make it more painful for her once she walks into my trap!'_ Alexandra thought with a devious grin on the inside.

' _Geez, why are all of these girls so good?! I'm trying hard to learn a new summoning method, yet I cannot help but feel like an utter joke compared to that! Some of her monsters were even Tuners, so it's safe to say that this Kumo can also use Synchro – and probably even more! What am I doing wrong to be so far behind those girls?!'_ Yuzu debated with herself, being clearly exasperated about the gap in power between herself and her counterparts.

"Now the time has come! Battle! Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales attacks Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix! Since your monster is not Paragon Protected you will fall! Take this! SKY'S JUDGEMENT – SUMMIT OF HEAVEN!" Kumo cried out, her monster raising its scepter to fire a blast composed of all weather phenomenons at the flaming bird, ravaging winds combining themselves with rainstorms, blizzards and lightnings, striking down upon Alexandra's monster.

Alexandra grinned. "Right into my trap! You just sealed your own fate with that attack! Because you didn't get rid of the monster I added to my hand during my last turn as you used your Cloudian – Altus' effect! So here it goes! By destroying Fire King Avatar – Chinthe in my hand I can give a battling Fire King ATK equal to its opponent! With this my Aosaginohix eclipses your Atmosphere Lord by 3000 ATK! IT'S OVER FOR YOU!" The yellow haired girl screamed.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 3000 → 18600_

"Oh no! She reversed the situation! This is bad!" Rin cried out in panic.

Yubi grinned. "Oh, she will be fine! Just watch her go!" He addressed the green haired female.

(min. 2:37)

Kumo rose an eyebrow. "I think I made myself pretty clear yesterday when I said that I want to be like the clouds in my deck, unreachable for everyone else. All my Cloudians cannot be destroyed by battle, but destroy themselves when they are switched into Defense Position. And due to my field spell I take no battle damage from battles involving Cloudians. In other words, your counterattack will achieve nothing." She replied.

" **WHAT?!** " Alexandra cried out in shock as the flaming projectile launched by her monster slipped right trough Atmosphere Lord who turned into clouds at the area where the missile would have hit her. After that the projectile dissolved into nonexistence within the cloud filled realm surrounding the duelists as rain and other weather phenomenons extinguished the flames. After that the skin of Kumo's ace monster turned back to normal.

"She dodged it." Ruri told.

"Yeah, she did. I guess her words were really true, she is as unreachable as the clouds. Which means the defense of her deck is stronger than I expected." Shiryu added.

"That's right. Getting a hit on her is really hard, especially since Kumo's Atmosphere Lord is unaffected by all card effects aside from other "Cloudian"-Cards while she has a "Cloudian"-Monster in a zone Atmosphere Lord points to." Yubi chimed in.

Rin sweat dropped. "Wow, she is indeed really tough! Me and Ruri still have chances as our deck strategies can bypass her monster formation, but I somehow doubt that she would allow herself to get hit by burn damage or direct attacks if she has a trauma and fear of getting hurt." She said.

Yubi nodded. "Yeah, she has ways to avert such things indeed. That's why I would not recommend you to mess with her, she would probably beat you pretty hard, especially if she snaps. In that case she would also beat you physically as she received training in martial arts after she was rescued." He stated.

"Damn you!" Alexandra cursed, her backup plan having failed miserably. "The ATK of my monster returns to normal after the Damage Step!" She added grudgingly.

 _Fire King High Avatar Aosaginohix: ATK 18600 → 3000_

"Atmosphere Lord's effect! She can remove five Fog Counters from anywhere on the field to gain another attack! Ravaging Squall!" Kumo went on.

 _Cloudian – Atmosphere Lord: The Administrator of All Gales: Fog Counters 32 → 27; ATK 15600 → 15100_

 _Cloudian – Cirrogenitus: ATK 13600 → 13100_

 _Cloudian – Cirrus: ATK 12300 → 11800_

 _Cloudian – Cumulogenitus: ATK 14200 → 13700_

 _Cloudian – Storm Dragon: ATK 12600 → 12100_

 _Cloudian – Stratocumulus: ATK 12200 → 11700_

"She can also attack multiple times?!" Alexandra yelled in disbelief.

"Yes, she can! Go once more, Atmosphere Lord! **SKY'S JUDGEMENT – SUMMIT OF HEAVEN!** " Kumo yelled for yet another time, her monster even standing up from its cloud throne as it rose its scepter in order to fire another meteorologic blast at the other girl.

"Aosaginohix's effect! Even if not Paragon Protected I will not fall from that attack! Once per turn I can make the battle damage from a battle involving a Fire King zero! Fire Guard!" The Paragon-Girl shot back. Her monster was destroyed, but she remained unharmed.

"Kuh! She almost had her!" Rin cursed.

"Right! But she still has five more monsters to attack with! You are finished!" Shiryu spoke up.

Alexandra smirked. "I'm afraid not! During the turn my Aosaginohix is destroyed by battle my opponent cannot attack with monsters other than its destroyer! Meaning I survive this turn! How do you like that?!" She retorted to them.

Yubi responded with a grin, startling the yellow and red haired girl. After a few seconds he spoke up. "You survive this turn? Hah, what made you think that? And even more importantly, what made you think that my girlfriend's ace monster's effect is a once per turn?" He remarked in a slightly gloating manner.

Alexandra's face paled. "Does this mean that...?" She whispered in shock.

" **YES! CLOUDIAN – ATMOSPHERE LORD'S EFFECT AGAIN!** " Shouted a dead serious Kumo, raising her hand upwards to her ace monster. "Up to twice per turn I can remove five Fog Counters from the board to grant her another attack! I remove five more counters from her and give her a third attack! And since your Aosaginohix allows the destroyer of her to continue attacking you are done for! **FINISH HER, ATMOSPHERE LORD! _SKY'S JUDGEMENT – SUMMIT OF HEAVEN!_** " She cried out at the top of her lungs as the gigantic humanoid being arose from its throne of clouds entirely, soaring into the air and charging up a mixture of natural disasters and weather phenomenons. Alexandra swallowed hard as the attack advanced toward her, sending her flying as it collided with her and ending the duel in favor of the Link-Couple.

 **ALEXANDRA LP: 663 → 0**

 **YUBI & KUMO WIN!**

( 58, Last Surprise - Persona 5 OST end)

"Great work, Kumo! You did really well! Now come here and hug your boyfriend!" Yubi exclaimed as he approached her and pulled her into a hug. Kumo smiled and gave herself into his embrace, feeling better about herself than for a long time. She had wasted very few if not no Fog Counters at all in this duel, having executed her combos perfectly, setting up a powerful formation. It just made her feel safe and self confident to accomplish such a feat, reassuring her that she was not helpless when the outside forces of this world – especially Leo and his Academia – came around to harm or kidnap her. And the fact that her best friend, crush and life saver was there as well just reassured her even more, especially when he praised her.

"Yeah, congrats Kumo! You and Yubi gave us a really great duel to watch!" Rin addressed her counterpart before sweat dropping. "Oh yeah, and sorry that me and Ruri lost." She added.

"Yeah, sorry for losing against them." Ruri apologized as well.

Kumo smiled. "Oh, no problem you two! You know what they say, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win." She reassured them. "And sometimes you get kidnapped, I guess." She added, referencing to the fact that all three of them had been kidnapped at some point of time, may it be by Ignis or a certain Academia Soldier.

Rin chuckled. "That's true I guess! Sometimes you have better days, sometimes you have worse! But in the end all that matters is that you have friends on whom you can rely on if you fail!" She said.

"Yes, if you help each other, you are truly better off than on your own! And I suppose Kumo is right, stuff like losing happens sometimes! Or like getting kidnapped!" Ruri chimed in, prompting the trio to laugh.

Rin glanced at her Link-Counterpart, a warm smile forming on her face while doing so. _'She is even making jokes about her trauma. This is good! If she continues to fight bravely and face her inner demons and fears of violence, she will be back to her old, cheerful personality sooner than I thought! I just have to support her so she can reach that goal! Kumo, I swear that I will return you to normal alongside Yubi and the others!'_ She declared internally with determination. Her thoughts were interrupted by a noise, prompting her and the others to look around. As their gazes shifted towards the other end of the alleyway they saw how Yuji stood up again, having recovered from the consequences of his loss.

"Screw it!" The green and orange haired male shouted in anger. "If we cannot beat you in a duel, we will simply use our other weapons to destroy you! As the Messiah of Quetzalcoatl I cannot allow scum like you who disturb the universal peace to keep on committing their vile crimes! I WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN NOW! BY THE WILL OF THE CRIMSON DRAGON I WILL VANQUISH YOU! **HAIL QUETZALCOATL!** " Yuji shouted, drawing his Kryo-Blade at once. The squad reacted with shock and took defensive stances, the two boys stepping before the girls protectively, Yubi and Yuga having heavy scowls on their faces while the girls looked rather anxious, especially Kumo as she was still traumatized and afraid of violence.

"Woah, looks like the situation is escalating! What should we do, Yuzu?! Should we step in and help them?!" Yuya addressed the pink haired girl in panic.

Yuzu shook her head, very slowly as her instincts told her to interfere, but her mind retorted with harsh warnings to them, the rational side of herself clearly against interfering in a conflict where supernatural powers and weapons were involved.

"Fuck! He's going to attack us with that Kryo-Blade!" Rin cursed, bracing herself.

"Damn right I am! And not only with my blade! **Divine Spell – Soul Hook!** " Yuji shouted, a spectral hook of green color with a long chain fixed on its end appearing at once, the chain meandering around Yuji's arm and shoulder.

"What in the freaking hell is that?!" Rin cried out in horror.

Yuji smirked. "This?! This is your doom! **DIE!** " He screamed, throwing the hook at Yuga who stood in the middle of the formation. It hit him and pierced into his chest, causing the blue and gray haired male to scream in agony, dropping onto his knees in the process.

-" ** _YUGA!_** "- Shouted his five friends in unison, with Shiryu and Ruri being the loudest. The latter two approached him and crouched down, looking at him with deep concern in their golden and pink eyes respectively. "Yuga, are you okay?! Did his hook tear into your flesh?!" Shiryu inquired worriedly, looking at the spot where the hook had hit him, still sticking inside his chest.

"Does it hurt much?! Can I help you somehow?!" Ruri asked, evenly worried as Yuga's girlfriend.

Yuga's facial muscles were clenched as he reciprocated her gaze and replied. "No, somehow it didn't hurt my actual body... **BUT IT STILL HURTS LIKE HELL!** " He screamed, letting out another howl of agony just one second after his answer, Shiryu and Ruri wrapping her arms around him in concern.

-" ** _YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!_** "- They snapped at the male holding the spectral chain the evenly spectral hook was attached to.

Yuji smirked at them. "Oh, nothing much! I just threw my Divine Spell at him! You should know that my Soul Hook doesn't hurt the physical body of the people it impales! Instead its sharp edges pierce into their very soul!" He explained with a sadistic grin on his face.

-" **WHAT?! INTO HIS SOUL?!** "- The girls repeated in horror, the three others looking equally terrified. Yuga couldn't muster the strength for a proper reaction as he was still in agony from the hook stinging into his very soul.

Yuji nodded. "Yes, his soul! And now that I have it on the hook I'm gonna pull it out of his body like a fisherman reels in his catch! **DIE, BASTARD!** " The male from the Paragon-Dimension shouted, tugging on the rope he was holding.

" ** _GAAAAH!_** " Screamed Yuga in agony, a green image resembling his body in form partially leaving his body from the pull. Shiryu and Ruri, observing with eyes wide open, saw how more and more of this object which they assumed was his soul left the boy's body. Having a sudden idea simultaneously they tried to grab the chain and pull on it into the opposite direction. But as they did, their hands merely slipped through, causing them to gasp in surprise.

Yuji chuckled. "Oh, did you seriously think you could just grab that chain and pull on it?! Sorry to disappoint you, Ruri and whoever you hottie are, but unfortunately nobody except me can actually touch the Soul Hook! Now observe as I do a little exorcism and pull the freaking soul outta that friend of yours! This is what you get for your sins, filthy nonbelievers!" He yelled, pulling another part of Yuga's soul from his body with a yank of his arm, causing his counterpart to scream in pain.

"THIS IS GOING WAY TOO FAR! TAKE THIS, YOU BASTARD!" An outraged Yubi screamed, being utterly furious as the contrast from his current behavior to his normal stoic attitude displayed. Unbeknownst to everyone one of his revolver-upgrades had involved adding Kryo-Energy, something he had even kept secret from his parents or Kumo. He drew his weapon and fired several blue projectiles at Yuji.

Yuji smirked. "A Kryo-Gun? Not bad! But not good enough either!" He retorted, deflecting all of the Kryo-Bullets with his Kryo-Blade.

"Damn it! He blocked them all!" Yubi cursed.

"Damn right I did! But anyway, time for your friend to visit the great heavenly plains of Quetzalcoatl!" Yuji told, removing even more of Yuga's soul with another yank of his arm.

"Curse this guy! We cannot get close to him because of his Kryo-Blade and we cannot attack him from afar either! What should we do, damn it, we need a plan, fast!" Yubi thought hectically, his mind going on full capacity, trying to find a way to save their team's leader. But no matter how hard he deliberated, he found no solution to the problem at hand, the grinding of his teeth intensifying.

" **ENOUGH! I WILL MAKE YOU STOP BY MYSELF IF NECESSARY!** " Shiryu screamed at once, standing up and pulling out her Kryo-Blade, activating it in a single move, launching herself at Yuji.

"My my, what a brave girl we have here! You seem pretty good with that blade as well, so I better show you my best!" Yuji yelled in response, retracting his blade and putting it back into the sheath on his back. Then he stretched out his left hand, its palm open as he began shouting a brief command.

Zarc grinned. _"Oh, I was waiting for this moment! This ought to be great!"_ He remarked as he watched the action in anticipation.

"DEFILE THEM, **SHOMŌ NO HAAKU!** "(Jap.: Grasp of Desire) He cried out as a blade appeared, particles of energy gathering to form it. It resembled a katana and had a shining silver blade and a brown hilt with green hilt wrappings. Its guard was pentagon-shaped with one amber gem on each of its sides. He grasped it and looked at Shiryu with a confident smirk, awaiting her attack.

Shiryu was shocked and decelerated in hesitation before being reminded of her boyfriend, charging forward once more. She clashed with Yuji and gritted her teeth as both of them pushed their respective blade against each other's.

"Not bad, not bad! You are truly pretty good! However...!" Yuji began, pushing his sword upwards, causing Shiryu's to approach the guard of his blade with the cutting edge of her own. Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed a little detail she had overlooked before: There were several small gaps in between the section where his sword's guard had those gems embedded in it. And with Yuji's movement of his blade her own sword's cutting edge slid into just one of those little gaps. Yuji grinned as his arm shot skywards at once, Shiryu's blade which had hooked into the small gap being dragged upwards as well and forcefully ripped from her grasp. Now Shiryu understood the name of his sword, these little gaps seemed to be a trick of him he used in order to disarm the opponent. And the desire-part, well, she already knew that he was a hopeless pervert. As Shiryu's gaze followed her Kryo-Blade into the air Yuji made a strike upwards and bisected it with a swing of Shomō no Haaku, shattering her Kryo-Blade into millions of pieces.

" **WHAT?!** HOW COULD YOU DESTROY MY KRYO-BLADE THAT EASILY?! THEY ARE WAY TOO STURDY TO SHATTER LIKE THIS, EVEN AGAINST OTHER KRYO-BLADES!" Shiryu cried out in utter shock.

"Oh, unfortunately I must tell you that Kryo isn't as good as you might think when you look at the grand scheme of things! You see, my Shomō no Haaku is a Shinseiken, a Divinity Blade! They are a very special underclass of Momentum Blades, the latter being made from the energy this world consists of itself! However, a Shinseiken surpasses a normal Momentum Blade by far! That's why I was able to shatter even such a finely made Kryo-Blade like yours with ease!" Yuji explained in a victorious tone.

"No way!" Shiryu responded in disbelief.

"Yes way! And now get lost!" Yuji yelled back, giving her a kick that sent her flying.

"Shiryu!" Rin cried out, catching her before she hit the ground. Shiryu gave her a thankful nod before they looked back to Yuji as Yuga screamed in agony again, Yuji starting to pull out his soul anew.

"Damn it! Is there really nothing we can do?!" Ruri uttered grudgingly.

"I'm afraid, no! Nothing we do works and if we just charge at him, we'll die as well!" Yubi replied with audible teeth-grinding, holding Kumo close whose mental state had worsened from the violent events happening just now. Meanwhile the Standard-Couple had conflicted feelings about the situation.

"Yuzu! We need to help them! That guy is going to pull the soul out of him!" Yuya cried out in horror, pleading Yuzu to allow him to intervene.

"No! It's far too dangerous! If we go out there we will get caught in the crossfire and get killed too!" Yuzu protested, internally conflicted but knowing that interfering would put them in jeopardy as well.

" **YOU WONT STOP ME, YUZU! I WILL HELP THAT GUY!** " Yuya screamed at her, standing up at once and starting to run.

" ** _NOOOOOOOOO!_** " Yuzu cried out in tears, tackling him from behind just before he ran past the corner that would put him into their field of vision and throwing him to the ground, putting a hand over his mouth while sitting on his back to keep him where he was. "Please Yuya! If that guy sees you he will brand you an impostor as well and try to kill you too! Please, don't go out there!" She begged him, having to restrain Yuya for his own good. The male let out a series of muffled screams, but she managed to hold him in place with all of her strength.

"Oh god, is this really happening?! Please Yuga, you need to resist him! You cannot die yet! _**PLEASE, I NEED YOU!**_ " Whined Shiryu, hugging her doomed lover, unable to do anything against the extraction of his soul that gradually progressed, her crying accompanied by a series of screams whenever Yuji managed to pull out a bit more of Yuga's soul. He had begun to extract it from the top downwards, having currently pulled out everything aside from what was lower than his knees.

"Come on, I know you can do it! You mustn't give into this guy! _**PLEASE, I BEG OF YOU!**_ " Ruri chimed in, her despair being similarly high as her counterpart's as she besought the boy to fight the soul extraction process in tears.

"I'm trying... but this power he has is too strong...!" Yuga responded, hissing out the words in pain during a brief break before Yuji pulled on the chains once more.

Yuji scowled. "Damn, you are putting up one hell of a fight! This is almost like sports fishing! I guess I have to pull a little harder then if I want to get my catch before tomorrow, right?!" He cried out in an intense voice, reeling in his soul with even more force, now already having reached his feet.

" ** _NO YUGA, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME! YOU'RE EVERYTHING I HAVE! WHAT WILL I DO WITHOUT YOU?!_** " Shiryu sobbed, the desperation on her face reaching new heights as she whined into his shoulder, Ruri showing similar behavior.

"Am I really going to die...?" Yuga whispered as his sight began to blur, his consciousness drifting away, the only thing of his soul that still remained inside of his body being his mere toes, the only thing that separated him from the claws of death being nothing more than a rough length of one inch of his skin.

* * *

 _Inside Yuga's mind..._

" _Well, well, well, look who it is!"_ A pale adult figure spoke up as Yuga appeared within the realm that was his own consciousness.

" _Looks like you were right after all! He did indeed come back pretty quickly! And even sooner than I expected!"_ A dragonic male chimed in.

Yuga scowled as he looked at them. _"You again, huh? I guess I won't get rid of you that easily after all. What a drag, you guys are so weird and annoying! Talking about crazy-ass shit and encouraging me to violate Ruri and take her by force! I'd be glad if you were gone at once!"_ He responded to them.

The pale male with the green borders around his irises smirked. _"It's funny that you are speaking about vanishing, being in a rather unfortunate situation yourself! You're dying, Yuga!"_ He pointed out with a devious look on his face.

Yuga frowned. _"I will manage to fend off this guy, get my soul back into my body and then knock him out! I have already faced a lot of life-threatening situations in my youth when I was an orphan an I will make it out of this one as well!"_ Yuga declared, putting on a mask of confidence.

" _Oh, I think not this time! Yuji's spell is far too overpowering as he uses his true potential, unlike you fool! At this rate you will lose the last bit of your soul and die like a pathetic worm!"_ The dragon pointed out in spitefulness.

Yuga scowled. _"Don't write me off that easily! I will manage to survive! I have done it before and will do it again!"_ He responded angrily.

The dragon began laughing, the other figure chiming in as well. Yuga gritted his teeth and looked at them with a heavy scowl on his face while they kept ridiculing him. Eventually the white skinned male wiped the tears from his eyes and replied to him.

" _You think you can survive on your own?! Seriously, Yuga?! You don't need to play the strong in front of us, we both know that you are history if Yuji keeps up his pulling! The only thing that can save you now is relying on our powers to avert your demise!"_ Pale Yuga said.

" _And why would I do that?! You are clearly trying to gain control or some sort of thing! And since your lizard friend over there has already expressed his tendencies and would most likely rape all of the girls if I gave him control over my body I cannot allow this to happen! I'd rather die than let him violate Shiryu, Ruri, Rin or Kumo!"_ Yuga shot back in fury.

The dragon laughed. _"Oh, do you think you are the only of your counterparts who has alternative personas like us?! Sure, we are the best of them, but Yuji for instance also has two guys pretty similar to us, even if the counterpart of my dear colleague right here is of course a lowly Hollow instead of a majestic Despertar like him! So since Yuji himself has already shown a lot of that primal "I take what I want"-kinda behavior and is rather perverted it is pretty safe to say that his primal half aka my counterpart is even more extreme! He will already kill Yubi, but if his inner dragon surfaces it will get even worse! You see, that blade which he is releasing IS his inner dragon, his primal instincts! Meaning if he's using more of his powers and that one gets into the control-position, your girls will have a really unpleasant experience!"_ Dragon Yuga told, the normal Yuga's face paling visibly at that. _"Oh, he's gonna have so much fun with them!"_ The dragonic male continued in a dreamy tone. _"First he's going to take the one with the biggest bust size, meaning your girlfriend! Oh, that ought to be lots of fun! All her squeals and screams of pain and protest as he mercilessly takes her, all that pointless struggle as she loses her virginity, ah, majestic!"_ He daydreamed, Yuga's eyes looking at him wide open in horror. _"Then he will probably continue with Ruri, taking into account the amazing butt she has! Hmm, I wonder what position he's gonna use? Doggy I'd say so he can make the most of Ruri's behinds! After he's done with her he's going to take Rin next! Man, she's going to look so nice with that horrified look on her face once Yuji spreads those perfect hips and dives right into the matter of things, if you know what I mean! And lastly he's going to finish with Kumo! This could possibly be the best, traumatized girls are always so nice to take by force! Oh, all those high-pitched screams! All that pain! I cannot call this by any other name than purest art!"_ Dragon Yuga said in a voice that sounded as if he was reading the holiest text of a holy book, talking about these atrocities in reverence. The more he spoke about gruesome rape in admiration, the more Yuga's stomach tightened and clenched in disgust, the dragonic adult version of himself seeming more and more insane to Yuga as he proceeded to talk about such topics in such an embellishing manner. If Yuga had ever been unsure that this part of himself was a total psychopath, he was convinced of the opposite now.

" _So... what can I do to prevent this?"_ Yuga spoke up in a low voice, his face almost as pale as his second alternate persona.

Dragon Yuga's ears perked up, abruptly turning his face to Yuga. _"Oh?! You're giving in at last?!"_ He inquired with a grin, being in mad glee that his talk had succeeded in hitting the spot where Yuga was the most vulnerable – the safety of the girls and his friends.

Yuga nodded weakly with his mouth corners down. _"Yes. I will do anything you want. Just give me the power to protect the girls and Yubi..."_ He said in defeat. _"Please..."_ He begged, facing them with a look of utter desperation.

Dragon Yuga laughed, the other male also chiming in. _"Hahahaha, finally you're stopping to be so stubborn! Very well, I'll help you to save our mutual body! Oh, and those chicks of course! I cannot allow Yuji to take them, they are our property after all and we will eventually take them ourselves – in time of course! Anyway, I'll now teach you how to stop him! I will lend you my powers and together we will destroy this dirty fucker, alright?!"_ He addressed his normal version.

Yuga nodded. _"Okay. But how do I use your powers?"_ He asked, still unsure how to avert this fate.

The dragonic male smirked. _"It's simple! You saw that guy's blade, right?"_ He inquired.

Yuga nodded.

" _As I said before, this is Yuji's inner dragon. There are two people inside his mind: His Hollow persona which is the equivalent to my colleague next to me and his Dragon persona which is my counterpart. But the dragon is actually the spirit of his Shinseiken, his Divinity Blade! So since I am your Dragon persona, I am...!"_ He began, leaving it for Yuga to finish.

" _My Shinseiken Spirit?!"_ Yuga finished in shock.

Dragon Yuga nodded. _"Correct! And all you need to do to unleash me and form my blade is focusing while saying the release command alongside my name!"_ He responded.

Yuga looked up, facing him with an questioning expression. _"And... what is your name?"_ He asked warily.

The dragonic male grinned. _"As I said before, my name is Yuga! But I only use that name because I'm part of you, so that is obviously not my real name! I mentioned the real one in our previous conversation as well though!"_ He replied.

Suddenly it dawned Yuga. _"Don't say that your name is...!"_ He cried out in disbelief.

Dragon Yuga nodded with a devious grin. _"Exactly! I am Kami Koroshi!"_ He announced before continuing after a short pause, his eyes widening in the process. _" **I'm the God Killer!** "_ He finished in a victorious tone full of viciousness.

* * *

 _Outside world..._

"Alright! One more pull and your friend is history!" Yuji announced, preparing his final jolt that would put an end to Yuga.

" _ **PLEASE YUGA! DON'T LEAVE ME! PLEASE!**_ " Shiryu screamed in tears.

"Sorry cutie, but the impostor has to go down now!" Yuji said, the muscles of his arm tensing up in preparation to conduct one final pull of enormous strength that would rip the soul anchored in Yuga's body from his last remaining body part with a connection – meaning his toes.

-" ** _NOOOOOOOOOO!_**"- Five people cried out in unison.

"Yes!" Yuji shouted back. "Now then, time for this sinner to...!" He said before stopping, a sudden wave of energy startling him, prompting him to halt his sentence.

"Do you really think that you can kill me like this?" Yuga spoke up in a whispered tone, his face still looking downwards like before, the messy hair falling down and covering his eyes. An aura mixed of dark blue and black flared to life around him, having a fire-like appearance, the dual-colored flames licking over his skin and clothing. "You insolent fool, how do you even dare to assume an outcome so idiotic and presumptuous?! You clearly need someone to remind you of your place!" Yuga stated, looking up at that. "And you're lucky, since the one responsible for this task will be no one else than I!" He finished with a huge grin on his face, showing his fangs which were unusually long. The force of his aura exploded at once, the Soul Hook dissolving and crumbling from the power.

Yuji's eyes widened in terror. "The Soul Hook is vanishing?! That can only mean that his Spirit Force must have increased! Yes, now I feel it! It's two – no! – three times higher than mine!" He whispered in shock. As another pulse of energy came from Yuga he corrected himself again. "No way! His Spirit Force exceeds mine by four times?! How can I only have one quarter of his strength?!" He murmured, gazing at his counterpart in horror. At this moment the words of his older sister Mieko echoed through his mind as he remembered a certain day of his past.

* * *

 _Four years ago, Paragon-Dimension..._

" _Wow, I finally managed to perform the spell! Now nobody will be able to stop me!" Yuji cried out, having reached his goal of executing a very specific Jyujutsu-Spell at last._

 _His sister shook her head in negation, looking at her at that time 10 years old brother. "No, you are wrong. Even if you can perform your spell now, it will not work on everybody." Mieko told him._

 _Yuji raised an eyebrow. "Why that?" He asked in confusion._

 _Mieko sighed. "Well, unfortunately for you there is a certain rule. Listen closely, this is one of the most important lessons you have to learn when it comes to Jyujutsu!" She announced. The boy turned his attention to his sister, eyeing her closely. After Mieko was sure that he was really there with all of his mind, she continued. "Jyujutsu only works on your opponent when the power difference between your and your opponent's Spirit Force is sufficient enough. The more power an individual has, the more Momentum is inside their body, the higher is their Spirit Force. If you are far weaker than your opponent and you use a spell on them, it will do nothing at all, not even leave a scratch. If you are only slightly weaker on the contrary your spell will work, only less efficiently than normal. A Jyujutsu-Spell reaches its maximum power when facing an opponent with the same Spirit Force as you. Weaker foes don't take extra damage. But the quintessence of this whole lesson is that you need to reach a certain level before you can harm an opponent stronger than you. There are already a lot of Jyujutsu-Specialists who have made their guesses, some say the magical point from where your spells start showing effects is when you are at least half your opponent's strength, others say more than half, others only a third, the estimations differ a lot. But even with no precise number it is safe to say that there is a certain point you need to reach for your attacks to show effect. I can tell you nothing too detailed unfortunately, but at least consider your moves based on an approximate ratio, let's say one third is the minimum power needed for example. You just need to gain a bit of experience in fights and eventually you will get a feeling for the required power you need in order to inflict damage and can then base your actions on this self-discovered number. Until then you won't know anything specific regarding that though, so always remember this for a rough orientation: A tiger shark can affect a great white, but a mere barracuda will never even reach a great white. You got that?" Mieko asked._

 _Yuji nodded. "So what do I have to do in order to be sure that my spells won't be useless against any possible opponent I could face? What do I need to do in order to assure my success in battle?" He asked._

" _Good question, Yuji! The answer is simple, yet hard to achieve: You need to get stronger. The stronger you get, the less likely it becomes that you are helpless in battle. Most importantly you must never rest! Even if you reach the level of a great white you may one day encounter a megalodon which will swallow you alive without any chance to fight back! Your quest for power is a never ending path, so as long as you push forward you are always on the right way! Understood?" The green and orange haired female asked him._

" _Yes, I understand." Yuji retorted, diving into his thoughts. He imagined what it would be like to face such a megalodon one day. Would he be strong enough to defeat a foe of that strength? This thought occupied him for all of his life ever since then, occasionally causing him nightmares of his failure to oppose such an enemy. As a result he trained and trained to become stronger. And now this question would finally be answered._

* * *

 _Present time..._

Yuji looked forward in horror, facing the enemy of his nightmares. He had become enormously strong over the years, stronger than most other members of the Quetzalcoatl Cult. But this male in front of him, his power was in a different league. His Spirit Force was immense, bathing their surroundings in a vivid radiance. Now he finally knew how it felt like to face such a megalodon, the sensation being far too unreal for him to handle.

Yuga stood up, the Soul Hook having shattered from the difference in power and the soul having fully gone back into the boy. He looked at Yuji with a wide grin on his face. "Now then, it's time for our battle to begin!" The blue and gray haired teenager announced. As Shiryu looked at him she briefly rubbed her eyes. He had a green border around his irises and some parts of his skin seemed to be replaced by scales. She shrugged it off as her imagination, unaware of the inner help her boyfriend had received.

Yuji readied his blade, taking a defensive stance. "Fine! Then bring it own! Even with such an enormous Spirit Force I still have the weapon-advantage! I will simply cut you in half with my Shomō no Haaku!" He retorted, thankful that he had his Divinity Blade. Ever since unlocking it Shomō no Haaku had always been his saving grace when he thought about his possible encounter with a Jyujutsu-megalodon. Its power eclipsed any Kryo- or Momentum-Blade, evening out the situation for him.

Yuga chuckled. "You think this little knife will save you?! Then allow me to show you something!" He declared, stretching out his arm.

"Wait, can it be? No way, this guy can never...!" Yuji cried out in horror.

" **DESTROY EVERYTHING! DEVOUR THE WHOLE WORLD!** " Yuga cried out in a tone full of lust for destruction and sadistic anticipation.

-"What is he doing?"- Yuga's five friends and the Standard-Couple exclaimed, the latter of them having shifted into a normal position again as Yuzu had let go of Yuya once Yuga had broken the Soul Hook.

"This guy! First he breaks out of that situation and now he is doing something even weirder than that!" Yuya remarked, having calmed down as his counterpart had saved himself from death – with some help unknown to him that is.

"Impossible! Does that guy seriously have a...?!" Yuji whispered, totally aghast by Yuga's movements and words, knowing that it could only have one possible meaning.

" ** _MANIFEST AND FEAST ON THEM,_ _KAMI KOROSHI_!**"(Jap.: God Killer) Yuga cried out as momentum gathered in front of him and manifested as a blade. It had the appearance of a tachi, a blade similar to a katana, only longer. Yuji knew that his blade had a cutting edge of around 60 centimeters length. This one on the contrary though was at least at 110 centimeters. Its blade was less bent than a normal katana or tachi, being almost straight and possessing a shining silver color, the cutting edge being highly polished. Speaking about its cutting edge, there was something rather unusual about it: It was not even, but jagged, having gaps in between that gave it an appearance similar to shark teeth. Furthermore its blade was broader than a normal tachi, maybe twice as broad from what Yuji could tell, making the sword look rather heavy. Only one half of its blade, the one with the cutting edge, was silver, the other was an ominous, eerie black. The handle was made from gold and had a mixture of black and dark bluish hilt wrappings on it. Lastly it had a rather unusual guard that caught Yuji's attention, the boy's eyes widening in terror: It was made from gold as well with an octagon shaped design. Each of the edges of the octagon were merged with metallic guards of silver color, extending into most directions by roughly three inches and resembling one half of the guard of a traditional medieval long sword. On the four sides where these protracted extensions of the guard pointed to Yuga they had numb edges and tips. The four directions that pointed more to Yuji than Yuga when holding it though – meaning the ones at the upper middle of two sides and the two pointing northwest and northeast respectively – had sharp tips with barbs, as well as sharp edges. Yuga grasped the weapon and looked at it in reverence for a moment before redirecting it towards his opponent in a swinging motion. " **BEHOLD, THIS IS MY SHINSEIKEN KAMI KOROSHI, THE GOD KILLER!** " Yuga announced with audible pride in his voice.

"No way! Your Shinseiken has an eight-edged guard! And legends tell that the number of edges of a Shinseiken is a direct indicator for its power!" Yuji cried out in utter terror.

Yuga chuckled. "Precisely! This blade – God Killer – is a special sword among special swords! It eclipses your Shinseiken by three edges! But your blade isn't the only one it surpasses, because it surpasses them all! Namely since it is the strongest Shinseiken in existence!" Yuga proclaimed, much to Yuji's shock who just stared ahead in disbelief.

Zarc appeared next to him on his spectral form. _"Well, not entirely. There are two Shinseiken with more than eight edges on their guards, meaning ones which are stronger than Kami Koroshi. Namely my ten-edged sword Shinjitsu and Ray's nine edged-sword Kibō."_ He stated.

"Wow, he also has such a crazy blade? And the strongest of them all as well? Geez, that's so like Yuga, Saikyō here, Saikyō there! But I guess he is the strongest after all." Shiryu remarked, still shocked, but relaxing due to the fact that they seemed to be safe now.

"So this guy also has one of those Divinity Blades? Guess I don't need to save him then." Yuya stated from his hideout.

Yubi chuckled as he looked at Yuga. "Man, you had me really scared for a moment! I actually thought you would die! Everyone of us was scared to be honest!" He addressed the other male.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for making you worry! Especially to you, Shiryu! I apologize for the emotional drama you had to go through!" Yuga said.

Shiryu approached him and faced his stare. "It's okay, honey. The only important thing is that you are fine now!" She said with a warm smile on her face. As she leaned close Yuga pulled her towards him with his empty left arm and kissed her passionately. The azure and white haired female responded to the kiss accordingly, just relieved that her boyfriend was okay. After a while they parted and Yuga looked rightwards towards another girl.

"Please forgive me for the trouble I caused, Ruri. I shouldn't have been so careless to get caught by his Soul Hook." He apologized to the other girl as well.

Ruri shook her head sideways. "You don't need to be, what happened is not your fault. After all you didn't ask for your soul to get apprehended by Yuji's hook. I'm just glad that you are fine!" She replied smiling. The girl approached him as well, sharing their second kiss this day with him.

' _Well, at least there are some benefits for getting my soul grabbed!'_ Yuga thought as he enjoyed the feeling of her lips on his. Though two certain parts of himself demanded more than just kissing. Of course Yuga wasn't intending to let them have their will as they were far too radical in his opinion, to say the very least. "Anyway...!", Yuga spoke up, parting from Ruri, "I think it's time for our showdown now! Are you ready?!" He addressed the other male as he readied his blade.

Yuji nodded. "I am! Bring it on! By the power of my god Quetzalcoatl I can and will not lose to you!" He declared in a resolute tone.

Yuga chuckled. "By your god's power? You do realize that my Shinseiken is called Kami Koroshi, meaning God Killer?! Petty things like gods don't matter to me! NOW PREPARE TO BE DESTROYED!" Yuga screamed, his sword arm darting upwards.

Zarc smirked. _"This is gonna be really interesting! I better play some background music to make it even better than it already would be!"_ He stated, snapping his fingers.

( 59, Blood of the Demon Part B - Nanatsu no Taizai OST; not audible to the characters, aside from Zarc obviously. Note: There are parts with background and foreground lyrics in this song, playing simultaneously. Louder foreground lyrics will appear in bold is these sections. Obviously in brackets as well as this track isn't audible to the characters as I said before.)

"Let's get started!" Yuga said with a bloodthirsty grin, beginning to walk up to Yuji.

"Well, let's see if you can even reach me!" Yuji shouted back before uttering an incantation. "Black mist! Shroud this place in life-consuming deadliness! They shall perish and wither as they make your acquaintance! **Haōmadou 69 – Shikiri**!" (Jap.: Supreme King Magic 69 – Death Mist) He exclaimed, black fog forming between the two of them. The Paragon-Duelist grinned. _'Great! Big sis told me that strong spells have bigger chances to hit and opponent, even if they are stronger than you! So it should affect even this megalodon over there! And once it does...!'_ Yuji thought, his grin widening in glee as he imagined it.

Yuga looked at the lethal fog in condescension. "This is supposed to stop me? Ridiculous!" He remarked. He let his aura flare even more intensely, shrouding him in black and dark blue color. Then he continued his walk. Yuji observed with eyes wide open as his counterpart simply passed through the mist like it was nothing.

(Sloth Sin)

(Lust Sin)

(Greed Sin)

(Wrath Sin)

(Envy Sin)

(Pride Sin)

(Gluttony Sin)

(Supremacy Sin)

(Sloth Sin)

(Lust Sin)

(Greed Sin)

(Wrath Sin)

(Envy Sin)

(Pride Sin)

(Gluttony Sin)

(Nihilism Sin)

"Impossible!" Yuji screamed as his counterpart drew nearer with slow, steady steps without any physical harm caused by Yuji's spell. The other male faced him with a savage grin on his face, the hand holding Kami Koroshi, growing impatient as the long blade twitched in his hands in an anticipating manner. Dark blue eyes with pupil turned into slits and green borders around the irises glared at Yuji menacingly, Yuga's fingernails looking more like claws as the tapped on the hilt of his sword impatiently. Yuji also noticed a few scales on the male's body, but didn't give himself a lot of time to look at them, namely since Yuga had finished walking through the mist and now launched at him.

"LET'S DO THIS, YUJI!" Yuga screamed, storming towards Yuji with a savage swing of his blade. Yuji brought up Shomō no Haaku just in time to parry the vertical slash.

"What happened to you?" Yuji uttered with teeth gritted from the strain as he parried a series of strikes launched by the Yuga, looking at his changed appearance.

Yuga chuckled. "Well, I was offered some help and I accepted it! Now show me if you can keep up with this new power I gained!" Yuga cried out in a challenging tone, raising his sword to deliver another strike.

(Devils)

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

(They are satans)

(They are devils)

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

(They are satans)

(They are…)

Yuji was pushed back as he continued parrying the never ending series of swings launched by the savagely grinning Ritual-Dimension inhabitant. _'Damn it, he's fast and powerful! At this rate I won't be able to get even a single counter strike into his constant combos!'_ He thought. As he saw an especially viscous side swing approaching he took a bigger step back to avoid it. Unfortunately he had forgotten that Yuga's blade was unusually long with more than 50 centimeters more cutting edge, resulting in a shallow, but long gash on his stomach. Yuji hissed in pain as the tip of Kami Koroshi engraved a thin line into his torso.

Yuga smirked. "Oh my, are you hurt? Shall I hold back a bit so little Yuji doesn't get beaten up so badly?" He addressed the other male in a mocking voice.

(Devil)

(He's a savage)

(He's the loss)

(He's a dragon)

(He's a god)

(He's a force)

(He's a legend)

(He's a satan)

(He's a devil)

(He's a savage)

(He's the loss)

(He's a dragon)

(He's a god)

(He's a force)

(He's a legend)

(He's a satan)

(He's a...)

"Shut up! I will make you pay for this!" Yuji snapped back, drawing his Kryo-Blade and activating it, now wielding two swords.

"Two swords against one?! Great, this should make things a little bit more exciting!" Yuga exclaimed in anticipation as he charged at Yuji anew. Yuji fared better now, occasionally finding an opening and enough time to perform a counterattack, but even with two blades it didn't look good for him as Yuga parried all of them effortlessly while continuing his savage assault. Obviously the sword training during his youth had done him well, in addition to the extra power he had received from his two other personas.

(Devils)

 **(-DRA-)**

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

 **(-GO-)**

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

 **(-NIC-)**

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

 **(-SINS-)**

(They are satans)

(They are devils)

"Man, I'm getting bored by the measly fight you out up!" Yuga yawned in annoyance. "But then again you're only a Hollow while I stand at the top of all Despertars, which excuses your weakness to some degree at least! So let's end this, shall we?" Yuga addressed his counterpart, jumping high up into the air at once.

 **(-DRA-)**

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

-"What the hell was that jump?! And what is he doing now?!"- Everyone except Yuga wondered in unison as they observed him.

 **(-GO-)**

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

 **(-NIC-)**

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

 **(-SINS-)**

(They are satans)

(They are devils)

 **(-DRA-)**

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

 **(-GO-)**

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

 **(-NIC-)**

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

 **(-SINS-)**

(They are satans)

(They are devils)

" **YOU'RE FINISHED, YUJI! TAKE THIS! _DIVINE SPELL – GISHIKI GUILLOTINE!_** " Yuga screamed at the top of his lungs as he winded up Kami Koroshi behind his back, approaching from above. Yuji gritted his teeth as he braced for the impact, crossing his swords with his Kryo-Blade supporting Shomō no Haaku to deflect the impact. " ** _BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT, FILTHY HOLLOW!_** " Yuga screamed with the voice of the pale individual inside his mid and that person's dragonic counterpart mixed into his own voice, slamming his blade onto Yuji's with full force. Yuji skidded back, but succeeded in blocking the attack.

 **(-DRA-)**

(They are savage)

(They're the loss)

"Hah! I blocked your attack!" Yuji exclaimed victoriously.

 **(-GO-)**

(They are dragons)

(They are gods)

 **(-NIC-)**

(They're a force)

(They are legends)

 **(-SINS-)**

(They are satans)

Yuga smirked. "No, you didn't! You see, my Divine Spell has the power of absolute penetration! It can even pierce through defenses like yours with ease!" He retorted.

"No wa...!" Yuji began shouting, but he was stopped as a fountain of blood exploded from his back, a long gash which reached down the entirety of his back opening up at once, blood splashing upwards. He fell to the side and lost consciousness in the process.

" **DO YOU SEE THAT?! THIS IS WHY I'M THE WORLD'S STRONGEST!** " Yuga shouted in triumph, raising his bloodstained blade victoriously.

" _ **YOU BASTARD! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!**_ " Shouted an enraged Alexandra who had meanwhile come to again, only to witness how her best friend and lover received a fatal injury.

(Sloth Sin)

 **(-DRA-)**

(Lust Sin)

(Greed Sin)

 **(-GO-)**

(Wrath Sin)

(Envy Sin)

 **(-NIC-)**

(Pride Sin)

(Gluttony Sin)

 **(-SINS-)**

(Supremacy Sin)

(Sloth Sin)

 **(-DRA-)**

(Lust Sin)

(Greed Sin)

 **(-GO-)**

(Wrath Sin)

(Envy Sin)

 **(-NIC-)**

(Pride Sin)

(Gluttony Sin)

 **(-SINS-)**

(Nihilism Sin)

Yuga looked at the female who has shrouded herself in the fiery aura of her divine spell as she ran at him with her Kryo-Blade drawn. "Oh yeah, I forgot to deal with you, right! Then here you are!" The male remarked, raising his arm and beginning to chant a couple of sentences. "Sinister coffin of doom! Form around my foes and bury them in your gravitation before they shall be pierced by the blackish spears! The black grave shall be the end of you! Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi!" Yuga declared with a grin on his face.

Alexandra's face paled as the black walls formed around her. "You can perform this spell?! Please don't kill me! I beg of you!" She pleaded, her attitude changing at once since she knew about the destructive power of this specific Jyujutsu-Spell and how helpless she was against it.

"Oh, don't worry, my cutie! I will make sure to hurt you just enough to knock you out! It would be a great waste to extinguish such a precious life after all, especially since we want to interrogate you! Goodnight, my pretty!" Yuga responded as the black cage was completed. He turned towards his team as the spears started to pierce into the cube. "And therefore our squad wins once more!" He told his friends while the Black Coffin dissolved again, an unconscious Alexandra falling forward, right onto Yuga's shoulder. "Now then, someone grab Yuji and then let's get back to the hotel! I'll answer your questions later!" Yuga addressed the five members of his group who nodded hesitantly, aghast expressions on their faces.

"Stop! No abductions! You stay here!" A male voice shouted.

Yuga looked around to see a boy and a girl who seemed to have tried holding back her male friend entering the scene. He briefly flashed a grin at that. "Shiryu, come here! It appears that we have some work to do!" Yuga exclaimed, looking at his counterpart Yuya and Yuzu.

( 59, Blood of the Demon Part B - Nanatsu no Taizai OST end)

* * *

 **Now, before we get to the notes I have something for you! Since Yubi had yet another duel and finally used all of the already existing Revolver Link-Dragons (the major) I will give you them now as I changed a lot of their effects. I will also give you the new ones like Topologic Revolver or Savior Dragon and the smaller Link-Monsters I made up myself. You'll have to wait for the Main Deck Cards though as they will be withheld until the actual Yubi Card Collection where his two still missing ace dragons will make their appearance. So consider this the Extra Deck Revolver Card Collection. Just a few words in general about the new effects of the old dragons: Some have gotten entirely new effects (e.g. Topologic Bomber Dragon), others have fewer restrictions (e.g. Varrelload Dragon), others gained optional effects (e.g. Topologic Gumblar Dragon), others gained more powerful effects (e.g. Varrelguard Dragon) and lastly some got effects with connected parts split up into two separate parts, thus making the two new effects more versatile as they don't depend on each other anymore (e.g. Varrelsword Dragon). Oh yeah, before I forget it: Varrelload Savage Dragon might be a Synchro-Monster, but it is also in here. It basically just got a destruction-effect on top of its negate-effect, so it gets rid of stuff easier now. Furthermore we lack Whip Tail as he and the other new Heavenly Dragons will have a separate Card Collection soon to come. Now then, this time here you go for real!**

* * *

 **YUBI CARDS (EXTRA DECK):**

Synchro-Monster:

 **Varrelload Savage Dragon (aka Borrelload Savage Dragon; altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Level: 8  
Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
ATK/DEF: 3000/2500  
Effect:  
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can equip 1 Link Monster from your GY to this card, and if you do, place Varrel Counters on this card equal to that monster's Link Rating. Gains ATK equal to half the ATK of the monster equipped to it by this effect. When your opponent activates a card or effect (Quick Effect): You can remove 1 Varrel Counter from this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card. You can only use this effect of "Varrelload Savage Dragon" once per turn.

Link-Monster:

 **Topologic Bomber Dragon (altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Bottom-Left, Top, Bottom-Right, Bottom  
Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
2+ Effect Monsters

If another monster is Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, while this monster is on the field: Destroy all monsters in the Main Monster Zones. After damage calculation, if this card battled with an opponent's monster, even if either this card or your opponent's monster was destroyed, you can activate 1 of the following effects, or both:

● Destroy that opponent's monster, if it is still on the field.

● Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK that monster had on the field.

 **Topologic Gumblar Dragon (altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Left, Top, Right, Bottom  
Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
2+ Effect Monsters

If another monster is Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, while this monster is on the field: You can destroy all cards in each player's hand. Once per turn, if this card is Extra Linked: You can destroy all cards in your opponent's hand, and if you do, inflict 3000 damage to your opponent. This effect cannot be negated. While this card is Extra Linked, Link Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects.

 **Topologic Trisbaena (altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 3/Bottom-Left, Top, Bottom-Right  
Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect  
ATK: 2500  
Effect:  
2+ Effect Monsters

If another monster(s) is Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to: You can banish as many of those monster(s) as possible, also as many Spells/Traps on the field as possible, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each of their cards banished by this effect.

 **Varrelload Dragon (aka Borrelload Dragon; altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Bottom-Left, Left, Right, Bottom-Right  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
3+ Effect Monsters

Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; it loses 500 ATK/DEF. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. At the start of the Damage Step, if this card attacks an opponent's monster: You can take control of it.

 **Varrelsword Dragon (aka Borrelsword Dragon; altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Bottom-Left, Left, Top, Bottom  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
3+ Effect Monsters

Cannot be destroyed by battle. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 Attack Position monster; change it to Defense Position. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. Once per turn, during either player's Battle Phase: You can make this card gain ATK equal to half of the current ATK of 1 monster your opponent controls, and if it does, that monster's current ATK is halved, also this card can declare an additional attack during this turn. These changes last until the end of this turn.

 **Varrelguard Dragon (aka Borrelguard Dragon; altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Top, Right, Bottom-Right, Bottom  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
3+ Effect Monsters

Cannot be destroyed by card effects. Up to twice per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 monster on the field; change its Battle Position. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. You can send 1 card from your Spell & Trap Zone to the GY; Special Summon from either GY to your field, 1 monster that was destroyed and sent there this turn.

 **Topologic Revolver Dragon**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 4/Bottom-Left, Top-Left, Top, Bottom  
Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect  
ATK: 3000  
Effect:  
2+ Effect Monsters

If another monster is Special Summoned to a zone a Link Monster points to, while this monster is on the field: Your opponent has to send 5 cards from the top of their Deck to the GY. If this card is Extra Linked, whenever a monster(s) is sent to your opponent's GY: Inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each. Once per turn, you activate 1 of the following effects:

● Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster that is either banished or in your GY.

● Destroy 1 monster you control and Special Summon 1 Link Monster that is either banished or in your GY.

 **Topologic Savior Dragon**  
Attribute: Light  
Link Rating: 9/Omni, Bottom-Left, Left, Top-Left, Top, Top-Right, Right, Bottom-Right, Bottom  
Type: Cyberse/Link/Effect  
ATK: 5000  
Effect:  
Any number of Link Monsters

(By its Omni Link this card is always treated as Co-Linked to any Monster Zones and Link Monsters on your side of the field)

Must be Link Summoned and cannot be Summoned by other means. This card can only be Link Summoned if you Summoned at least 3 Link-4 or higher "Varrel" Link Monsters before. For the Link Summon of this card you may exceed the Link Rating needed. When this card is Link Summoned: You can place it into any Monster Zone on the field and treat it as Extra Linked if you Summon it to an opponent's Extra Monster Zone, also you can Special Summon a number of Link Monsters from your GY, ignoring their Summoning conditions. This card gains ATK equal to the combined ATK of all monsters Co-Linked to it. By disallowing a monster(s) Co-Linked to this card from attacking, this card gains an additional attack during your Battle Phase for every monster that did not attack. During either player's turn (Quick Effect): You can choose 1 Attribute; change this card's Attribute to it. If this card battles a monster with the same Attribute: Negate that monster's effects until the end of the Damage Step, also, if its ATK are higher than their original ATK because it gained ATK during this Battle Phase, return its ATK to that original value. If a monster(s) you control leave the field by an opponent's card effect, are Tributed by your opponent, used as material by your opponent or destroyed by battle, while this card is Extra Linked: Special Summon that monster(s) to their former Monster Zone(s). While this card is Extra Linked, it is unaffected by your opponent's card effects.

 **Shortvarrel Dragon (aka Miniborrel Dragon; altered effects)**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 2/Left, Right  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 800  
Effect:  
2 "Vullet" monsters

If you control a "Varrel" Link Monster while this card is in your GY: You can Tribute 1 monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, excluding a Link-2 or lower Link Monster; Special Summon this card.

 **Gatlingvarrel Dragon**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 3/Bottom-Left, Top, Bottom  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 2600  
Effect:  
2+ Effect Monsters

Once per turn: You can target 1 "Vullet" monster this card points to; destroy both it and one monster your opponent controls. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can inflict damage equal to that monster's original ATK to your opponent.

 **Desperado Dragon**  
Attribute: Dark  
Link Rating: 2/Left, Right  
Type: Dragon/Link/Effect  
ATK: 1500  
Effect:  
2 DARK Dragon-Type monsters

Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 Dark Dragon-Type monster from your hand. If this card is destroyed by an opponent's card (either by battle or card effect): You can draw 1 card.

* * *

 **NEW JYUJUTSU:**

 **Haōmadou 69 – Shikiri (Death Mist)**

Black mist! Shroud this place in life-consuming deadliness! They shall perish and wither as they make your acquaintance! Haōmadou 69 – Shikiri!

 ** **From now on we will also have Divine Spells which are a special form of Jyujutsu in this section. I'm going to put a brief description of them in there as well since they are rather important and more repeatedly used than the normal spells. So here you go!****

 ** **Divine Spell – Phoenix Blaze (owned by Alexandra)****

Alexandra surrounds herself with a blazing fire aura which can be utilized in many different ways.

 ** **Divine Spell – Soul Hook (owned by Yuji)****

Yuji throws out a spectral hook fixed on a long chain that attaches itself to the soul of any opponent hit. He can then pull out the victim's soul, killing the affected person in an instant once the entirety of their soul leaves the body. The caught person can fight the extraction process and pull their soul back into their body, but for this a certain power level is needed that exceeds Yuji's force. Much like all Jyujutsu-Spells the hook can also be shattered by sheer power superiority.

 ** **Divine Spell – Gishiki Guillotine (owned by Yuga)****

Yuga jumps a few feet skywards and deals a heavy blow with his weapon, typically his Shinseiken Kami Koroshi. This attack can breach through natural defensive abilities like armor or thick skin, magical barriers and defensive stances alike, dealing significant damage. This makes it almost impossible to block and leaves only dodging as a wise option to avert taking damage.

* * *

 ** **Furthermore we will have a corner for Shinseiken from now on! So here is the list of this and the past chapter's Divinity Blades, including their respective release commands (if they have ones) and English name translations, as well as the number of their guard's edges which indicates their power!****

 ** **Yuji – Shomō no Haaku (Grasp of Desire)****

Number of Edges: 5 (Pentagon)

Release Command: Defile them, Shomō no Haaku!

 ** **Yuga – Kami Koroshi (God Killer)****

Number of Edges: 8 (Octagon)

Release Command: Destroy everything! Devour the whole world! Manifest and feast on them, Kami Koroshi!

From Chapter 10:

 **Zarc – Shinjitsu (Truth)**

Number of Edges: 10 (Decagon)

Release Command: None

 **Ray – Kibō (Hope)**

Number of Edges: 9 (Nonagon)

Release Command: None

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **Now then, that was a long chapter, right? We get to learn about Yuga's alternate personas as well as Paragon Summon, to which I'll come later. There is a bit of Kingfishershipping as Yuga starts hitting on Ruri more than before. Furthermore supernatural stuff arrived in the main plot, probably earlier than you expected. We also have the first losses among the main group, Rin and Ruri losing to the Paragon-Counterparts before they get avenged by the Link-Couple. Three counterparts get their dueling debut with Kumo and Alexandra showing us new versions of these classic archetypes which have adapted to newer methods and Yubi, once again, trashes people with crazy monster formations and a new spell card that lets him utilize Pendulum Scales in a different way, literally breaking the borders of the closed world, true to his philosophy. Yuga gains a strong yet temporary power boost that among other things enables him to cast Haōmadou 80 – Kurohitsugi. Also Yuya finally made a step to leave the friendzone, thus bringing us closer to the realization of Fruitshipping. He and Yuzu find out about the other dimensions as well. And lastly we get to see a new Heavenly Dragon and new sources of power in the shape of the Shinseiken, the Divinity Blades! Now then, after this rough summary to the before mentioned points in more detail, one after the other!**

 **About Yuga's personas: They are both adult, the reasons for that will be told later on in the story. One looks like a dragonic version of himself with dark blue slit-eyes, scales, fangs, claws and wings, while the other is pale skinned with longer hair and green boarders around the irises. Well, as said in the text the dragon is Kami Koroshi, the one who embodies Yuga's instincts and primal desires. Bleach Fans might compare his attitude to Hollow Ichigo, after all I drew inspiration from the whole "inner world"-concept in Bleach. Dragon Yuga is also the spirit of his Shinseiken, thus making his function more alike to Zangetsu, the Zanpakuto Spirit of Ichigo. But for all people who know not a thing about Bleach, let's just say that he embodies the power of his sword (he is his sword after all) and his instincts and inner desires, making his dialogue very primal as he blatantly encourages Yuga to take what he wants, even if it means doing atrocious things like rape. He is also highly battle-hungry and violent. Pale Yuga on the other hand is rather silent, yet about equally mocking and tempting as Kami Koroshi. He also takes more pride in his species and criticizes Yuga as a weakling for his lack of action. In other words, he cares more about if Yuga does something or not (since he is highly prideful and sees himself (and therefore Yuga as well) as someone who has to fear nothing, including any punishment), while Kami Koroshi cares more about what he does (e.g. violating and claiming Ruri instead of only being on a normal level of relationship with her). Specifics about the pale persona come later on in the story, but for now let's just call him Despertar Yuga. Regarding what Despertars and Hollows are, that will be said later on in the story as well. Some of you might have an idea about that though, especially the Bleach Fans might have guessed it already. (By the way, a Hollow in this story is not comparable, not even in its function, to a Hollow in Bleach. The term was just very fitting for what it is supposed to be, so I took it. Aside from that there is nothing in common between those two as their roles greatly differ. For reference's sake let's just say that the role of a Hollow in here is about equal to a Visored in Bleach.) Oh, and about the Shinseiken: Divinity Blades are – like said in the text – special Momentum-Blades. They can only be unlocked by transcendent beings and are the equivalent to a Zanpakuto from Bleach. They also have release commands (except Zarc and Ray's) and are the condition for unlocking Tenkai and Sōzetsukai. As you might remember both Zarc and Ray wielded blades as they released their Tenkai, mainly since one needs to have them in order to tap into those powers. As Zarc said, a Tenkai is the manifestation of a transcendent being's soul. Well, a Tenkai is part of its respective Shinseiken, and since – much like Kami Koroshi said – Shinseiken Spirits represent the true, primal nature of their respective persons, this makes the Shinseiken Spirits and as part of them the Tenkais the manifestations of these persons' souls. Shinseiken have a power indicator in form of their guards, also said before in the text. The more tips the guard of a Divinity Blade has, the more powerful it is. Yuga's octagonal guard on Kami Koroshi therefore makes it a vastly more powerful blade than the five-edged Shomō no Haaku of Yuji, as you could tell pretty easily. The strongest Shinseiken in existence is Zarc's Shinjitsu though.**

 **About the duel, we saw two of the Bracelet-Girl aces and Kumo's take on Cloudians. They are still very defensive, but due to the new format they developed in they are WAY faster and make use of Fog Counters a lot more than the original from GX. I had her use the newest support card Cloudian Aerosol as well, which happened to be rather useless in comparison as I had already designed Meteorologic Draw, a draw 2 card that can generate Fog Counters the same way, thus making Aerosol pretty underwhelming in comparison. Well, at least it has that banish effect to compensate for this difference a little. Alexandra also used one of my favorite archetypes, Fire Kings, with the new method. Paragon was just way too good for her deck as the self destruction can be prevented by the Paragon Spin Mechanic, so the archetype basically asked me to use it for her. She has a lot of minor Main Deck stuff that is new and two additional Main Deck High Avatars which deal with the remaining targets aside from monsters, meaning spells & traps/ hand respectively. The Topologics inspired my with their concept, so much like with them there is Garunix, the already existing High Avatar who attacks monsters, one who attacks spells and traps (Byakkix) and one who attacks the hand (Sigbinix). Their power is limited to two cards each though as a whole hand discard or a Harpie Feather Duster effect would be too powerful in combination with her smaller ace Fenghuanix which makes these "revival and hit"-effects instant instead of delayed. Yuji on the other hand uses a healing deck with remarkable defense and offense, but little win conditions other than battle. He has like one crush effect with his Paragon Phantasma – Sigma Supreme, but aside from that all he can do is attack in order to win. Alexandra on the other hand has ton of effect destruction with her Fire Kings, as well as banishing, taking control (she didn't use her Kitsunix's other effect which can take control of monsters in this chapter's duel), burn damage, field and hand control (with her Main Deck High Avatars) and more. Her deck is not only very powerful, but also very adaptive and versatile. She has effect destruction as her main strategy, but also many more, whereas Yuji is more of a specialist. This makes her the far more threatening since she has a whole arsenal of different weapons (with most of them being pretty strong too) while Yuji only has two weapons, but really good ones at least. Like they said, Alexandra is the better duelist out of the two which makes them an exception among the counterparts as the difference in terms of dueling is far more in her favor than with any other Dimensional Couple. Yuji is still a great duelist, especially when he teams up with her. As you saw they are probably the best Tag Team among the counterparts since they help each other a lot with their respective cards. Two more things about Alexandra's deck: Her monsters are – much like all Fire Kings – based on beasts from Asian mythology, except her God Avatar which is from Mediterranean mythology. The High Avatars in her Extra Deck as well as the God Avatar have the additional attribute of earth to match her bracelet and her Nature Prowess as the lithosphere is mainly represented by the cold earth on its surface as well as the molten earth (meaning magma) on the inside. Thus having her monsters be fire and earth combined makes sense.**

 **Something about a specific part of the duel: As there weren't really any Tag Duels in Vrains so far (correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't remember any instances, then again I haven't watched all episodes, so maybe I'm missing out on something) there are uncertainties about how the Link System interacts with them. I mean, if every player has his own field (with one Extra Monster Zone I guess) there should theoretically be the possibility to build multiple Extra Links into opposing Extra Monster Zones once somebody has the setup. I guess this is the reason the writers don't dare to approach Tag Duels, should there really be none yet. It would be difficult because – as I said – the possibility for something like Double Extra Links is there and they would need to make a decision whether or not they want to have them in Vrains. So since there is no confirmation about this interaction I'm gonna make said decision for my story and say "Yes, multiple Extra Links are possible". In this case Yubi used Yuji's Zone for his normal Extra Link and then expanded it into Alexandra's Extra Monster Zone to form a Double Extra Link. This ruling will be relevant later on once we get into crazy teamfights between the squad and troupes like Obelisk Force.**

 **Since we're already talking about Vrains, let's continue with its latest episode and its consequences for this story (warning, heavy Vrains Spoiler ahead): About Aoi's new deck, well, I think Marincess or however it's gonna be written is an interesting archetype, but I still prefer Trickstars as their playstyle is more unique and less generic than another more or less beatdown deck. I'm kinda sad that they dumped Trickstars and also kinda upset that the only way to make Aoi relevant in duels is by sacrificing someone else (I mean, Marincess is probably Miyu's deck and she only got it by her being in coma). Hopefully they get Miyu out of her coma fast so that she can regain her deck and Aoi can use Trickstars again, in the best case scenario actually becoming relevant in the anime. After all they are/were a meta deck, unlike other Vrains archetypes. Plus their artworks are less generic and look better, their naming pattern includes actual effort (I spent lots of time for finding names for Aoi Jr.'s new cards. Marincess on the other hand merely requires a quick google search about animals that live in a coral reef and boom, now you have a million name suggestions). Also their look is more detailed and unique whereas Marincess gives me vibes of already existing archetypes (The Mermails called. They want their design back). Plus the floral and song theme of them reminds me of Yuzu's Melodious monsters (kinda ironic that they repeat just after them. I really hope that they won't be dumped forever like Melodious, that would be kind of sad) while the burn damage tactic reminds me of Rin's Windwitches. I get that Trickstars are a pain to write with their strategy of burn damage in a 4000 LP format, but then again I'm writing Rin Duels with far greater burn damage values than Aoi and Trickstars will ever be able to inflict, and look at me, I'm not complaining. Admittedly I have to include a lot of healing effects because Rin's burn damage cannot be negated or lowered due to Diamond Bell (and also since the general power level and duels are more intense than in the anime as I base my design in terms of card powers more on IRL standards), but hey, lifepoints have been kinda irrelevant IRL anyway since the main focus nowadays is building unbreakable boards. The timeout rules made them a bit more important, but the main goal is still reaching crazy monster formations. So I guess buffing that aspect of the game with healing isn't too bad for this story. But anyway, enough rambling and to the point of what the latest Vrains Episode means for this story: Because I prefer Trickstars over Marincess neither of the two Aois in here will repeat after their Vrains counterpart. As I said, the design of idols with floral elements (their names are based on flowers) gives Trickstars a perfect interaction with Yuzu's deck while their burn damage strategy is similar to Rin's deck. And since Aoi Jr. will be the main user of them and is the sister of Yubi, who will have major interactions with both of these characters as Yuzu is his main crush aside from Kumo while Rin is his Number 3 girl with whom he's already interacting pretty nicely, it only makes sense that the younger Aoi uses this deck. Her mother may use Blue Maiden as her Avatar (as I said Vrains Avatars are a thing here, albeit in a different way) while younger Aoi uses Blue Angel and/or Blue Girl, stressing their age gap and positions as the more childish and more mature Aoi respectively, but she will also use Trickstars should she duel someday. Marincess will still be in here, but be used by a person who truly deserves to own them as it is their actual property, unlike Aoi who most likely got it by being a substitute for Miyu with Aqua allowing her to use it until they get her out of the coma. It's not gonna be Miyu, but someone else. It's still gonna be a person with the right to own them though, even more than Aoi has in Vrains, that's for sure. Since I'm already talking about her, Miyu is in here too. She has already appeared as well, but you didn't recognize her as she was disguised. Specifics about that later on in the story, but be assured, she is in here.**

 **About the new counterparts: Yuji is, as clearly visibly, the probably most perverted of the Yu-Boys, though in a likable way. He still adores his girlfriend like nobody else and fights for her with all that he's got, as you can see from his many interceptions in the duel which protected her from harm. Alexandra is the leader both inside and outside of duels and admonishes him whenever his perverted quirks get out of hand, tolerating them to some degree at least. She is the more responsible and mature – and also the more pious when it come to their religion. Despite her position and beliefs she still enjoys her newly gained freedom from the rules though and she also has a slight bad girl demeanor, verbally messing with her opponents. Due to their conflicting archetypes and personalities she has developed a rivalry with Rin, winning the first round of their battle in this chapter as she finishes off Rin's ice with her – according to her own words – much better fire. Yuji on the other hand is rather easygoing most of the time and likes to mess with female opponents a lot – especially if they are pretty. He is – as told in Chapter 10 by Zarc – very straightforward and blatantly states it when he spots a hot looking female. However he can also get very serious and much like Alexandra he is also pious and takes offense in people who dare to imitate him or her – oblivious about the counterpart-story they assume Rin, Ruri, Shiryu, Kumo, Yuga and Yubi as impostors who try to act like they are the High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl/Messiah of Quetzalcoatl, therefore dishonoring and insulting them and their religion. He is also really stubborn, much like Zarc told Ray back in Chapter 10: Once he loses in a duel he tries the other way to take down the apparent imitators, using Jyujutsu and his Kryo-Blade, as well as Shomō no Haaku. But without these misunderstandings both of them are really nice people. They don't know about Academia after all, so mistakes happen I guess.**

 **Now then, I think Paragon could need an explanation. It has been explained in the text, but I will still sum up all rules. So here we go!**

 **The Monsters:**

 **Paragon-Monsters are light green in color and have brown rectangles around their artworks which represent their Paragon Deflectors. They have no DEF and no DEF-bar as a result. Instead of a DEF value they have a spiraling arrow of brown color in that place indicating the Paragon Rotation. They have their Level in the normal spot and for the sake of space required for Levels and Paragon Deflectors their artworks are smaller than normal. Paragon Monsters can have any Level like other monsters and a Paragon Number reaching from 1 to 4. The Paragon Number determines the amount of Paragon Defectors a card has, so the maximum is 4.**

 **The Summoning Process:**

 **For a Paragon Summon the player needs to offer a variety of monsters from his field as Paragon Material. To use the term which has not been mentioned in the text, every Paragon Number has a Paragon Value of 4. This Paragon Value may be equaled or exceeded to fulfill the summoning requirements. This means that for a Paragon 2-Monster a player needs to offer monsters with a Paragon Value of 8 or higher. A Level has a Paragon Value of 1, meaning 4 Levels are needed for 1 Paragon Number aka a Paragon 1-Monster. Some methods use different Paragon Values. For instance, this has only been hinted at in the text, but I'm saying it before it is revealed in the story, Xyz-Monsters can also be used as Paragon Material and their Ranks have a Paragon Value of 2, meaning Ranks have twice the value of Levels. I suppose this is justified as Ranks are harder to obtain – a Paragon 2- and Rank 4-Monster with 2 materials both need the exact same (minimum) material, so they should equal each other. Link Ratings count twice as well since there are 4 Paragon Deflectors which would need a total of 16 levels as 1 Deflector needs 4 Levels. With 8 Link Directions it is only logical that 2 Links equal one Paragon, thus making their Paragon Value 2. The Level of a Paragon-Monster serves as a limiter for their materials' Level; no higher Level than that can be used as Paragon Material. Ranks and Link Ratings are – as Ruri wondered about – not affected by the limiter. So for a Paragon 2-Monster with a Level of 7 like Yuji's Razor Fang Paragon Dragon any amount of monsters that equals or exceeds a Paragon Value of 8 can be used, as long as the Level of any of its materials – should they possess one – isn't higher than 7. This means either one uses 8 or more Levels, 4 or more Ranks or 4 or more Link Ratings. Of course that can be combined as well into – for example – a Level 3-Monster, a Rank 2-Monster and a Link 1-Monster, just to name one possible combination. As long as you equal or exceed the required Paragon Value you are good to go. Paragon-Monsters can be added into the mix and used as well, but in that case their Paragon Number must be used (their Levels cannot) and convert in a 1-to-1-ratio into each other, much like Link-Monsters do with their Link Ratings. Once you have fulfilled these requirements and the materials are sent to graveyard you Paragon Summon the respective monster from your Extra Deck in Up-Position.**

 **Positions and Mechanics:**

 **A Paragon-Monster can lie on the field in 4 different positions: Up-Position (looking like a normal Attack Position), Right-Position (looking like a normal Defense Position), Down-Position (looking like an upside-down Attack Position) and lastly Left-Position (looking like a reversed Defense Position). They enter the field in Up-Position and can reach those other positions by their unique mechanic. While they have a Paragon Deflector (which are printed on the card on the respective side of the artwork; there are Up-, Right-, Down- and Left-Deflectors and in the story I use the abbreviations U, R, D and L for "Up", "Right", "Down" and "Left") pointing towards the opponent, meaning upwards, they are in a state called Paragon Protected. Should they be destroyed by battle or card effect while they are currently Paragon Protected the player controlling them takes no battle damage from that battle and the Paragon-Monster is instead spun around by 1 Cycle Unit according to its Paragon Rotation printed on the card, meaning either clock- or counterclockwise. A Cycle Unit equals a rotation of 90 degrees, a full rotation back to its original position is called a Paragon Cycle (a Paragon Cycle can either be completed step wise by multiple spins or in one go). Some effects like Alexandra's God Avatar Phoenix's revolve around completing such a Paragon Cycle and are activated once these monsters get into Up-Position once more. There are also effects that can be used while the monster is Paragon Protected, or while not. By their Spin Mechanic Paragon-Monsters can avert damage and their destruction, thus making them very resilient, even if other forms of hard removal can still harm them, be they Paragon Protected or not. However, if they aren't Paragon Protected, they are as vulnerable as every other monster since when they spin, the whole card spins on the disk, thus redirecting the Paragon Deflectors, now shielding different angles (aside from Paragon 4-Monsters of course, they can never be destroyed by any means unless there is an effect that somehow bypasses the Paragon Mechanic). So to restore this state of safety the player may either manipulate their position with card effects like the continuous trap Paragon Switcher in the text for instance, or, more commonly, simply use another part of the Paragon Mechanic. Once per turn the turn player may spin every Paragon-Monster they control by 1 Cycle Unit according to its respective Paragon Rotation. They may select for each individually, so they can either turn all of them by 1 Cycle Unit or just some of them, the choice is up to the player. A Paragon-Monster has no way aside from their Spin Mechanic or protection via effects to avert battle damage involving them which their controller takes, as there are no Defense Position or Defense Points, but 4 different positions instead. Some Paragon-Monsters may also have effects based on certain positions, Yuji's Paragon Dragon has one for each for example. This is rather unique though and much rarer than Paragon Protected bonus effects. While Paragon-Monsters are normally placed in the Main Monster Zones they can also go to the Extra Monster Zone of the player who controls them in case all Main Monster Zones are occupied.**

 **Now then, that was it! I wanted to introduce a new mechanic without revolutionizing the game with adding more zones, as Konami did just that with both recent methods. I wanted Paragon to have more of a Synchro or Xyz feeling, integrating itself into the game without major upset by affecting other methods (especially Link has done that IRL as you all know). I personally like the mechanic, there are a few difficult things about it, but I myself think that they are pretty simple with the materials being probably the hardest part about them. But if you still don't understand certain things or have questions about them feel free to ask, I'll gladly answer them!**

 **Another thing: Yuji's dragon. Here is the obligatory list of differences between Razor Fang and the other Heavenly Dragons!**

 **1\. It is the only dragon with two attributes, gaining Light from its effect**

 **2\. It is the only dragon which interacts with the players instead of other monsters and gains its power from that (while Dark Rebellion for instance drains ATK from other monsters this dragon powers up by having a controller with more LP than the opponent)**

 **3\. It is the only dragon which draws its main strength from itself instead of interaction with the opponent and their monsters, having different effects based on its position and being able to enter the Golden Long Mode to access all of them at once while becoming unable to spin and therefore to be destroyed, also doubling LP-Gains for the rest of the turn**

 **4\. It is the only dragon which interacts with its position on the field and is also the dragon with the greatest variety of effects**

 **5\. It is the only dragon which is not bipedal and prefers to hover instead of standing on the ground, mainly because unlike other dragons it doesn't like to walk upright due to its rather short legs**

 **6\. It is the only dragon which has a mythological basis. It resembles the Chinese Long, the traditional eastern dragon**

 **7\. Similar to Whip Tail it has no DEF Points or Defense Position (due to its method obviously)**

 **8\. Much like Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon it has two different power indicators (Odd-Eyes has a Level and a Pendulum Scale while Razor Fang has a Level and a Paragon Number)**

 **9\. It is the only dragon with an empowered mode that doesn't revolve around evolving into an upgrade (namely the Golden Long Mode)**

 **10\. Similar to Whip Tail which can build an artificial Extra Link it is the only dragon with major interactions with its summoning method mechanics (it interacts with Cycle Units, Paragon Cycles, its Position and its Paragon Rotation)**

 **11\. It is the only dragon which perfectly integrates itself into its corresponding archetype. While all Heavenly Dragons somehow fit into their decks in one way or another Razor Fang not only shares the appearance of the Paragon Phantasmas, but also their attribute due to its effect**

 **12\. It is the only dragon with another role aside from being a Heavenly Dragon. It is the messenger of Quetzalcoatl, the Crimson Dragon from 5D's which we all know and love, making it akin to a Signer Dragon like Stardust Dragon for example**

 **Now then, one more thing: We got a few new themes this chapter. First off Yubi gets a bit more Vrains OST of course and due to Vrains Sound Duel 1 finally being out I can offer you pure soundtracks at last instead of what I had before in Video Nr. 4. Rin gets her theme, which I will simply call "Freezing Burn" from now on, referring to her deck and its strategy of course. I picked another Bleach OST for that called "Attack on the Beat". I mainly took it because I thought it fits her and because it apparently came out in the second Bleach Movie which revolves around a character named Toshiro Hitsugaya whose Bankai is called "Daiguren Hyōrinmaru" – which is not only an ice-type Bankai, but even has Rin's name in it, so I thought "oh well, guess it fits then". Yuji uses the Numeron Dragon Theme from Zexal as the Numeron Dragon and his Razor Fang Paragon Dragon in its Golden Long Mode look very similar (I took inspiration from it after all). Also the divine vibe it has fits somebody like him who has a special position among a religious group, he is the Messiah of Quetzalcoatl after all (I will explain this term soon). Alexandra gets a remix of the Ho-Oh Theme from Pokemon. I mainly did this because her smaller ace Fenghuanix is based on the Fenghuang, a legendary Chinese creature which is known as "Hō -Ō" in Japan. So since they both have the exact same source material it makes only sense that she uses this theme. The Ritual/Religion-vibe of the soundtrack also fits her character of course. Kumo uses some Persona 5 OST, namely the track "Last Surprise". I chose this one because I: a) Am in love with soundtrack from the Persona games and b) Because there is one line in it that suits her deck theme as it revolves around weather and clouds, namely "And as you look to the horizon, not a cloud, but then stormy weather's caught you cold". It just catches the way how she can get serious and self sufficient in her duels pretty well. Lastly there is one track a bit more important than the others, the one at the very end when Yuga fought Yuji. It's another OST from Nanatsu no Taizai called "Blood of the Demon" and got new lyrics. I took advantage of the gimmick the original theme has, which is that its lyrics can be heard multiple different ways, thus resulting in the fact that the same refrain turned into different strophes, even if all parts of the original theme are the exact same in terms of what's sung. I'm gonna put you the new version below this paragraph. It's the Yu-Boy main theme and I will refer to the new version with the altered lyrics as "Sinful Dragons" from now on. Note that this is a rather important theme, but don't bother to inquire about the meaning of its lyrics, you will understand the reasons for them in time, if you don't know them from guessing etc. already. Now then, here you go!**

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Sinful Dragons

(intro)

Sloth Sin

Lust Sin

Greed Sin

Wrath Sin

Envy Sin

Pride Sin

Gluttony Sin

Supremacy Sin

Sloth Sin

Lust Sin

Greed Sin

Wrath Sin

Envy Sin

Pride Sin

Gluttony Sin

Nihilism Sin

(small interlude)

Devils

They are savage

They're the loss

They are dragons

They are gods

They're a force

They are legends

They are satans

They are …

(repeat)

(small interlude)

Devil

He's a savage

He's the loss

He's a dragon

He's a god

He's a force

He's a legend

He's a satan

He's a ...

(repeat)

(small interlude)

 **(This part has both foreground and background lyrics. Background normal, foreground in bold)**

Devils

 **DRA!**

They are savage

They're the loss

 **GO!**

They are dragons

They are gods

 **NIC!**

They're a force

They are legends

 **SINS!**

They are satans

They are…

(repeat whole part with both foreground and background lyrics three times)

(small interlude)

 **(This part also has both foreground and background lyrics. It is skipped when using the extended version of this theme. In that case a shorter version of the intro is played and the previous lines are repeated. The normal, short version simply continues with this part)**

Sloth Sin

 **DRA!**

Lust Sin

Greed Sin

 **GO!**

Wrath Sin

Envy Sin

 **NIC!**

Pride Sin

Gluttony Sin

 **SINS!**

Supremacy Sin

Sloth Sin

 **DRA!**

Lust Sin

Greed Sin

 **GO!**

Wrath Sin

Envy Sin

 **NIC!**

Pride Sin

Gluttony Sin

 **SINS!**

Nihilism Sin

(outro)

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 **Anyway, this brings me to the end of the notes! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next! As I said in the beginning notes I will go on a break until I get my exams done! Once I'm finished with that I'll come back with fresh content! In the meantime you can tell me about what new characters in this story are looking the most interesting to you! I made a 5 votes multiselection poll with all of the more important characters that have been mentioned or appeared so far. So while I** **'m gone tell me about your 5 favorites please! The poll is on my profile like always!** **Have a great time until then! Please review, favorite and follow! I hope you've enjoyed reading and that I can see you again pretty soon, hopefully with good test results!**

 **Next time on YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: "Conflict of Counterparts"**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello everyone, I am finally back after taking my exams and some time for myself to plan this story, relax and get off the writer's block! Before the general announcements, onto the review responses! I will make a few restructures from now on though, like said thing being in a separate "box" for instance.**

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 **-To ZarcEternal: Glad that you appreciate Paragon, I myself like it quite fine as well (even if I wasn't its creator and therefore biased as it was made** **by me** **), mainly because it introduces some originality to the mechanics rather than "You know what, let's just make a new method and introduce new zones for that" which we had with the two most recent ones, aka Pendulum and Link. And yeah, Zarc comments the hell out of this story, and that will continue. About your last point, I believe you will definitely be surprised with the content of this chapter, explanation about that down in the general notes of the introduction.**

 **-To SoulMatter: As always thank you for your continued support, much like with the previous reviewer. I'll skip your first two main points as there is not much to say other than "obviously Ruri would have a nightmare after that" and "Kingfishershipping intensifies", going to the third. Yeah, Yuya vs. Eita was mainly for the background comments of Yubi and Kumo to show a bit of the latter's locked away emotions, as Kumo has covered her heart with neutrality and appears as educated and objective, but at her core she is warmth incarnated, probably even nicer than the original version of Ruri (as the one in this reality is a bit fiercer), as seen in her forgiveness about Yuya's flaws. I hated the duel as well, but at least it was good for some character development of her slowly resurfacing emotions and showed that Yuya is not comfortable with the supernatural things around him, in this case his acquisition of cards during his duel with Michio that was rather creepy to him, which explains why he still used Performapals there as his subconsciousness associated his new Odd-Eyes Cards with those mysterious events of him gaining cards magically. The last bit of this section also explains the question of ZarcEternal in said person's second review I believe. I am happy that you enjoyed the Tag Duel between the two girls and the Paragon-Counterparts followed up by Yubi and Kumo's interference. Believe me, it was a pain to write, but it was definitely worth it. And about your last point, you fell for the same trick as ZarcEternal, explanation later on.**

 **-To Siegfried1200: I see you changed your name. About your questions, they will be answered eventually, the first sooner, the second later. And I'm glad that you enjoy this story.**

 **-To Bluvista04: I am very glad to hear that.**

 **-To ThePLOThand, Chapters 1 through 4: Ah, looks like the background music has founds its way into this story – or rather more of it. I appreciate both the music recommendations you sent to me privately and those you posted in your usual manner. I'm glad you like the poem (let's see what your opinion about the custom lyrics I made so far will be), but otherwise there is not much to say as pretty much all of your points have been addressed somewhere in notes and replies of previous chapters already, like Yuri's loss for instance. But about the point you brought up in the Chapter 3 Review, as you should know upon coming this far there are major threats still out there which outshine the problems of the average ARC-V characters by a large margin – and there are still more to come.**

 **-To Spark782: Always glad when people like my work.**

* * *

 **Now then, onto the general notes: As I said, I made a few changes over the last months which will begin from this chapter onward. First, I upped the Rating to M as there were already plenty of adult and mature themes in here and I just wanted to be perfectly safe. Second, background music will from now on have its name in the brackets alongside the number it has in the usual playlist. That's mainly so you can search it up yourself should some video in the playlist be deleted and I didn't fix that problem by the time you're trying to look it up. I usually check the playlist on a frequent basis, but this is still better overall I figure. If the tracks have custom names I gave them they will still be there though, in quotation marks that is. And lastly note that some original OST names are only in the brackets that indicate the end of the soundtrack playing instead of on both ends, for I do this due to the original OST name giving too much of a hint about the events that follow once it starts. Some OSTs have too much of a association to certain things and therefore ruin the suspense as those aware of it can easily guess that something similar is going to happen – you will have one good example for this in this very chapter. I updated all former chapters with these changes by the way. Now then, onto plot related topics!**

 **To finally answer that statement of mine of being about to surprise you with this chapter and having fooled you a bit, well, I'd like to say that you shouldn't interpret too much into chapter titles. It could very well be an equivocal title, like in this case. Hence the "Conflict of Counterparts" (which is only the general title by the way lacking the subtitle as this is once again a two-parter) doesn't refer to Yuga and Shiryu vs. Yuya and Yuzu, we will get to them in Chapter 16. The main setting of this chapter as well as its content is probably very different from what you've expected (Yu-Boys and Bracelet-Girls fighting each other that is), but I can promise you that you will still like this chapter a lot. Note that its events play during the morning of the current day, meaning slightly before the events of last chapter which happened around noon – but you will see that in the text through a few statements. And as a compensation for my long absence enjoy this plethora of words to its fullest while reading your eyes dry. Yeah, again a long chapter, mainly because it is both full of dueling and exposition alike. Now then, we can almost start. The only thing left involves a slight change. As we had our fun with "Believe in Magic" as our opening and it did its job with foreshadowing supernatural elements due to its main line, I believe it** **'** **s time for a new opening as this chapter brings up one of the few remaining plot points that have not yet been mentioned. And as I had especially much enthusiasm and the original lyrics were quite convenient, I ended up making custom lyrics as well. Consider it foreshadowing for imminent events of this part of the story. But it's mainly there because the fifteenth Fairy Tail Opening is like one of the best anime openings I've ever heard. The lyrics only cover the first strophe and refrain, but then again no anime shows more than that in its opening, at least none I'm aware of. The syllable per verse length is about fitting and you should be able to sing along if you were to try doing so. Background lyrics are in brackets as opposed to those sung by foreground voices. And of course the lyrics are in English as I am far from good enough to make Japanese ones, nor would most of you understand them. With that said, here it is!**

 **Opening: ( 60, Fairy Tail Opening 15 – Masayume Chasing; "Lethal Clashing")**

I know that I'm not what I look like at first  
My true face differs from it greatly  
Hi, long time no see, I'm back, it's me  
I crack a brief, joyous smile  
Reminded of this dreadful past (I cry)  
No gold or force can outweigh your worth  
Once more the painful tears of loss (fall from my eyes)  
They'll learn that even gods can cry

Lethal Dragon Clashing, Clashing  
More and more intense  
Now everything at last makes sense  
Eternal Clashing, Clashing  
I am moving forward  
I know that one day I will fill this great hole in my heart  
Na na na na na na na oh  
Na na na na na hey hey  
Na na na na na na na oh  
Fill the great hole in my heart  
Na na na na na na na oh  
Na na na na na hey hey  
Na na na na (hey) na na na (oh)  
I will fill this great hole in my heart

* * *

Chapter 14: Conflict of Counterparts – Part 1: My Name is Bullseye

 _Paragon-Dimension, Stairway of Quetzalcoatl..._

Fennix Flare, leader of the noble Quetzalcoatl Cult that worshiped the Crimson Dragon, looked up into the stars with a telescope. It was a common thing for a priest of his cult, let alone the High Priest that he was. Gazing at the stars and reading them, he wondered about his daughter and her friend whom he had sent out on a mission to restore universal balance.

"Hmm, what Alexandra and Yuji must be doing right now? Maybe they have made some progress with their mission already, maybe they have already found and battled the enemy that threatens the peace of the macrocosm?" He wondered. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Well, I guess it's too early to wonder about stuff like that already! I just got to believe in my daughter and Lord Yuji and I'm sure they will succeed with their mission!" He exclaimed. A sudden change in the view on his telescope caused an alteration of his attitude however, the priest standing up in surprise. "Wait a second, did I just see that correctly?! But that can't be! The telescope's lens is just dirty, that must be it!" He shouted, casting a brief water spell and cleaning it with that. He brought the telescope back to his eyes, letting out a gasp of shock as the result didn't change. "No way! I see another planet emitting an extraordinary aura! I would deny this view's verity, wasn't it the fact that the Dragon Telescope bestowed to our stargazers eons ago by the Crimson Dragon himself showed me this image! So it must be true!" He shouted loudly.

"Err, is something the matter, High Priest Fennix? Are you okay?" A priest who had walked up the stairs in order to provide his superior with the food he had requested asked him.

Fennix Flare turned around, prompting his subordinate to gulp at his intense facial expression. "Not the slightest bit! There aren't just six other worlds!" He exclaimed, causing a gasp of shock on his subordinate's behalf. "There are seven!" He finished before punching himself into the side of skull in self mortification. "Damn it, why was I so precipitate when sending Alexandra and Yuji to their mission?!" He cursed loudly.

* * *

 _Den City, Link-Dimension..._

"Ah, finally back home!" An excited female sighed, exiting the airport alongside two taller figures that looked like her parents. She had pinkish-brown hair reaching to about her shoulder blades. It was kept in a neat symmetrical style with side bangs on each side of her head, wearing yellow hair clips in said areas. Aside from those rather unique features she still looked like the typical Den City High School Student as she was wearing its uniform – black skirt and stockings, white dress shirt, yellow jumper, slate colored jacket with blue trimmings, blue tie, the usual stuff. Though according to her own words and the building she just came out of she seemed to not have visited the local school a lot during the past weeks.

"Keep it down, Miyu! You're alerting the whole city with your yelling!" The dark brown haired female walking next to the girl chastised, slightly annoyed by the volume the girl was announcing their presence within their hometown with.

"Hey, I wasn't that loud! You're overreacting as always, mom!" The girl responded to her mother.

"Overreacting? I'm just not a fan of heralding our return for the whole city to hear! Also you know how much I hate drawing too much attention!" The older woman replied to the young adult.

"Oh come on! Just because you got your ass caught during the war and are paranoid as hell ever since then you can't force me to keep nice and quiet all the time! That's just not what I'm like and you know it!" Miyu shot back.

"You have no clue what you're talking about, Miyu! And if you went through the same shit as I did, you would surely understand me!" Her mother retaliated.

"Hey hey hey, no need to get all worked up, girls! Let's just all calm down and get to the Kogamis' residence!" The man next to them chimed in, pacifying them in order to end the dispute between his wife and daughter.

"Fine! As long as I get to see Aoi, I can live with a hormone-driven daughter that wants to stand in the spotlight!" His wife gave in, though with a petulant comment towards her daughter.

A tiny scowl formed on the young adult's face, but she decided to ignore her mother's provocation. For a few seconds that is, because she soon made her retaliation as she couldn't anymore stand the verbal kick she had received after the dispute had already been settled.

"Well, I guess if I can see the younger Aoi, I can live with a mother that prefers hiding away in some corner!" Miyu said.

Before the woman could express her indignation, her husband intervened once more.

"Elizabeth, please! Just let that slide for now, you have started it after all! Can't we simply get to the Kogamis without having another argument already? I'd rather have a relaxed ride to them after learning that we're about to enter a war of interdimensional scale." The man in the formal outfit pleaded to his wife.

The woman sighed. "Fine! But only because it's you, honey!" She gave in, this time for good. The rest of their walk happened without any arguments, the white and red haired male sending a "Thank you" to heaven for it. They got into the car that was provided to them as high-ranked members of SOL Technologies, instructing the driver to take them to the place where Ryoken and his family lived rather rarely these days.

"And you're sure that we are not meeting up at their house in the city center?" The man asked.

"Absolutely sure. Aoi told me that the location of our meeting would be the Kogamis' old residence. You know, the Tony Stark style mansion next to the sea." Elizabeth replied to him.

"Really? Man, that means we might get to see the Stardust Road tonight! That's going to look so fantastic!" Her daughter cheered in anticipation.

Her father smiled, pushing up his green-framed glasses. "You sound so happy Miyu. You really love the sea, don't you?" He asked.

The brown haired female nodded eagerly. "Sure I do! My freaking deck is based on it!" She responded passionately. Miyu then gave her mother a side glance. "And I guess yours as well." She added a bit unwillingly.

"Of course mine as well! I did already use that deck before you even were a little toddler! And unlike you I actually earned it by fighting that stupid Water Ignis that kidnapped me!" Elizabeth chimed in indignantly.

"More like had your best friend's boyfriend and later on husband defeat the Water Ignis for you and got the deck for free as spoils of war!" Miyu countered with a sassy grin.

"You little-!" Elizabeth began before she was stopped by her husband.

"Just let it slide, Elizabeth. You know that it's only Miyu being a bit bold, as always. I know that she respects you a lot, despite her constant attempts to belittle your achievements. Also she's in the age where she lets off some of these comments, so it's probably the hormones that make her so rebellious towards you. You weren't much less impulsive when you were 18, and I was like ten times worse, so neither of us is in a position to blame her for that. You know that she really isn't the type of person to purposely start fights, even though I can't exactly deny that she liked to argue with you on a frequent basis during the past months and years. I'm sure she'll grow up to become a fine person in a few years, so there's no need to scold her for her current behavior." The male spoke up. As Miyu gave him a "Thank you"-smile but his wife glared him down with a "So I'll have to let literally **everything** she does slide?"-expression, he reluctantly added the sentence "But I guess she could be a little more respectful towards you.", which earned him an eye roll from Miyu.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she opened them again, she had a slight smile on her face. "Well, I suppose you have a point there. She isn't that much different from what I was back then. Plus I think it might be a good thing that she is still like that, considering how much the natural behavior of people in our family got messed up..." She said with a sad expression.

The male with the glasses nodded, his expression assimilating itself with his wife's, turning into a sad, melancholic smile. "Yes, I agree. What happened to you was surely terrible. Being in captivity of Ignis is never a good thing. But at least they only needed you for research and didn't hurt you a lot. Our daughter on the other hand faced a much grimmer fate..."

Miyu's face twisted in anger. "These damn network freaks!" She yelled, clenching her hand into a fist. "What they did to my little sister was unforgivable! I halfway wish that they would still be alive, just so I can beat the living crap out of them!"

"Let's not talk about them please. What's in the past, is in the past. They are gone now – and that's better this way. I'd rather not have them back, especially when considering that one of them attempted to throw me into a freaking volcano." Her father told, wanting to switch the subject.

Elizabeth nodded. "You're right darling. They are gone and none of us would ever want them back. Let's just move on and forget about the gruesome things they did to me, you and Kumo. That's better for all of us."

"Okay mom." Miyu retorted, agreeing with her mother. "I think we're really better off without them." She then shot a brief grin. "Besides, if they were alive, they'd be pretty much dead all over again, due to Yubi utterly annihilating them for the sake of his girlfriend that is." She said in a slightly joking tone, loosening up the tense situation.

"Yeah, I can very well imagine that." Her father replied, flashing a brief smile.

"I suppose you're right. But they're not reviving anyway, so those are all just fictional scenari..." Elizabeth began. Before she could finish the word she felt a sudden dizziness, slumping against the frame of the car. From the noises she perceived she guessed that the same thing must have happened to her husband and daughter as well, as she heard two thuds alongside the sound made by her own body losing its energy abruptly. Before she could wonder about her sudden loss of vigor too much, she felt her eyes closing, falling unconscious.

* * *

Elizabeth's eyelids fluttered repeatedly, taking in the vision of a vast blue sky above her. Gradually regaining her powers, she stood up from the ground she had been lying flat on and looked around herself.

"What the hell? Why am I in the Vrains Network?" She wondered, clutching her head in order to recollect her memories. Her eyes widened as she recalled the events. "Oh yeah, me and the others suddenly lost consciousness and next thing I know I am within the VRAINS. But how? I didn't log in or anything." Her expression changed in shock as she remembered something else. "And what about the driver?! Did he fall unconscious too?! Because if he did, the car would have gone out of control and crashed!" She exclaimed with a feeling of immense dread. She deliberated for a while and shook her head. "But that would mean that I'd either be dead or severely injured, and both cases would lead to either a logout by force or just not being here at all as the avatar ceases to exist if the user is killed in real life. So neither me nor the others should be injured and the driver should still be conscious, what a relief! Yeah, I think I remember that I only heard two other thuds, so only me and my family must have fallen unconscious!" She exclaimed in joy, visibly relieved about their safety. "Yet that doesn't explain how I got here..." She stated in a deliberating tone.

( 61, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #21 Knights of Hanoi)

"Oh, you're where you currently are because I brought you and the others here!" A voice suddenly spoke up.

The dark brown haired woman spun around at the words of the stranger. As she looked up, she saw a female figure standing atop an obelisk before her that belonged to the surrounding area of an ancient Egyptian temple. Her eyes widened in horror as she recognized the figure.

"Wait, why do you look like me?! Who are you?!" Elizabeth shouted, facing a female with brown-pinkish hair clad in a complex outfit of light blue color. It had dark blue shoulder plates and greaves that served as a protection. A symbol shaped like a drop of water adorned the middle of the figure's chest plate. But the most captivating thing were the dark blue eyes that emitted an uncommon sense of power, almost on a supernatural level.

The figure took a step forward, leading to her falling down from the obelisk she was previously standing on. Or at least she would have fallen, because a sudden cascade from below caught and brought her down like an elevator. Elizabeth's shock intensified as she witnessed this and saw the glow within the iris of the opposing woman.

"Wait, that glow! That control over water! I only know one entity that is capable of it! But it can't be! You're dead! Ryoken killed you and the others! You cannot possibly be alive, I saw your body dissolving!" Elizabeth screamed at the other female in disbelief.

"That's right. However, me and the others were granted a new life and power. Now stop hiding behind your Vrains Avatar and show me your true form!" The figure demanded, before her expression turned into a smirk. "After all, this new appearance of mine is modeled after you, Elizabeth Stratos – or should I rather say your true name, Miyu Sugisaki?" She asked in a mocking tone.

"Aqua...!" The dark brown haired female hissed, gritting her teeth as she changed her appearance. While she retained her formal business outfit her hair became a brighter shade until it matched the female before her, revealing a woman that looked like an older version of the young adult that was her daughter. As Aqua had apparently copied the version of Miyu whom the woman before her was during the war around twenty years ago, Aqua appeared as a young adult Miyu of around twenty years while the real Miyu had already started her forties, even if just about.

"The one and only." Aqua responded, finishing her descent to the ground. "It's nice to see you again, Miyu. I was hoping to settle some unfinished business with you, as your best friend's husband made a rather... memorable moment of dueling history that led to both mine and the other Elemental Ignis' demise."

"Right! And as you said, you died back then! So how the fuck can you be alive now?!" Miyu bellowed.

"Oh, that was due to a certain guy who revived us. Very powerful, I might even say godlike. He gave us these new forms which mirror the respective persons we had much contact with during the Great Cyberse War, in my case yours." She then looked at herself and smiled. "Honestly, I have to say that you have gotten quite beautiful, Miyu Sugisaki! This body of yours is amazing, so I'm glad that I have it for my perfect Human-A.I.-Hybrid Form!"

"What?! You perfected the creating process for Human-A.I.-Hybrids?!" Miyu shouted in disbelief.

Aqua nodded, the irises of her newly acquired human form changing from the blue color she had copied from Miyu to her Ignis eye color of pink. "Yes, thanks to the help of our savior who brought us back. In return for serving him we were granted a new life and a chance to have our revenge against humankind." She explained. "But anyway, how are you doing, my dear Miyu? I heard your life changed rather drastically from the war and its aftermath! I remember that getting kidnapped by us back then led to you becoming paranoid and suspicious of everything! Hell, you even choose to use your Vrains Avatar in real life to hide your true self from potential danger and you assumed a fake first AND last name as well! It must feel really bad for poor Takeru to walk around with a false last name just because his paranoid wife is afraid of everything! Even your children have to suffer because of you! I mean, you get into arguments with your eldest daughter Miyu Sugisaki – oh my bad, forgot you prefer that fake name Stratos – Jr. on a daily basis because of how different you and her are in nature. Ironic when you are named the same, look the same and have pretty much the same original nature, isn't it? And don't let me get started with your younger daughter!" Aqua laughed.

" **YOU BITCH!** DON'T SPEAK OF ME LIKE YOU KNOW ME, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE COPIED MY STUPID BODY! AND KEEP KUMO OUT OF OUR CONVERSATION, YOU HEARTLESS DEMON!" Miyu exploded.

"Heartless demon? That's rich coming from someone whose race started a war without a reason." Aqua retorted, speaking calmly, but having a slightly offended undertone.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOU IGNIS STARTED THE WAR! YOU AND YOU ALONE! YOU KEEP BRINGING UP THIS FALSE STORY EVER SINCE THE FIRST WAR BEGAN, AND BACK THEN AND IN THE PRESENT ALIKE THAT STORY WAS AND IS NOTHING BUT A DIRTY LIE!" Miyu continued yelling.

"NO, YOU'RE LYING! YOU STARTED IT!" The normally composed Water Ignis snapped back, prompting Miyu to flinch in surprise about the uncommon behavior of Aqua. "We attacked you after an attack onto the Cyberse World, out of self defense! We barely existed for a few years as we had been born within the network, yet you still attacked us newborn race without any reason! Back then we didn't know about the identity of the attacker, besides the fact that it was a human, but after we were revived, our savior informed us about it!" She continued in a much calmer tone.

"As if I would believe you!" Miyu shot back, clearly not inclined to listen to Aqua and her claims.

The Water Ignis with her new human form sighed. "Well, I guess I cannot convince you. But that's fine, since it will be much more satisfying to crush you while in denial of the truth. I genuinely always had faith in you humans, even after the first strike onto our world. I believed that maybe you weren't so bad, but with time I learned to hate you more and more until I lost my beliefs that you weren't so bad after all. So thank you, Miyu Sugisaki, for your words make it easier to hate you, and the more I hate you humans, the more intense I can fight you without regrets, only with a passionate hatred." Aqua spoke.

"Talk all you want, network scum! Now let's cut to the chase! Have you summoned me here to the network?!" Miyu addressed the Ignis.

Aqua nodded, making Miyu once again feel uncomfortable by the fact that her worst enemy used a copy of her body while affirming her question with a movement of it. "Yes, I brought you here by knocking out you and your family. Your husband Takeru should be somewhere in the network fighting his old acquaintance Flame. The other Ignis Victims and a few of their relatives were brought here by us, too. And much like they will lose to my comrades with their new human bodies – Flame looks great with your husband's body by the way – I will defeat you today!" Aqua declared, her eyes glowing with a dark blue shine as she rose her hand.

( 61, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #21 Knights of Hanoi end)

A stream of water broke loose from her palm, darting at Miyu. Honed by the previous war Miyu reacted in time and rose her hand as well, activating her powers with a glow of similar color in her eyes, only lighter colored, sending an equal stream of water in response to the opposing attack. The two water blasts clashed and neutralized each other, prompting Aqua to continue.

"I see. So our information about you six victims receiving the Ignis Power were true after all. After Ryoken defeated us he implanted remains of our bodies into the six people that deserved our power the most, as a compensation for what happened to them by our hand during the war so to speak. Granted he took Kami's power as well as a fragment of me and the five other Ignis for himself. You seem to have received my water powers, otherwise you couldn't have blocked my attack like that." The Ignis within the human shell said.

Miyu nodded. "Damn right I have! Now, are we going to fight the good old fashion with Kryo-Blades and our water powers or not?" She challenged her nemesis.

Aqua shook her head. "Actually I felt like dueling you. I could probably overwhelm you in the long run since my new powers exceed those you have as they are my old strength, but that will take too much time. I also didn't feel like simply killing you without a proper fight by dragging your car driver into the Vrains either, which would have resulted in you possibly dying in a car crash. Unlike you humans we Ignis have some honor after all."

"Honor?" Miyu scoffed in contempt. "You merely are aware of the fact that the healing power of your abilities can regenerate my body and save me from death!" She retorted.

Aqua gave her a nod of approval. "Smart girl! So it comes down to a fight! If you're thinking about avoiding it by logging out, sorry, but you'll die if you do that as we have reinstalled our previous programs onto the Vrains network, plus an additional one for this case. If you remember the war, you should also know that if you lose the duel, you will be erased within the network, which will lead to your death in real life. Meaning it's do or die for you, Miyu Sugisaki, literally!"

"Very well then! But there is no need for concern to me as I am confident that I can defeat you with ease!" Miyu retorted.

Aqua giggled spitefully. "Oh please Miyu! I can tell when people are lying through my powers, and you clearly are! You are afraid of what I'm capable of now, aren't you?"

Miyu scowled. "Hell no! Now let's get it over with so I can get back to my family!" She shouted, materializing her D-Board and mounting it.

"Alright! I like your enthusiasm, but I'm afraid that you will not get to see your family again! Today's the day where you will draw your last breath, my dear Miyu!" The Ignis retorted, jumping onto a light blue D-Board and following her.

"Don't get so cocky! We humans have defeated you Ignis before and we will do it again!" The brown haired adult retorted to the Ignis controlling the body duplicate of herself.

"Then let me show you just how much the odds have shifted in our favor since our defeat!" Aqua replied, her and Miyu entering a new area. It was like a giant line with waterfalls on both sides of them. They filled up the space in between with water, creating a river-like structure.

"How about doing it here? This is the Aquatic Trench, the place within the Vrains that contains the most water. I think for our decks this should be a proper setting, no?" Miyu suggested.

Aqua hummed. "Only on that we can agree. Yes, we are going to make this place the stage of our duel. Now onto the rules! I guess for the nostalgia let's play a Speed Duel, albeit a more modern one!" Aqua said.

"A more modern one?" Miyu asked tilting her head in a questioning manner, looking at the female riding left of her.

"Yes, a more modern one." Aqua confirmed. "We will play with the Master Duel board, meaning five zones instead of only three. There will also be a Main Phase 2. However, both of us still start with four cards like in a normal Speed Duel. Skills are allowed of course. Additionally we use Extra Rules. I reckon you are still familiar with them?" Aqua inquired.

Miyu nodded. "Of course. Extra regulations which can be applied to a duel when both players are fine with them. Or if they only have advantages for the opponent or disadvantages for the user." She responded.

Aqua hummed. "Great! We will use two of such rules, namely **Extra Rule: Great Clash** which lets us start with 8000 LP each so I can savor my revenge longer and **Extra Rule: Master Rule 4** which gets rid of the summoning order, allows placing Link Monsters into either Extra Monster Zone and forces the players to summon all monsters that originate from the Extra Deck to Extra Monster Zones or zones that are unlocked by Link Monsters." She explained.

"Wait, all monsters coming from the Extra Deck? Why would you mention that if Link-Monsters have to go to those zones anyway..." Miyu began before her eyes widened in shock as she realized the meaning of Aqua's words. "Wait, you know about the other dimensions and their summoning methods?!" The brown-pinkish haired woman yelled in terror.

Aqua flashed a victorious smile. "Yes, we do, thanks to our savior! So you will only be able to summon Fusion-, Synchro-, Xyz-, Link- and Pendulum-Monsters from your Extra Deck to those zones! Additionally Link-Monsters cannot be revived into the Extra Monster Zones! Now then, are you ready for our duel?" The Water Ignis asked.

"As ready as I've ever been! Now then, bring it on!" Miyu challenged her opponent.

Aqua smirked. "Then let it begin! This alongside the fights your friends are currently carrying out will be the first Speed Duels of a new era!" She announced.

"Yeah! And the first Speed Duels of a new series of defeats for you Ignis! I will make you pay for what your kinsmen did to Kumo!" Miyu shot back furiously.

"Overconfident, aren't we? But I can read through that fake mask of certainty about your victory you put on!" Aqua countered.

"Then go and beat me already, if you are so certain about its falsity!" Miyu retorted fiercely.

"That can be arranged! Now then...!" Aqua began, the both of them continuing in unison as the drifted along the road of water with the waterfalls on their sides.

- **"SPEED DUEL NEO!"** \- The two duelists sharing the same physical bodies, even if they were from different points in time, yelled together.

* * *

 **MIYU VS. AQUA**

 **MIYU: 8000**

 **AQUA: 8000**

( 62, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #5 Eye of the Storm)

"You humans might usually be better with doing the first strike, but this time I'll make an exception! My turn! I will begin this historic duel with the spell **Marineterror Deep Sea Calling**!" Aqua announced.

"Marineterror? You have a new deck?" Miyu asked her in surprise.

Aqua nodded. "Sure I do! Ryoken took my previous one as spoils of war and gave it to you after all, so I needed something to replace it! But it also works rather well, as you will see once I overpower you with it!" She added with a grin.

"Then prove it!" Miyu challenged her.

"Sure, whatever you say, fool! Deep Sea Calling's effect! It adds a "Marineterror"-Monster from my deck to my hand! Oh, and it does also state that my deck mustn't be shuffled after that!" Aqua went on.

"What?! It does not shuffle you deck afterwards?!" Miyu repeated in terror.

"Precisely! I add **Marineterror Anglerfish** to my hand! Now I normal summon it!" The Ignis announced, a gruesome aquatic creature with white metallic plates for the major part of its scales and a light organ protruding from its head emerging from the river-like structure beneath them, leaping into the air before dropping back into the waters beneath them again, swimming along as they continued their way down the road of water.

 _Marineterror Anglerfish_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1500/Cyberse/Effect_

"An anglerfish? Looks like someone went to the deep sea with her choice of monsters!" Miyu spoke up.

"Indeed. I dove down to the depths of death and resurfaced with a new power. Now then, its effect! Upon normal summoning Anglerfish I get to draw three cards from my deck! I can then special summon a "Marineterror"-Monster among them and send the two other cards to my graveyard! However, should none of those three cards be a Marineterror, I have to return all three cards to the bottom of my deck." Aqua added. She then smirked. "But unfortunately for you, that isn't the case here! Come, **Marineterror Viperfish**!" The Water Ignis shouted as another deep sea fish with white metal plates for the majority of its scales emerged from the waters below them before diving back down.

 _Marineterror Viperfish_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Said monster then gains two levels! Furthermore Viperfish's own effect doubles its level upon being special summoned! I choose to resolve the effect of Anglerfish first, so Viperfish becomes Level 6 and then doubles in level, making it a Level 12!"

 _Marineterror Viperfish: Lvl 4 → 6 → 12_

"I continue with my Viperfish! Once per turn I get to excavate the top five cards of my deck! Should a "Marineterror"-Monster be among them, I can summon as many of them as I want, if their total levels are equal or lower than my Viperfish's current level that is!" Aqua declared.

"So that's why you made it Level 12!" Miyu realized grudgingly.

"Absolutely correct! Now then, let's see..." Aqua retorted, her disk displaying the five top cards of her deck to her and Miyu. "Great! So my memory wasn't off after all! There are two Marineterrors among those five cards, namely Level 3 **Marineterror Black Swallower** and Level 7 **Marineterror Wobbegong**! Since both of these monsters have a combined level of ten, I can special summon them! Arise!" Aqua shouted, two more monsters modeled after aquatic creatures with a preference of living on the bottom of the ocean floor or the deep sea diving up from the water at her command, the bigger having light blue metal plates in addition to the white ones.

 _Marineterror Black Swallower_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 600/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marineterror Wobbegong_

 _Water/Level 7/ATK 2200/DEF 2600/Cyberse/Effect_

"She summoned two additional monsters!" Miyu cursed, looking at the display of her duel disk that showed her the besides the fifth Main Monster on the very right and the Extra Monster Zone now complete field of Aqua.

"Oh, it gets worse, my dear Miyu! Wobbegong's effect! My priced carpet shark deals 800 damage to you when summoned via the effect of a "Marineterror"-Monster!" Aqua declared, the monster jumping from the water and throwing itself at the brown haired adult, almost making her fall from her D-Board.

 **MIYU LP: 8000 → 7200**

"Damn you...!" Miyu hissed, restoring her balance after a moment.

"You're welcome!" The Ignis with the body duplicate retorted with a gloating smirk. "And what you lost will now become mine! Or at least part of it, as I now receive 600 LP!" She announced, a rejuvenating shower of water droplets raining upon her from the monster above, before it plummeted back into the river below them.

 **AQUA LP: 8000 → 8600**

"We're not even done yet! My other previously summoned monster, Marineterror Black Swallower, has its effect triggered! Upon being summoned I get to special summon a Marineterror from my deck without shuffling it afterwards! Also Black Swallower gains a level! I summon **Marineterror Coelacanth**!"

 _Marineterror Coelacanth_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 900/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marineterror Black Swallower: Lvl 3 → 4_

"Five monsters off a single card..." Miyu murmured with a frown.

"Magnificent, isn't it? I'm glad I had to exchange my old deck for this! Anyway, the next thing that's going happen in this duel is my Wobbegong's additional effect! Once per turn I can search out any "Marineterror"-Card from my deck without shuffling it afterwards! I add the quick-play spell **Marineterror Deep Sea Horror** to my hand! And then it's finally time for some Link Summons!" Aqua declared.

"What kind of power will those new Link-Monsters of hers have...?" Miyu wondered to herself.

"Appear, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters!" Aqua shouted, stretching out the hand of her human body resembling her opponent. A dark blue current-enveloped circuit manifested in the waters below them. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a single "Marineterror"-Monster with a level! I set Anglerfish into the Link Marker! Circuit combine!" The Ignis announced, her monster transforming into a spiraling ray of energy that headed for the circuit that was submerged in the water.

"Where is your...?" Miyu began as nothing happened for a while. Her words were cut short by a projectile clad in white and light blue plates darting from the waters behind her and almost knocking her off the board, yet again.

"Oh, my monster was just showing you its qualities! LINK SHŌKAN! Say hello to Link 1, **Marineterror Swift Trout**!" Aqua finished her summoning, the slightly taller that normal trout composed of metallic components swimming along her controller within the river underneath after it had executed its surprise attack onto Miyu.

 _Marineterror Swift Trout_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"I place this cute little fishy in the left Extra Monster Zone! Also its effect! Upon its Link Summon I get to excavate the top five cards of my deck! Should a "Marineterror"-Monster be among them I can add one of them to my hand! Now, let's have a look... oh yes, I think I could need this one! I add **Marineterror Fangtooth** to my hand, also since my effect succeeded in getting a Marineterror among the excavated cards I get to return the four other cards in any order I please to the top of my deck instead of having to place them at the bottom of it! But before that...", Aqua paused, pointing at the still revealed cards, "…you should probably have a look at this spell!" She said, pointing at one of the excavated cards' image within the air. "That card, the field spell **Sea of Abominations** , can be placed in my Field Zone should it be excavated by a "Marineterror" monster's effect! So I'll do just that!" She said, placing the card face-down in said zone. "Then appear again, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a single "Marineterror"-Monster! I set Black Swallower into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up! Link 1! **Marineterror Rapid Salmon**!"

 _Marineterror Rapid Salmon_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1400/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄)

"I place my monster in the second Main Monster Zone!" Aqua said as it appeared in the zone second from the left which Swift Trout had unlocked. "Then its effect upon being Link Summoned special summons a Marineterror from my graveyard! I choose **Marineterror Giant Squid** which I milled previously with the effect of my Anglerfish! It goes to the fifth Main Monster Zone on the very right!" Aqua told as a colossal squid appeared, dropping into the river from above.

 _Marineterror Giant Squid_

 _Water/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 1600/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now onto the effect of my Squid! Once per turn it recycles a "Marineterror"-Card from my graveyard! I add back the trap **Marineterror Rule #1 – To Eat or to Get Eaten**!"

"Damn it, her hand and field keeps growing and growing..." Miyu muttered worriedly.

( 62, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #5 Eye of the Storm end)

( 63, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #4 Menace)

"Now appear again, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Swift Trout and Rapid Salmon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" Aqua yelled, the two Link-Monsters transforming and heading into the water. "LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up! Link 2! **Marineterror Vicious Pike**!"

 _Marineterror Vicious Pike_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▲▼)

"I summon it to the left Extra Monster Zone as well!" Aqua declared as the fish-like monster appeared.

"Geez, what do you like about the left zone so much, Aqua? I bet you're just using it because the old rules are gone now and you want to be the first one who puts their monsters there without having an Extra Link!" Miyu spoke up.

"Oh please, Miyu!" Aqua chuckled. "I'm not doing it because I want to show off, that's something Ai or Flame would much rather do! Instead I want to put you at a disadvantage, given your Coral Anemone has a Left-Link Arrow! By claiming the left zone from my point of view for myself, you'll have to use your left Extra Monster Zone, limiting your possibilities to extend your sphere of influence when it comes to furthering your Co-Link System as left of that column is only one Main Monster Zone, as opposed to three if you could expand from your right Extra Monster Zone onward!" The Ignis explained.

"Kuh! You really think of everything, don't you Aqua?!" Miyu cursed hatefully.

"Of course! Now the effect of Pike gives all Marineterrors 300 ATK until the end of this turn!"

 _Marineterror Coelacanth: ATK 1500 → 1800_

 _Marineterror Giant Squid: ATK 2700 → 3000_

 _Marineterror Vicious Pike: ATK 2000 → 2300_

 _Marineterror Viperfish: ATK 800 → 1100_

 _Marineterror Wobbegong: ATK 2200 → 2500_

"Next up is the effect of Viperfish! Like all Marineterrors it can summon a level four or lower "Marineterror" monster from my deck by tagging out back into it! I special summon **Marineterror Telescopefish** , of course without shuffling my deck afterwards!"

 _Marineterror Telescopefish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1300/DEF 700/Cyberse/Effect_

"And then I return Viperfish to my deck! I have to place it either on the very top of my deck or among the other top cards of my deck! The maximum range of possible top cards is determined by Viperfish's current level, in this case twelve! So I can place it anywhere above the top twelfth card of my deck!" Aqua announced, the top eleven cards of her deck pile exiting the disk, hovering in the air next to her. Aqua rubbed her chin with her hand for a while, deliberating, before she plucked the card into the pile underneath its second topmost card. Then the cards went back into her disk, on top of the deck.

"I see! I think I've figured out the strategy of your deck!" Miyu spoke up.

"Oh? Then educate me, my dear Miyu!" Aqua challenged mockingly.

"Well, first off your deck does excavate and draw a lot of cards from your deck! If you get "Marineterror"-Cards, you not only get a variety of benefits, but also the ability to return the other excavated cards to the top of your deck in any order with most of your effects, allowing you to know what your top cards are for further effects! As you just said all your monsters can exchange themselves for other Marineterrors of Level 4 or lower from the deck, though those effects are hard once per turns as I realized when I read your cards! And that strategy of bumping up your levels benefits this as it widens your range of returning those monsters to your deck, allowing your to fill more of your top deck spots with "Marineterror"-Monsters! In other words, your strategy are "top deck awareness" and "top deck control"!" Miyu shouted.

"Bravo, a round of applause for Miyu Raziela Sugisaki! Yes, that is indeed my new deck's strategy, ensuring strong presence of "Marineterror"-Monsters among the topmost cards of my deck, I congratulate you for figuring it out so early! As one of the smartest Elemental Ignis I can always keep track of the top cards of my deck and make plans in advance whenever I can search cards from my deck and look at my deck's top cards in the process! That's of course also the reason why my deck does never shuffle on a search, since it allows me an insight into my deck without subsequent changes by shuffling as usually! Now let's see if you can do anything with that knowledge! I flip up my field spell Sea of Abominations and activate its effect! Once per turn I can call a number! I call three! Now I excavate the top five cards of my deck and check how many "Marineterror" monsters are among them! Should I have the correct number or differ from it by one, I can normal summon a Marineterror in addition to my normal summon this turn! Now then, here it goes!" Aqua shouted, the five topmost cards of her deck being revealed.

"Three...!" Miyu hissed, looking at them.

"Yay! Look who's got a good memory, it were indeed exactly three! Good that I could look into my deck before, wasn't it? I also get to return the excavated cards to the top of my deck in any order! Before I make use of my extra normal summon though, I will use the following extra effect of Wobbegong! I draw three cards and special summon a Marineterror among them with a level higher, though the other cards are returned to the bottom of my deck! I excavate the cards, the trap **Marineterror Rule #2 – Where There is Light, There is Death** , the spell **Marineterror Deep Sea Ambush** and lastly the Viperfish which I returned to my deck previously! I special summon the latter and return the two former to the bottom of my deck, bettering the monster ratio of my topmost cards with that! Anyway, please say hello to Viperfish once more!" Aqua told as her monster reappeared.

 _Marineterror Viperfish_

 _Water/Level 4 → 5/ATK 800/DEF 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now appear, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a single "Marineterror"-Monster! I set Viperfish into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up! Link 1! **Marineterror Evasive Eel**!"

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1100/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (►)

"I can rearrange the top seven cards of my deck when Evasive Eel is Link Summoned! Then appear once more, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Evasive Eel, Giant Squid and Wobbegong into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Rule the seas! Link 3! **Marineterror Ravenous Hammerhead**!" Aqua yelled, a shark-like monster with the typical armor of the Marineterror Link-Monsters appearing at her words in her second Main Monster Zone from the left.

 _Marineterror Ravenous Hammerhead_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▲►)

"A shark! Why does it have to be a shark?!" Miyu shouted in exasperation, throwing up her arms, clearly upset.

"Oh? Having bad flashbacks from my subordinate shark-shaped A.I.s chasing after you?" The Ignis retorted jeeringly.

"Of course I have! And you sure as hell are going to pay for it!" Miyu shot back.

Aqua laughed. "Ah, your exasperation is truly humoring me! Anyway, back to our duel! Upon being Link Summoned my Hammerhead can revive a Marineterror, but if I pick a Link Monster, it will have its effect negated! I pick Giant Squid!"

 _Marineterror Giant Squid_

 _Water/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 1600/Cyberse/Effect_

"Then said card's final effect! Squid allows me to excavate cards from the top of my deck equal to its current level, in this case seven! Then I can summon any number of Marineterrors among them with one level higher! Wow, looks like I got a monster for the one currently open spot on my board! Come, **Marineterror Sabertooth Fish**!"

 _Marineterror Sabertooth Fish_

 _Water/Level 2 → 3/ATK 1000/DEF 500/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear again, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Vicious Pike, Giant Squid and Sabertooth Fish into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Rule the seas! Link 4! **Marineterror Great Spermwhale**!" Aqua shouted, the monster with dark blue in addition to the normal armor plates of white all Marineterrors shared plus the light blue plates of the two high level Marineterrors in the Main Deck and the Link Monsters had being summoned to the Main Monster Zone in the middle of Aqua's field.

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄►↘)

The huge metallic whale below them spew a fountain of water upwards from its blowhole, almost causing Miyu to fall from her D-Board.

"STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME FALL OFF MY BOARD!" Miyu snapped in outrage, her "Throw the Miyu off her board"-count rising to three at this further attempt to end the duel prematurely.

"Ahaha, you are so hilarious when you're angry, my dear Miyu!" Aqua giggled, pointing at her with a ridiculing finger stretched out. "Anyway, Spermwhale's effect! I return one of its materials to the top of my deck and then have it gain 200 ATK times the level that monster had on the field! I return Squid which had level seven, so my Spermwhale receives 1400 ATK!"

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale: ATK 3000 → 4400_

"Then I use the normal summon I gained with the effect of my field spell and call forth **Marineterror Frilled Shark**!" Aqua continued, another deep see fish appearing from the river below them.

 _Marineterror Frilled Shark_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Frilled Shark and Coelacanth into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up! Link 2! **Marineterror Savage Barracuda**!"

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 1000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘)

"Barracuda's effect! It cannot be attacked while I control other Marineterrors! Furthermore, when summoned, it raises the levels of all Marineterrors by one! However, my deck is shuffled!" Aqua stated.

 _Marineterror Telescopefish: Lvl 3 → 4_

"Now Telescopefish's effect! I excavate cards equal to its level and can then special summon Marineterrors among them with one level higher!"

"Damn it! Even more swarming!" Miyu cursed silently.

( 63, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #4 Menace end)

Aqua smirked at her words. "Indeed! Now then, show me my...!" She shouted, before she grew silent at the results of the excavation.

"Ha...! Ha...! ….. HAHAHAHAHA!" Miyu burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Among your four cards are only spells and traps! So your little attempt to impersonate Lightning's dueling style of swarming your way to an Extra Link ends here and now!" The brown haired adult giggled victoriously.

"Damn it! Then I'll have to make do with what I have! I activate the effect of my Rapid Salmon from my graveyard! I can return it and up to two other Marineterrors from my graveyard to my deck or Extra Deck! I choose all of my Link 1 monsters, Swift Trout, Rapid Salmon and Evasive Eel!" Aqua shouted in response.

"Not bad! But you still won't be able to do too much this turn!" Miyu retorted.

"That might be true, but only with my Telescopefish! However, you seem to forget that I didn't use the effect of my Coelacanth yet and I can exchange my Telescopefish for another copy of said monster!" Aqua replied, Miyu's face becoming pale at the thought of how Aqua could continue her combos with said card if she were to summon it in exchange for her Telescopefish. "However, the effect would be a risk as I currently don't know how many Marineterrors are at the top of my deck, so I will go for the safe route!" The Ignis continued.

Miyu took a breath of relief. "Thank god!" She murmured in gratitude.

"Now appear one last time this turn, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a single "Marineterror"-Monster! I set Telescopefish into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up again! Link 1! Marineterror Evasive Eel!" Aqua declared, summoning the aquatic monster to her leftmost Main Monster Zone.

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1100/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (►)

"I can now rearrange the top seven cards of my deck due to Eel! Also, one thing I forgot to mention previously: My Savage Barracuda gains 100 ATK for every Level and Link Rating on my side of the field! My Eel is Link 1, my Barracuda is Link 2, my Hammerhead is Link 3 and lastly my Spermwhale is Link 4! Ten Link Ratings make a thousand ATK!" Aqua added.

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 1000 → 2000_

"I then place three cards face-down and end my turn! Now, show me how you have changed in the last twenty years, Miyu Sugisaki!" Aqua challenged her opponent.

"I will!" Miyu yelled back instinctively before narrowing her eyes worriedly. "Monsters with Link 1 through 4 on her field. A field spell in her Field Zone. Three face-downs. Still two hand cards. All that off a four card starting hand." She murmured, analyzing her opponent's formation with concern.

Aqua chuckled. "Yes, it surely is something better than my previous deck! You're proud for being able to summon a Link 3 with only one hand card, yet this deck accomplishes a multiple of your results with fewer cards! Want to surrender beforehand?!" The A.I. asked with a jeering grin.

Miyu shook her head vigorously. "Hell no! I will show you better than your previous deck! My turn! Draw!" The female yelled, determined to prove Aqua that she was underestimating her prior deck that was now in Miyu's possession.

' _Well, let's see how my former deck changed ever since I lost it. With my previous sense for simplicity there should be plenty of room for new cards. They_ _'_ _d better be good, I want to savor my revenge with her after all!'_ Aqua thought deviously.

( 64, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #10 Trickstar Gig)

"To start things off I will activate the quick-play spell **Marincess Sea Storm**! I add a "Marincess"-Card from my deck to the hand, then I discard one! I search out **Marincess Angel** and discard Marincess Mandarin! Then since I added Angel to my hand outside the Draw Phase I get to summon her! Come!" Miyu shouted, a blue haired female monster in a mostly white royal dress adorned by black and yellow features striking a pose, her dark blue eyes sparkling in excitement.

 _Marincess Angel_

 _Water/Level 2/ATK 1000/DEF 600/Cyberse/Effect_

"Oh, an angelfish! How especially cute!" Aqua enthused before a grin crawled onto her face. "And it seems to me that someone might have been a Blue Angel Fangirl, creating such a monster for herself!" She added mischievously.

"And what if I like Blue Angel? She is my best friend after all!" Miyu insisted.

The Ignis chuckled. "Oh yeah, I remember that! That's just the reason why I chose to kidnap you, aside from being a pretty nice test subject as one of Akira Zaizen's top SOL Technology workers and military force during the war – also known as the Hydra Squad – you also happened to be the best friend of our main enemy's girlfriend! Convenient, wasn't it?"

Miyu frowned. "I recall it in every detail, even now, 20 years later! You will pay for the mental damage you and your kinsmen brought onto me and my daughter, as well as for the lives you Ignis took! For everything ever since you captured me as a hostage to pressure Ryoken over Aoi – NO! – even before you captured me, I will have you pay with your freshly acquired blood, AQUA!" Miyu fumed, her voice overflowing with desire for revenge.

"Woo, someone's bad at keeping their emotions in check it would seem! Anyway, can you continue your turn?" Aqua retorted politely, completely ignoring Miyu's upset.

"YOU CAN HAVE IT IF YOU WANT TO!" The Marincess User bellowed back, raising her hand and continuing her move. "Marincess Angel's effect! If special summoned, she can add a Marincess to my hand and then invoke a Marincess Aqua Angel Token!" She shouted.

"Aqua Angel Token? That's it, you're definitely a Blue Angel Fangirl!" Aqua giggled.

"TALK ALL YOU WANT, AQUA!" Miyu snapped in response. "I add Sea Horse to my hand! Then I summon my token! Prepare to be destroyed, Aqua!" The adult screamed, a light blue statuette enveloped by water that roughly resembled the famous LINK VRAINS Idol that was Miyu's friend appearing on the field.

 _Marincess Aqua Angel Token_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Cyberse/Token_

"I discard **Marincess Cuttlefish** in order to activate Lightning Vortex! Now be electrocuted, you shitty whale and all of your friends!" Miyu continued in outrage, the voltage of her spell striking down upon Aqua's Marineterrors.

"Too feeble, Miyu! Trap card open! Marineterror Rule #1 – To Eat or to Get Eaten! When one or more Marineterrors would be destroyed, either by battle or card effect, your card will be destroyed instead, meaning either the monster that battled them or the card that wanted to destroy them! Meaning your Vortex will be destroyed!" Aqua yelled in response, the spell card shattering. "Also I gain 800 LP should your card be destroyed!" Aqua added with a smirk.

 **AQUA LP: 8600 → 9400**

"Not bad, Aqua! But I expected my card wouldn't work! I just wanted to get rid of one of your defenses! Now then, it's time!" Miyu announced, raising her arm and sending out a burst of energy from it.

"So then, let's see what my former deck is capable of now!" Aqua whispered to herself.

"Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one level four or lower "Marincess"-Monster! I set my token into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 1, Marincess Blue Slug!" Miyu yelled, summoning a female monster clad in a blue dress making her appearance in the left Extra Monster Zone.

 _Marincess Blue Slug_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Boring!" Aqua interjected, yawning. "I expected something original for your first Link Summon since ages! A few of your cards are new, yes, but did you really need to start with this card for your Link Summonings?" The A.I. inquired.

Miyu was about to snap again, but she decided to listen to one of Aoi's suggestions and took a deep breath instead, calming down and shooting the Ignis a grin, now in turn annoying her. "Well, I decided to start with the good old classic for tradition's sake! Don't worry, you will soon get to see a few new Link-Monsters, once I wipe the floor with you using them that is! Anyway, Blue Slug adds a "Marincess"-Card from my grave back to my hand when she's Link Summoned! I retrieve Cuttlefish! Then I use my Mandarin's effect! While she is in my graveyard and I control two or more Marincesses, I can special summon her to a zone a Marincess Link-Monster points to! Good that I left my second Main Monster Zone open, isn't it? However she will be banished when she leaves the field, but that's not too important I guess! Now arise, Mandarin!" Miyu declared as the monster emerged, accompanying her Blue Slug and Angel.

 _Marincess Mandarin_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Cyberse/Effect_

"Two or more Marincesses? I remember it were two or more "Marincess" Link-Monsters." Aqua spoke up in a questioning tone.

"Aoi's brother also known as my superior Akira Zaizen was so free to update a few of my cards with the technology of his company!" Miyu retorted.

"Ah yes, the big brother of your best friend and his company of SOL Technologies! How could I forget them, after all they were the second biggest threat to us aside from the Knights of Hanoi back in the war!" Aqua exclaimed in a tone that indicated that she could recall Miyu's ties to Akira Zaizen through both her friendship with Aoi and her position in the company.

"Good that you remember now! Next up I normal summon Sea Horse!"

 _Marincess Sea Horse_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Then appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one "Marincess"-Monster! I set Mandarin into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 1, **Marincess Puffer Urchin**!" Miyu shouted, summoning a female monster wearing brownish clothing covered with several spikes of different kinds.

 _Marincess Puffer Urchin_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"A puffer fish and a sea urchin? So it's two sea creatures combined, just like Coral Anemone? Interesting new monster, I got to give you that!" Aqua conceded.

"Thanks! And her effect will special summon a Marincess from my hand! I summon **Marincess Queen Parrot**!"

 _Marincess Queen Parrot_

 _Water/Level 5/ATK 1500/DEF 2000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Oh, another monster based on a neat looking tropical fish? Looks like someone was scuba diving before they went to Akira and had them print their cards!" Aqua remarked.

"Shut up, Ignis! At least my monsters aren't ugly-ass deep sea fishes like yours! Or fucking Moby Dick!" Miyu countered, gesturing at the whale-like monster that was covered in white, light and dark blue metal armor, with an overwhelming presence of the former color.

"Fair point." Aqua clicked her tongue in defeat.

"Anyway, onward with our duel! Since I control Marincesses I can special summon Cuttlefish from my hand!" Miyu shouted, a Marincess in a red dress joining her colleagues at that.

 _Marincess Cuttlefish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 1100/Cyberse/Effect_

"Cuttlefish's effect! She adds a "Marincess"-Trap from my deck to my hand when special summoned! I search the good old Marincess Wave! Then appear again, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Water Monsters! I set Puffer Urchin and Cuttlefish into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, Marincess Coral Anemone!" The brown-pinkish haired woman announced, summoning an orange haired female with a white, pink, light yellow, blue and orange outfit to her second Main Monster Zone.

 _Marincess Coral Anemone_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▼)

"Now Puffer Urchin's additional effect summons a Marincess Aqua Angel Token to my side of the field! To the first Main Monster Zone with you!" Miyu continued.

 _Marincess Aqua Angel Token_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Cyberse/Token_

Miyu's eyes narrowed. "And now you will feel my power! I will beat you in this very turn! Now it's time to show you how strong I have become ever since I inherited your power after the war!" She announced in determination, her eyes glowing blue as the Ignis Power within her was activated. "SKILL ACTIVATE! **MARINCESS HURRICANE!** " Miyu yelled at the top of her lungs, the water in the river beneath them bursting upwards as a pillar, the female standing in the eye of the storm as the water parted around her. "When I control "Marincess"-Monsters, I can draw one card for each! Currently I have Blue Slug, Coral Anemone, Sea Horse, Angel, Queen Parrot, and lastly my Marincess Aqua Angel Token! Six Marincesses make six cards! TIDAL DRAW!" Miyu shouted, her arm sweeping through the air as her hand was massively replenished.

( 64, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #10 Trickstar Gig end)

Aqua brought her hands together and clapped. "Bravo, Miyu! A fantastic display of power! Your new skill is simple, yet undoubtedly effective! Now show me what you will do from here on and whether you will be able to breach my defense or not!" The Ignis challenged her.

"Heck yeah I will!" Miyu yelled back, stretching out her hand shortly afterwards. "Appear again, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Blue Slug, Angel and my Aqua Angel Token into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, **Marincess Crystal Thorn**!" Miyu proclaimed as light blue crystal spikes began expanding sky- and downwards, protecting a dark blue core that was surrounded by a ghostly white mist figure.

 _Marincess Crystal Thorn_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘▼)

"Crystal Thorn? Looks like you made a new monster based on the card I gave to Earth and he back to me." Aqua remarked with a slight frown. "Mind if you handed that monster plus Crystal Heart over to me?" She asked.

Miyu shook her head vigorously, deepening the frown on Aqua's expression. "No chance in hell! Your friends took the innocence off my daughter with their gruesome experiments, so I will keep those monsters you got from your dear friend Earth! If you want them, you gotta rip them from my cold, dead fingers!" The woman yelled at the other female.

"That can be arranged." Aqua retorted in a silent and seemingly unemotional voice on the outside, but with dead serious and enraged feelings on the inside.

"Now to set up the stage for your punishment, I will activate the continuous spell **Marincess Bubble Bombardment**! I activate this card by targeting a Link 3 or lower Marincess! I target Crystal Thorn! Now whenever a monster is summoned to a zone Crystal Thorn points to you'll take 200 damage times the combined Link Rating of the target monster and the summoned monster!" Miyu went on.

"That card! Is that a new version of Bubble Blast, perhaps?" Aqua inquired.

Miyu nodded victoriously. "Correct! Akira got rid of some of its downsides – well, a lot of its downsides actually – in return for some damage it lost! But overall I'd say this rework of Bubble Blast is highly potent! Now then, onto the pain! Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Water Monsters! I set Sea Horse and Queen Parrot into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, Marincess Crystal Heart!"

 _Marincess Crystal Heart_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 0/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘)

"There it is! My Crystal Heart!" Aqua exclaimed, eyeing the monster that symbolized her bonds with Earth, Aqua's favorite Ignis whom she might or might not love. She then furrowed the brows of her copied body. "Give it back! NOW!" She shouted, losing her composure.

Miyu scoffed. "And why should I?!"

"Because this monster means a lot to me! SO GIVE IT BACK ALREADY!" The Water Ignis yelled back.

Miyu grunted in disdain. "That's rich, you asking me for a favor after your kin **LITERALLY** **TORTURED MY DAUGHTER FOR MONTHS!** " The Marincess Duelist exploded in rage.

" **YOU BROUGHT IT ONTO YOURSELVES WITH YOUR ATTACK ON THE CYBERSE WORLD!** " The usually calm-as-the-surface-of-water Ignis snapped back.

" _ **WE DIDN'T ATTACK YOUR SHITTY WORLD! STOP BEING SO FUCKING DELUSIONAL!**_ " The Hydra Squad Member retorted, her voice growing in volume.

" _ **SHUT THE HELL UP YOU DIRTY LIAR! YOU STARTED THE WAR! WITHOUT YOUR INTERFERENCE WE WOULD HAVE NEVER ATTACKED YOU!**_ " Aqua yelled back, equally as loud.

" _ **ENOUGH!**_ " Miyu shouted at the top of her lungs, startling the Ignis and bringing a brief moment of silence. A few moments later she continued. "It's obvious that neither of us will accept the claims of the other! So let's just get this duel behind us and whoever emerges victorious from it gets their will! History has always been written by the victors, so if I win, you will be the one babbling crazy bullshit, and if you win, I will be the one talking utter nonsense! That's just how it is and how we're going to settle this issue as well! Agreed?" Miyu inquired intensely.

"Agreed! Continue your turn!" Aqua hissed back.

( 65, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #15 Turnaround Move)

"Good! Now my continuous spell triggers! Since I summoned a monster in a zone Crystal Thorn points to you take 200 damage times the combined Link Rating of Crystal Thorn and Crystal Heart! Since it's five you'll receive 1000 damage! I hope you'll be well served with that stack of damage hitting you right in your stupid Cyberse face!" Miyu yelled, her spell unleashing a blast of water onto Aqua.

 **AQUA LP: 9400 → 8400**

"Kuh! Damn you!" Aqua cursed, shielding her face against the water.

"You're very much welcome!" Miyu retorted before continuing. "Next up I activate the second effect of my Marincess Sea Storm! I banish it to add back a Marincess from my grave to the hand, in this case Sea Horse! Then I activate the effect of Coral Anemone! I revive a Water Monster in a zone Coral Anemone points to! Luckily my first Main Monster Zone is free! Arise, Blue Slug!"

 _Marincess Blue Slug_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Now my continuous spell! The combined Link Rating is four, so my Bubble Bombardment will deal you 800 damage! Take this!" Miyu yelled, another geysir-like gush of water hitting the Ignis.

 **AQUA LP: 8400 → 7600**

"Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Coral Anemone and Blue Slug into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, Marincess Marbled Rock!" Miyu shouted, summoning the previous minor ace monster of the Marincess Deck into her second Main Monster Zone.

 _Marincess Marbled Rock_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"The combined Link Rating is six! Take 1200 damage!" Miyu yelled, her spell activating again.

 **AQUA LP: 7600 → 6400**

"Furthermore Coral Anemone recycles a Marincess when sent to the grave, like Queen Parrot for instance! Then Marbled Rock's effect! I recycle another "Marincess"-Card from my graveyard, adding Cuttlefish to my hand! And newsflash, my Cuttlefish may have a hard once per turn on the effect that searches a "Marincess"-Trap from my deck when special summoned, but the effect that allows me to call her when I already control a Marincess doesn't! So come again!"

 _Marincess Cuttlefish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 1100/Cyberse/Effect_

Aqua tilted her head in confusion. "To your fourth Main Monster Zone? But that won't cause any damage." She wondered.

Miyu nodded. "That's right! But unfortunately my play requires this circumstance. Do not fret though, as I will now special summon Marincess Sea Horse from my hand to the zone Marbled Rock and Crystal Thorn point to!" Miyu declared, her monster arising in the first Main Monster Zone.

 _Marincess Sea Horse_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Moooore daaamaaage!" Miyu yelled in a gloating manner.

 **AQUA LP: 6400 → 5800**

"Now I activate the field spell Marincess Battle Ocean! All Marincesses gain 200 ATK!"

 _Marincess Crystal Heart: ATK 0 → 200_

 _Marincess Crystal Thorn: ATK 2000 → 2200_

 _Marincess Cuttlefish: ATK 700 → 900_

 _Marincess Marbled Rock: ATK 2500 → 2700_

 _Marincess Sea Horse: ATK 1400 → 1600_

"Then appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters including Marincess Crystal Heart! I set Crystal Heart plus Cuttlefish and Sea Horse into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 4, Marincess Wonder Heart!" Miyu shouted as the strongest Marincess up until now made her appearance in the third Main Monster Zone, meaning the very middle of Miyu's field.

 _Marincess Wonder Heart_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 2400 → 2600/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄►↘)

"My former ace monster! It's good to see you around, even if you are used by... you know, her..." Aqua exclaimed enthusiastically before her tone grew quieter, shooting Miyu a disdainful side glance.

"It's good to hear that you still remember your former ace! Since it saves time explaining effects! I equip Wonder Heart with two Marincesses with different Link Ratings from my graveyard, namely Blue Slug and Crystal Heart! That's because of the new effect of Battle Ocean that states that it can not only equip Marincess Link-Monsters that are summoned to the Extra Monster Zone, but also those which use Crystal Heart or Crystal Thorn as material!" Miyu announced.

"Interesting! But one question: Two? I remember that Battle Ocean allows you to equip three. Is it because you have no Link 3 monsters in your graveyard at the time?" Aqua inquired.

Miyu shook her head. "No, it's because when Battle Ocean got changed by Akira it also lost a part of its effect, so the maximum number of monsters is two now." Miyu admitted grudgingly.

"So your superior made the card worse instead of better in one aspect while trying to strengthen another? That's quite amusing, if I do say so myself!" Aqua giggled in malicious joy.

"Shut up and take your daily dose of damage, Aqua!" Miyu retorted, startling the Ignis who now realized that the summoning of her former ace had triggered Miyu's continuous spell, Aqua's eyes widening shortly before she was hit by another blast of water.

 **AQUA LP: 5800 → 4400**

"Ugh! You know I love water, **but stop fucking throwing it at me!** " The A.I. yelled at her opponent whilst wiping the droplets off her face.

Miyu chuckled. "Two words: Well deserved! Anyway, my Wonder Heart gains 300 ATK times the total Link Rating of the monsters that equip her! With three that makes 900!"

 _Marincess Wonder Heart: ATK 2600 → 3500_

"Then I activate the spell **Marincess Flood**! It enables me to summon a Marincess from my hand! I summon Marincess Moray!" Miyu stated, another girl in a royal outfit appearing, this time one of green color with yellow embroidery and a necklace of the same color.

 _Marincess Moray_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 2000/DEF 100/Cyberse/Effect_

"Since she was summoned to my first zone, you take damage again!"

 **AQUA LP: 4400 → 3800**

"Argh!" Aqua grunted, gradually losing all of her lifepoints. Miyu simply grinned at her nemesis' suffering, continuing shortly afterwards. "I then sacrifice Moray in order to summon up to two Marincesses with negated effects and a combined ATK equal or lower than Moray's from my deck! I summon **Marincess Clown Fish** and another Mandarin!"

 _Marincess Clown Fish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marincess Mandarin_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Cyberse/Effect_

"Clown Fish was summoned to my first zone, so you know what happens!" Miyu spoke up, the A.I. gritting her teeth, preparing for the next stream of water thrown at her.

 **AQUA LP: 3800 → 3200**

"Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Water Monsters! I set Clown Fish and Mandarin into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, **Marincess** **Stinging Ray**!" Miyu shouted as a female with a long ray stinger protruding from her back appeared.

 _Marincess Stinging Ray_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 2200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

"And again! Be submerged into the pits of hell, accursed A.I.!" Miyu yelled, her continuous spell firing again.

 **AQUA LP: 3200 → 2200**

"Now Stinging Ray activates her effect! I target a Marincess in my graveyard, in this case Moray! Then I special summon a Marincess from there with equal or lower ATK than Moray, but with a different name! Return, Coral Anemone!"

 _Marincess Coral Anemone_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▼)

"Then one of my monster also gains half of Coral Anemone's ATK! Have 1000 ATK, my dear Marbled Rock!"

 _Marincess Marbled Rock: ATK 2700 → 3700_

"Appear one last time and help me to end this bitch, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Coral Anemone and Stinging Ray into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 4, **Marincess** **Banded Krait**!" Miyu shouted, a great female monster wearing a white and black outfit with stripes of those colors on her arms, having scale-like plates of armor on various sections of her body.

 _Marincess Banded Krait_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 2800 → 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘▼)

( 65, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #15 Turnaround Move end)

Aqua's eyes narrowed. "So this is it?! The new ace monster of yours?!" She inquired hatefully.

"Damn right she is! She is based on the most poisonous sea snake! And true to that she will give you a most deadly experience! But before that you take 1400 damage!" Miyu yelled back.

"Hold up! I activate the trap Energy-Absorbing Monolith! I chain this card to the activation of your Bubble Bombardment's effect! Instead of taking 1400 damage I now gain that much LP!" Aqua shouted in response.

 **AQUA LP: 2200 → 3600**

"Fine then! The effect of my Krait! She equips herself with up to three Marincesses with different Link Rating from my graveyard! I choose Stinging Ray and Puffer Urchin! Battle Ocean kicks in as well and boosts her ATK!"

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 3000 → 3900_

"Now Banded Krait's additional effect! While equipped with two or more Water Monsters she can once per turn search out a "Marincess"-Spell or -Trap from my deck! I add Marincess Current to my hand!" Miyu declared.

Aqua whistled. "My, quite the deck your turned my Marincesses into, isn't it? Currently you have seven cards in your hand, even though most of them came from the usage of your Skill. Furthermore you inflicted a great deal of damage to me and are controlling four Link-Monsters, two of them being Link 3 and two more being Link 4. I applaud your dueling, it's truly on another level than all those years ago!" She spoke up.

"It feels weird to be praised by an A.I., but thank you." Miyu responded, closing her eyes and shrugging her shoulders, cracking a smile that displayed some of the pride that was dwelling inside of her now, despite the fact that it was her nemesis who was praising her.

She opened her eyes again with a fierce expression on them. "Anyway, let's cut to the chase and end this duel! I built up my formation, now it's time to beat the crap out of you using it! BATTLE!" The woman shouted, stretching out her arm. "Marincess Wonder Heart attacks Marineterror Evasive Eel! At this time Crystal Thorn kicks in! When Marincesses she points to battle, their ATK is doubled! Crystalline Piercer!"

 _Marincess Wonder Heart: ATK 3500 → 7000_

"What?!" Aqua yelled in disbelief before regaining her composure. "Then Evasive Eel's effect! The battling Marineterror, in this case Eel itself, will gain 800 ATK until the end of this turn, becomes indestructible by battle until the end of this turn, and lastly all battle damage I take from this battle is nullified!" She shouted in response.

"Hah! Did you already forget about the card I added to my hand previously?! Maybe, because even an outstanding A.I. like you overlooks some things in such an extensive turn! Guess my strategy of confusing you with my swarming did succeed! I activate the trap Marincess Wave from my hand! I can do that since I have a Link 3 or higher "Marincess" Link-Monster, but you already know this, don't you Aqua?! I furthermore can discard "Marincess"-Spells or Traps from my hand to activate them should I be able to activate them from my hand, due to a new effect of Battle Ocean Akira added to it that is! So the fact that my Spell & Trap Zone is full at the moment won't matter! Anyway, this card negates the effects of your Evasive Eel, furthermore it makes all of my face-up monsters unaffected by your card effect for the rest of this turn since I control a Link 2 or higher Marincess! So your effect stops right here!" Miyu shot back.

"Fuck!" The Ignis cursed unwillingly, the word slipping past her tongue. "Then I activate...!" Aqua screamed, the panic getting ahold of her.

Miyu raised her hand, interrupting her. "Useless! If you try to somehow strengthen your monster, forget it! I activate the effect of my Wonder Heart! Now your monster is unaffected by card effects besides its own, meaning until the end of the Damage Step all outside help will be cut off!" Miyu's facial muscles clenched, the woman looking over to the almost identical looking female on the board next to her. "You can neither affect your monster nor can you affect mine! You know what that means, don't you?!" She addressed the Ignis in an intense voice.

Aqua took a step back on her D-Board, her body starting to tremble.

Miyu's eyes widened. "EXACTLY! **YOU LOSE!** _**BEGONE, ACCURSED IGNIS!**_ " The brown haired adult yelled at the top of her lungs, her monster firing a missile of water at the white and light blue platted mechanic eel.

"Ha...HA... _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ " The Water Ignis suddenly burst into laughter, startling Miyu and prompting her to widen her eyes in surprise. "You ignorant human! Did you seriously think you were ever close to defeating me?! Do not delude yourself, my dear Miyu! Everything you've been doing up until now is still within the limits of my expectation!" Aqua spoke up to her.

"What the hell you're talking about?! There is nothing you can do! My monsters are protected against anything you have, and you cannot interact with your own! You can maybe avert this battle, but I still have three more monsters of whom two can go at you with doubled ATK! You're finished!" Miyu shouted back.

"Ah, your sheer stupidity is so amusing! Did you already forget what kind of duel this is?!" Aqua retorted.

Miyu's eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean...?!"

"YES, I DO!" Aqua screamed. "SKILL ACTIVATE! **DEEP SEA REEMERGENCE!** When a monster with less ATK than the total damage I took during this turn declares an attack, I take no damage from that battle!" Aqua shouted, a strong wave of water repelling Wonder Heart, despite Evasive Eel being still destroyed.

 _Marincess Wonder Heart: ATK 7000 → 3500_

"NO WAY!" Miyu yelled in disbelief.

"AND THEN I ALSO GAIN LP EQUAL TO THE DAMAGE I TOOK DURING THIS TURN! I RECOVER 7200 LP! ALSO EVASIVE EEL WILL BE REBORN!" Aqua went on.

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1100/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (►)

 **AQUA LP: 3600 → 10800**

" **IMPOSSIBLE! SHE HAS 10800 LP?!** " Miyu went on, finally realizing just how much her actions had played into the hands of the Ignis.

"AND LASTLY I CAN PLAY THIS!" The A.I. screamed, three water pillars arising from the river beneath them, pointing into three upper directions.

"WAIT! IS THAT...?!" Miyu began in utter disbelief.

" **IT CAN BE ACTIVATED TO ANY ZONE I PLEASE!** " Aqua continued, the water beams compressing themselves, getting tighter and becoming pointy at the top.

"NO WAY! CAN IT REALLY BE?!" The Marincess Duelist exclaimed, horrified by the view unfolding in front of her.

" ** _APPEAR, THE THREE ARROWS THAT WILL DROWN THE WORLD!_** "

"Impossible..." Miyu whispered, falling to her knees, her eyes wide open in horror.

" _ **LINK MAGIC – HYDRO ARROWS!**_ " Aqua finished, a spell card with three arrows pointing to all northern directions arising in her second Spell & Trap Zone and unfolding its might with a light blue radiance.

 _Link Magic – Hydro Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (↖▲↗)

( 66, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #26 Extra Link)

"A Link Spell? How can this be possible?" Miyu asked weakly, slowly getting on her feet again.

"Oh, were you under the impression that only Lightning and Kami were good enough for them? In that case I must disappoint you, since now every Elemental Ignis has a corresponding Link Spell! And this is mine, Link Magic – Hydro Arrows! Since it was activated from my deck via my Skill it becomes indestructible as well! Now then...", Aqua began, cracking Miyu a gloating smile, "...aren't you going to continue attacking? To – what was it? Ah, yes! – avenge your family and all those we Ignis have killed? Aren't you?!" The A.I. mocked her.

Miyu's eyes widened to the maximum, getting bloodshot even, the female fuming with rage. "Very well!" She retorted quietly before the volume of her voice skyrocketed. " _ **I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU, AQUA!**_ " Miyu snapped, Aqua merely responding with a devious giggle. "MARINCESS CRYSTAL THORN ATTACKS MARINETERROR EVASIVE EEL!"

"Evasive Eel's effect! It cannot be destroyed by battle and gains 800 ATK until the end of this turn! Furthermore battle damage I would take is negated!" Aqua responded, still giggling victoriously.

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel: ATK 1100 → 1900_

"DAMN YOU! THEN MARBLED ROCK WILL ATTACK YOUR EEL! AT THIS TIME CRYSTAL THORN'S EFFECT DOUBLES THE ATK OF MARBLED ROCK! **MARINCESS SUBMERGE!** " Miyu continued, her monster unleashing a blast of water at her opponent.

 _Marincess Marbled Rock: ATK 3700 → 7400_

"Well, then it's time for some cards I suppose! Namely these three! The effect of my Savage Barracuda! Once per turn it can lend its ATK to any monster it points to! That makes 2000 ATK for my Eel! Or it would make that much! However, I chain the effect of my Marineterror Fangtooth in my hand to it! Fangtooth boosts the ATK of a Marineterror by 300 times its Level or 400 times its Link Rating until the end of this turn! Barracuda is Link 2, so it gains 800 ATK! Furthermore it cuts all battle damage I take during this turn in half! However, I'm still not done! I activate my last face-down, the quick-play spell Marineterror Deep Sea Horror! It doubles the ATK of all my Marineterrors until the end of this turn, but during the End Phase it forces me to put the top ten cards of my deck to the bottom of my deck! Now then, do your magic, my effects!"

"NOT SO FAST! I PLAY THE QUICK-PLAY SPELL **MARINCESS MONOPOLY**! I TARGET BANDED KRAIT WITH IT! FOR THE REST OF THIS TURN IT BECOMES THE ONLY MONSTER THAT CAN GAIN ATK VIA THE EFFECTS OF MY CARDS! FURTHERMORE IT GAINS 1000 ATK AND THE FIRST TIME ONE OR MORE OF YOUR MONSTERS WOULD GAIN ATK BY A CARD EFFECT, THEY DON'T! AS THIS BECOMES CHAIN LINK 4 YOUR DEEP SEA HORROR WILL BECOME USELESS!"

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 3900 → 4900_

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel: ATK 1900 → 4700_

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 2000 → 2800_

"Not bad, Miyu! Not bad at all!" Aqua laughed. "But still far from being good enough! I have more than enough lifepoints and battle damage is halved due to Fangtooth! And there's even more! During the previous battle I didn't bother to mention it as battle damage was negated entirely and Crystal Thorn disabled outside help, but not this time! Link Magic – Hydro Arrows activates! Whenever a Link-Monster it points to battles, that monster will receive 500 ATK times its Link Rating! My Eel is Link 1, so it will gain 500 ATK during the battle!" Aqua told as the pillar of water pointing to the Top-Left connected to her monster, pumping energy into it.

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel: ATK 4700 → 5200_

 **AQUA LP: 10800 → 9700**

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel: ATK 5200 → 4700_

"So much effort but so little results! It must be frustrating to be part of an inefficient race like you!" Aqua taunted her opponent.

" **I DARE YOU TO SAY THAT AGAIN!** NEXT BATTLE! BANDED KRAIT ATTACKS GREAT SPERMWHALE! AT THIS MOMENT I ACTIVATE MULTIPLE EFFECTS FROM MY HAND! I DISCARD SEA STAR TO BOOST MY MONSTER BY 800 ATK! THEN I DISCARD QUEEN PARROT! BY DOING SO I CAN EITHER BOOST OR LOWER THE ATK OF A MARINCESS I CONTROL OR ONE OF YOUR MONSTERS! I CHOOSE TO INCREASE THE ATK OF MY MONSTER BY 800! NEXT I ACTIVATE THE TRAP CARD **MARINCESS TIDE** FROM MY HAND! I CAN DO THIS SINCE I HAVE A LINK 3 OR HIGHER MARINCESS! NOW I TARGET BANDED KRAIT AND INFLICT 500 DAMAGE TIMES HER LINK RATING TO YOU! AND AFTERWARDS ALL MONSTERS GAIN 500 ATK, BUT DUE TO MARINCESS MONOPOLY'S EFFECT ONLY BANDED KRAIT CAN RECEIVE ATK BY MY CARD EFFECTS FOR THE REST OF THIS TURN! FINALLY MY CRYSTAL THORN DOUBLES KRAIT'S ATK! **TAKE THIS, YOU STUPID IGNIS! MARINCESS FLOODING!** " Miyu shouted in outrage, using three of the remaining four cards in her hand. Meanwhile Aqua just kept laughing, infuriating the woman even more. To Miyu, Aqua's taunting laughter was like what the color red was to a bull.

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 4900 → 5700 → 6500 → 7000 → 14000_

 **AQUA LP: 9700 → 7700**

"Geez Miyu, you're so upset! I'd advise you to calm down!" Aqua giggled before raising her hand. "Hydro Arrows' effect! My Spermwhale gains 500 ATK times its Link Rating! It therefore receives 2000 ATK!"

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale: ATK 4400 → 6400_

 **AQUA LP: 7700 → 3900**

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 14000 → 7000_

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 2800 → 2400_

"I ACTIVATE THE LAST CARD IN MY HAND, THE TRAP MARINCESS CURRENT! IT INFLICTS 400 DAMAGE TIMES THE LINK RATING OF MY BANDED KRAIT PLUS 500 TIMES THE LINK RATING OF YOUR GREAT SPERMWHALE AS DAMAGE! SO THAT'S 1600 PLUS 2000, MEANING 3600 IN TOTAL!"

 **AQUA LP: 3900 → 300**

" **LASTLY BANDED KRAIT'S EFFECT! WHEN SHE DESTROYS AN OPPONENT'S MONSTER BY BATTLE I CAN SEND ONE OF HER EQUIP MONSTERS TO MY GRAVEYARD! THEN YOU TAKE DAMAGE EQUAL TO HER AND ALL OF HER EQUIP MONSTERS' COMBINED LINK RATINGS TIMES 500! I SEND PUFFER URCHIN TO THE GRAVEYARD, INFLICTING 3000 DAMAGE TO YOU!** _ **IT'S OVER!**_ " Miyu yelled.

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 7000 → 6700_

Aqua chuckled. "And here again you forget something! You humans always miss essential statements and events of the past! Need I remind you of our Bit and Boot Units? You know, the first stage Ignis who could fuse and then invoke their Skill two times? Yeah, we have perfected this Dual-Skill technology now!" She told.

"WHAT?! YOU MEAN...?!" Miyu screamed in disbelief.

"YES, EXACTLY! **DUAL SKILL – SECOND STAGE** ACTIVATE! **DEEP SEA AID!** During a turn where I took more than 4000 points of damage, I can gain LP equal to the highest instance of damage I took during this turn times two! The highest was 3600 damage, so I regain 7200 LP!" Aqua announced.

 **AQUA LP: 300 → 7500**

"IMPOSSIBLE! TWO SKILLS ON ONE PERSON?!" Miyu exclaimed.

"That's right! Now I survive your effect!" The A.I. shouted triumphantly, withstanding the blow easily with the extra lifepoints gained from her skill.

 **AQUA LP: 7500 → 4500**

" **DAMN IT!** THEN THE ADDITIONAL EFFECTS OF BANDED KRAIT WILL CONTINUE! FIRST ALL MONSTERS GAIN 500 ATK AFTER YOU RECEIVE THE DAMAGE! DUE TO MONOPOLY'S STILL LINGERING EFFECT ONLY KRAIT WILL BE STRENGTHENED! AND THEN SHE CAN DECLARE AN ADDITIONAL ATTACK!"

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 6700 → 7200_

"GO! ATTACK MARINETERROR RAVENOUS HAMMERHEAD! **MARINCESS FLOODING!** " Miyu yelled, her Crystalline Piercer ability of Crystal Thorn kicking in again.

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 7200 → 14400_

"Again my Hydro Arrows will deliver an attack boost! But that's not all! Ravenous Hammerhead lets me excavate the top seven cards of my deck when it battles! It then gains 300 ATK for every "Marineterror"-Monster among them! Due to me rearranging my top seven cards with Evasive Eel during my last turn I obviously know that amount of monsters already! It's five!" Aqua declared, the mechanism of her disk that revealed the cards proving her right, much to Miyu's anger.

 _Marineterror Ravenous Hammerhead: ATK 2500 → 4000 → 5500_

 **AQUA LP: 4500 → 50**

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 14400 → 7200_

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 2400 → 2100_

" **GODDAMNIT! I MISSED IT BY 50 MEASLY LIFEPOINTS! CURSE YOU, AQUA!** " Miyu howled in frustration.

( 66, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #26 Extra Link end)

Aqua laughed. "Ah Miyu, you are so predictable! I knew your deck would still circle around swarming followed by a subsequent OTK, so I prepared plenty of countermeasures against it! Why do you think would I have two Skills to prevail against great amounts of damage other than countering your strategy?! You fell for my taunts like an idiot, consuming resources over resources! Now your hand is empty, your Skill has been used and you don't have any face-downs either, just equip monsters and a couple of Link-Monsters with few protection!" Aqua's grin grew wider. "Also, did you seriously think I failed to construct an Extra Link when my Telescopefish didn't excavate any Marineterrors?!" She addressed her opponent, prompting Miyu to become pale in her face.

"What? But your Barracuda shuffled you deck with the downside of its effect. There is no way you could predict what cards you would have on top..." Miyu retorted in a subdued voice.

"Exactly!" Aqua interrupted her, raising a finger. "That's exactly it! I cannot predict what would be on top of my deck after I shuffle! But what you missed is the notion that the downside effect of my Barracuda could possibly be optional, not mandatory!" The Ignis spoke up.

Miyu's eyes widened in surprise. "So you...?!"

"...activated the effect nevertheless? Yes, I did!" Aqua replied.

"But why?!" Miyu shouted in lack of understanding.

The A.I. giggled. "Well, I was actually hoping that my effect would fail after shuffling my deck with the optional effect of Barracuda! I wanted to look like I had bad luck and made a misplay! That way I might not be able to construct an Extra Link, but in turn your greater possibilities of building your own board plus the heat of the moment would encourage you to go full force against me! With constant taunts and provocations you got angrier and angrier and used up all of your resources! Also your flood of attacks enabled me to play my Link Magic in an indestructible state! So yeah, looks like my plan worked after all!" Aqua proclaimed victoriously.

Miyu's face turned white in horror. "So everything I have done up until now...?"

"Yeah! I told you back when I played my Link Spell, didn't I? Among other statements that were clear hints, weren't you so stupid that is! As I said, I wanted to savor my revenge with you and make your annihilation as enjoyable as possible!" Aqua responded to her, sending Miyu back to the memories of those events, her eyes widening in realization.

* * *

" _Great! We will use two of such rules, namely Extra Rule: Great Clash which lets us start with 8000 LP each so I can savor my revenge longer..."_

* * *

" _You ignorant human! Did you seriously think you were ever close to defeating me?! Do not delude yourself, my dear Miyu! Everything you've been doing up until now is still within the limits of my expectation!"_

* * *

" _So much effort but so little results! It must be frustrating to be part of an inefficient race like you!"_

* * *

" _And here again you forget something! You humans always miss essential statements and events of the past!"_

* * *

"So everything – from the Extra Rules that increase your survivability to manipulating me into going full force – was part of your plan?!" Miyu shouted in disbelief.

Aqua nodded, grinning deviously and spreading her arms. "Exactly! And I gave you so many hints as well, yet you didn't recognize even one of them! As I said, it must be frustrating to be part of such an inefficient and stupid race! Now then, are you going to end your turn please? I'd like to beat the living hell out of you, if you don't mind!" Aqua requested in a polite, yet mocking tone.

" **DAMN YOU TO HELL, AQUA! I CAN STILL ENTER MY MAIN PHASE 2, USE MY MONSTERS FOR ANY LOW LINK-MONSTER AND FINISH YOU OFF WITH THE BURN DAMAGE OF BUBBLE BOMBARDMENT!** " Miyu screamed in utter outrage.

"And wrong yet again! You should maybe open your game manager and look into the rules of the new generation Speed Duels!" Aqua advised.

"What?!" Miyu shouted in lack of understanding, doing just that. As she read the lines, her eyes widened in disbelief. "No way! 'During a turn a player uses their Skill, they must skip their Main Phase 2'?!" She exclaimed incredulously.

Aqua hummed. "Yeah, we kept that characteristic of the old Speed Duels, though in other form! Magnificent, isn't it?" She taunted her opponent.

Miyu gritted her teeth. " _ **CURSE YOU, YOU BASTARDY ABOMINATION OF STUPID TECHNOLOGY AND SHITTY ALGORITHMS! DO ME A FAVOR AND FUCKING DIE ALREADY!**_ " Miyu snapped, her blood boiling well past the 100 degrees mark.

"Ahahaha! You humans' bad control over your emotions is truly amusing! Now then, will you end your turn?" Aqua chuckled.

" **DAMN IT ALL!** TURN END! MY MONSTERS LOSE THEIR EXTRA ATK BESIDES THE BOOSTS OF BATTLE OCEAN AND THOSE OF MY SEASTAR AND QUEEN PARROT! AND MY BUBBLE BOMBARDMENT IS DESTROYED BY ITS OWN EFFECT DURING THE END PHASE!" Miyu admitted grudgingly, her spell self-destructing.

 _Marincess Banded Krait: ATK 7200 → 5200_

 _Marincess Marbled Rock: ATK 3700 → 2700_

"My monsters also lose their extra ATK! Furthermore the effect of Deep Sea Horror forces me to move the ten topmost cards of my deck to the bottom of it in any order!" Aqua replied.

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel: ATK 4700 → 1100_

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 2100 → 1300_

"Alright then! My turn! Draw!" Aqua shouted, the arm of her human guise swiping through the air in anticipation.

"Damn! I'm wide open to her attacks now!" Miyu cursed silently, preparing herself.

( 67, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #14 Punishment)

"I think I'll start with the card I've just drawn! The spell **Link Infestation**! It forces you to tribute the monster with the highest Link Rating you control! If tied, you have to tribute that with lower ATK! So say goodbye to Wonder Heart!" Aqua exclaimed jeeringly.

"Fuck! Wonder Heart may be immune to the effects of my opponent's cards due to Battle Ocean, but that card affects the player! I sacrifice Wonder Heart!" Miyu uttered grudgingly.

"Marincess Wonder Heart summons Crystal Heart when destroyed! However, she was tributed, so that effect won't activate! Now the additional effect of my Link Infestation! I can summon a Link-Monster with one Link Marker less than the tributed monster from my graveyard! Arise again, Ravenous Hammerhead!" Aqua went on, the shark reappearing in the middle of her field.

 _Marineterror Ravenous Hammerhead_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▲►)

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 1300 → 1600_

"Then I activate the spell card **Link Rejuvenation**! I can target a Link-Monster I control with it, robbing it of its effects and ATK! In return I draw one card for each of its Link Markers! I target Hammerhead and draw three!"

 _Marineterror Ravenous Hammerhead: ATK 2500 → 0_

"Next I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Marineterror Wobbegong!" The Ignis continued.

 _Marineterror Wobbegong_

 _Water/Level 7/ATK 2200/DEF 2600/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now onto a few graveyard effects! I can return my spells and trap to the bottom of my deck to trigger them! First I return Deep Sea Horror from my graveyard to the bottom of my deck in order to deal you 500 damage!" Aqua announced, Miyu wincing as she received the damage.

 **MIYU LP: 7200 → 6700**

"Then I return Deep Sea Calling to my deck and revive a level four or lower Marineterror from my graveyard! Return, Coelacanth!"

 _Marineterror Coelacanth_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 900/Cyberse/Effect_

"Lastly I return Marineterror Rule #1 – To Eat or to Get Eaten from graveyard to the bottom of my deck to revive another Marineterror, this time without any restrictions! I revive Great Spermwhale!" Aqua concluded, her metal Moby Dick reappearing at her words.

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄►↘)

"It cannot activate its effects during this turn though!" Aqua added. "Anyway, do not forget that my Barracuda's ATK increase by the total levels and Link Ratings of all my monsters on the field!" The A.I. reminded her opponent, her monster powering up.

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 1600 → 2300 → 2700 → 3100_

"I activate the effect of my Wobbegong and add a "Marineterror"-Card from my deck to the hand, namely the continuous spell **Marineterror Deep Sea Feast**! Then the other effect of my carpet shark! I draw three cards and if there was a Marineterror among them, I can special summon it with a level higher and return the other cards to the bottom of my deck! Now then, guess who already knows what cards they will draw from their latest view into the deck without shuffling it afterwards!" Aqua challenged her opponent mockingly.

"You!" Miyu hissed back.

Aqua hummed. "Yeah, absolutely correct! I reckon you still remember this little fella, don't you? Come Telescopefish! And I can guarantee you that it will succeed this time! Barracuda gains ATK, more specifically 400 since Telescopefish will be summoned with one level higher due to Wobbegong!"

 _Marineterror Telescopefish_

 _Water/Level 3 → 4/ATK 1300/DEF 700/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marineterror Savage Barracuda: ATK 3100 → 3500_

"Now before I go to my Link Summons, I better stock up my lifepoints again, I don't like being at the brink of extinction with just 50 of them, I feel like a sitting duck against you with it! So I activate the quick-play spell Mystik Wok! I tribute Barracuda and gain LP equal to either its ATK or DEF! As it only has ATK, I pick that one of course! And just like that I have over 3000 LP again!" Aqua exclaimed in pleasure as she regained her lost life force.

 **AQUA LP: 50 → 3550**

( min 1:11)

"Then it begins! Appear, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are a single "Marineterror"-Monster with a level! I set Wobbegong into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Dive up! Link 1! Marineterror Swift Trout!" Aqua shouted, the monster that had started her series of Link Summons on the previous turn making its entrance again in the Extra Monster Zone.

 _Marineterror Swift Trout_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Its effect! I excavate the top five cards of my deck and add a "Marineterror"-Monster among them to my hand! I pick Sabertooth Fish! Then the rest of the cards returns to the top of my deck in any order! Next the effect of the Sabertooth Fish I just added to my hand! I draw a card and if it was a "Marineterror"-Monster, I can special summon Sabertooth from my hand! I won't go over what happens if I fail to draw a Marineterror as I just rearranged the top four cards of my deck with Swift Trout! So I'll send the Anglerfish I drew to the graveyard and summon Sabertooth!"

 _Marineterror Sabertooth Fish_

 _Water/Level 2/ATK 1000/DEF 500/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now onto the big guns!" Aqua announced, stretching out her arm. "Appear, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Ravenous Hammerhead, Sabertooth Fish and Swift Trout into the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" Aqua yelled, the monsters transforming into five bluish bursts of energy that headed down into the waters. The Ignis shot Miyu a grin as a huge rumbling was heard in the river beneath them, the gushing of water on the river's surface alongside a huge fin indicating the coming of a powerful creature, nearing with fast pace from the horizon.

"My dear Miyu, if you already love normal sharks, you will absolutely crave this one! Greet the likely most powerful aquatic animal that has ever roamed your planet, empowered with superior Cyberse technology! LINK SHŌKAN! TERRORIZE THE SEAS! LINK 5! **MARINETERROR BEASTLY MEGALO**!" The A.I. shouted as an enormous shark-like being with white, light blue, dark blue and black metallic plates for its scales erupted from the water, biting into a good chuck of Miyu's D-Board and taking it along with itself as it dropped back into the river beneath them.

 _Marineterror Beastly Megalo_

 _Water/Link 5/ATK 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄▲►↘)

"A megalodon?! Fuck my life, why a megalodon of all aquatic animals?!" Miyu cursed in exasperation. "And why the hell did you attack me and my board again?! Slowly it starts getting unbearable!" She added, looking at the hole in her board's hinder part.

"Glad that you like it!" Aqua retorted with a smirk. "Anyway, since I used Sabertooth Fish for the Link Summon of a Link 5 or higher monster, I gain 1000 LP!"

 **AQUA LP: 3550 → 4550**

"Then Beastly Megalo's effect! When Link Summoned I can declare a number! I suppose three would be about fine! Then I look at the top five cards of my deck! Should there be the same number of Marineterrors than the number I declared or a number of those monsters that differs from mine by one, all of your monsters will be wiped out!" She announced.

' _Screw her! She manipulated her top deck cards just before now using Swift Trout's effect! She knew about the top four cards after that, then she drew one of them with Sabertooth Fish's effect, so now she knows about three! Since she knows exactly what the top three cards of her deck were, she simply declared that number of monsters she knew about – two – plus one! So in case one more monster is among those two extra cards she now excavates, her result will be right! Should both of those cards be monsters or none of them be monsters, her effect also succeeds as it works even when her prediction differs from the number of monsters excavated by one!'_ Miyu thought, gritting her teeth.

"And it's four! Since its differs from my prediction by just one, my effect still succeeds! Now all of your monsters are history! Death Dorsal!" Aqua shouted, the dorsal fin of her shark expanding skywards as a structure of data material manifested on top of it. The monster then used it to slice up all of Miyu's monsters, sending Marbled Rock, Crystal Thorn and Banded Krait to the graveyard, alongside Stingray that had equipped the latter monster.

"Damn it! Now I'm open as in open-open!" The other female cursed silently.

( 67, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #14 Punishment end)

"I have to return all excavated cards to the bottom of my deck after that! Next up my field spell Sea of Abominations! I declare four and look at the top five cards of my deck, then if the number of Marineterrors is equal to my declared number of differs from it by one, I can conduct another normal summon this turn! Now let's see... aww, it's two! Unlucky, I get no second normal summon, but as I don't have any monsters in my hand that I could summon, that was irrelevant anyway! The sole purpose was to check my deck and to be able to now rearrange those five cards!" The Ignis told.

"Damn it! Even if she fails, she still ends up succeeding!" Miyu hissed.

Aqua grinned. "Well, that's the difference between you humans and us Ignis, I suppose! Now the effect of Coelacanth! I excavate cards equal to its current level of four, then I can special summon a Marineterror from my graveyard for every excavated "Marineterror"-Monster! As I currently have no clue at all", Aqua began in a sarcastic tone, winking deviously, "what the top four cards of my deck could possibly be, I will just go ahead and take a shot in the blue and say that I will excavate two monsters!" Aqua said, her disk revealing the four topmost cards of her deck. "Oh my, look at that! Indeed two monsters! That means I now get to revive two of my Marineterrors with temporarily negated effects and return all non-monsters among the excavated cards to the bottom of my deck! I revive Angler and Viperfish!"

 _Marineterror Anglerfish_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1600/DEF 1500/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marineterror Viperfish_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 800/DEF 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear once more, my sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more "Marineterror"-Monsters! I set Anglerfish, Viperfish and Coelacanth into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! Prepare to play the Jaws-Theme, Miyu! LINK SHŌKAN! Rule the seas! LINK 3! **Marineterror White Fin**!" Aqua shouted, summoning a white, light and dark blue metal platted version of the biggest living shark to the middle of her field.

 _Marineterror White Fin_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2600/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘)

"And there is the great white as well! What a horrible day to be me!" Miyu huffed in exasperation.

"Isn't this a joyful sight, seeing my dear megalodon being united with its little, not extinct brother? Anyway, onto its effects! When Link Summoned I can get rid of one of your cards, destroying it! Say goodbye to the last card you control, Marincess Battle Ocean!" Aqua declared, her monster biting the hologram of the field spell to shreds.

"As if I didn't have few enough cards on my field already..." Miyu murmured. "However, the effect of my Marincess Moray!" She spoke up, lightly surprising Aqua. "I can banish it from my graveyard when exactly one of my cards is destroyed! Then I get to revive a Link 3 or lower Marincess from my graveyard! Come again, Marbled Rock!"

 _Marincess Marbled Rock_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"And then, since Marbled Rock is the only card I control, my Moray's last effect allows me to draw one card for each or Marbled Rock's Link Markers! Draw!" Miyu yelled, her empty hand being replenished.

"Not bad! Now you have a wall to block my attacks with! But it won't be enough! White Fin's additional effect! Once per turn it can pick two out of three effects and use them! I start with the first effect, rearranging the top seven cards of my deck and then drawing a card! Next its third effect! I target Marbled Rock and excavate the top five cards of my deck! Then she loses 300 ATK for every "Marineterror"-Monster that I got! Of course I rearranged my deck so I would get five, so say goodbye to 1500 of your Marbled Rock's ATK!"

 _Marincess Marbled Rock: ATK 2500 → 1000_

"The excavated cards can then be returned to the top of my deck in any order! Now I activate the effect of my Telescopefish! I can excavate cards from my deck equal to its level, which is currently at four, and then I may special summon as many excavated Marineterrors as possible with negated effects! Unfortunately I have limited space, so I will merely summon a Frilled Shark and a Black Swallower!" Aqua went on.

 _Marineterror Black Swallower_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 600/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Marineterror Frilled Shark_

 _Water/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

( 68, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #23 Tower of Hanoi)

"And then appear for a final time and bring her doom, my abysmal sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters!" Aqua shouted, a vastly bigger circuit than any previous manifesting beneath them. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more "Marineterror"-Monsters, including at least one Link 4 or higher! I set Link 4 Great Spermwhale, as well as Telescopefish, Frilled Shark and Black Swallower into the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" The Ignis yelled, the four monsters heading down into the waters. "This is it! An aquatic creatures that rivals even the megalodon in size! An ancient whale with the build of a slender baleen whale, but the teeth of a predator! You know what's coming, don't you Miyu?!" Aqua asked her, turning around on her board to face her opponent whose face started paling. A fountain of water erupting from beneath them announced the presence of Aqua's monster at that.

' _Oh god! Is it seriously...?!'_ Miyu gulped, frightened due to both the summoning conditions of Aqua's monster and due to her own knowledge of marine biology.

" **LINK SHŌKAN! DOMINATE THE SEAS, YOU WHO ECLIPSES ALL MARINE CREATION, FEASTING ON ALL THINGS IN THE OCEANS! THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, THE TERRIFYING AND OMNIVOROUS NIGHTMARE OF ALL WATERS! ARISE, LINK 7! _MARINETERROR DREADFUL BASILO!_** " Aqua shouted, a slender but lengthy metallic whale with terrifyingly sharp teeth displaying its iron scales of the usual colors of Marineterror-Monsters up until now, with the addition of gold to the previous white, light blue, dark blue and black. Its protective layer sparked in the artificial sun that lit the world of LINK VRAINS, water splashing upwards as the monster arose from the depths, even exceeding Beastly Megalo in size.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo_

 _Water/Link 7/ATK 4000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄↖▲↗►↘)

"Link 7...!" Miyu stammered in disbelief.

"That's right! Now onto its effect! When Link Summoned I can choose one Card Type and make all my Marineterrors unaffected against it as long as I control Basilo on my field! Since I know about the deadliness of your traps I will of course shield my monsters against them, you have a Link 3 on your field after all and might have drawn some traps with your Moray which you could possibly use against me from your hand, right? Marine Depthcloak!" The A.I. proclaimed, her monsters being surrounded by a purple, shield-like layer of energy.

"She even thought about that! Just how cunning is this damn A.I.?!" Miyu cursed angrily.

"Very cunning, if I do say so myself! Then I play the continuous spell Marineterror Deep Sea Feast! You will soon realize what its powers are! Anyway, lastly the effect of my Megalo! I draw one card, and if it was a monster of the type you should already be familiar with by now, I can discard it and special summon a "Marineterror" Link Monster with a Link Rating equal or lower than the level of the discarded monster! Let's see, last time I checked my top card was Marineterror Giant Squid of Level 7... oh, look at that, it **is** Giant Squid! Which means it goes to the graveyard and I can summon a Link 7 or lower Marineterror from my graveyard! So I'll revive Great Spermwhale of Link 4!" Aqua announced, the unextinct whale arising in the zone next to its extinct colleague Basilo, though Basilo dwarfed the other whale due to its bigger-than-life-size.

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄►↘)

"And with that the suffering of Miyu Sugisaki shall begin! Battle!" Aqua announced, speeding forward with her D-Board and turning around to face her foe, stretching out her arm towards the woman.

"Great! Looks like this Battle Phase is going to be hella fun – if I can even survive it that is!" Miyu remarked sarcastically.

"First battle! Marineterror Great Spermwhale attacks Marincess Marbled Rock! Ahab's Demise!" The Ignis declared, her whale leaping out of the river on its way to ramming Miyu's female monster. "At this moment Hydro Arrows activates, boosting Spermwhale's ATK by 500 times its Link Rating during battle!" Aqua added, her Link Magic doing its work and pumping energy into her monster.

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale: ATK 3000 → 5000_

"Marbled Rock's effect! I discard a Marincess to negate her destruction and the battle damage! Marincess Barrier!" Miyu yelled in response, discarding a copy of Marincess Clown Fish, her monster summoning a wall of water that blocked the assaulting whale.

 _Marineterror Great Spermwhale: ATK 5000 → 3000_

"I expected that as well! But you will eventual run out of cards, even if all three cards that you previously drew happen to be monsters! Now then, Dreadful Basilo's effect! Once per turn, during the Battle Phase, I can declare a Card Type and a number! I then excavate the top seven cards of my deck! Should there be the exact same number of the Card Type I declared, Basilo gains two additional attacks on monsters during this turn!" Aqua announced.

"But you messed with the order of your deck since the last time you looked into your deck, so you can't know the exact number now! Or are you manipulating luck like Kami or seeing your deck's top cards with a magical eye or something?!" Miyu shot back.

"Hah, funny idea! Unlike Kami and his Hydradrives I neither need control over luck nor any supernatural abilities! I will just make use of another effect of Basilo before I use the former! When I control another Link 4 or higher monster, Basilo allows me insight into the top seven cards of my deck once per turn!" Aqua replied.

"Kuh! So you are rigging the game again, huh?!" Miyu hissed indignantly.

Aqua nodded. "Of course I do! Leaving things to coincidence is irrational and therefore unbecoming of an A.I. after all! Now then, I'm finished looking, so onto the first effect of Basilo! I declare monsters and the number three! And as I declared, there are three monsters among the top seven cards of my deck! Therefore Basilo gains two additional attacks onto monsters! Deep Sea Savagery!" The Ignis shouted, her monster gaining an additional, light blue aura.

"Damn her to hell! Three monsters with one being able to attack thrice are left, but I only have enough monsters in my hand to block two additional attacks!" Miyu whispered with a frown.

"Next battle! Basilo uses one of its two additional attacks! Additionally Hydro Arrows increases its ATK by 500 times its Link Rating! Ruler of Ocean!" Aqua yelled, her monster emitting a stream of water from its blowhole that then formed as a sphere above Miyu and her monster. The sphere split into bullets of water raining down upon Marbled Rock, prompting Miyu to raise her arm in response.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 4000 → 7500_

"Marbled Rock again! I discard Marincess Cuttlefish to negate her destruction and the battle damage! Marincess Barrier!" The brown haired woman retorted, her monster blocking the second attack.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 7500 → 4000_

"You're running out off ammo, Miyu! Third battle! Basilo uses its second additional attack! And much like before, Hydro Arrows will trigger, boosting it by 3500 ATK during battle! Ruler of Ocean!" Aqua went on.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 4000 → 7500_

"Marbled Rock for the third time! I discard Marincess Crowntail from my hand to negate the destruction of Marbled Rock as well as the damage!" Miyu shot back.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 7500 → 4000_

"But now your hand is empty! Which means I am free to beat the hell out of you! Fourth battle! Beastly Megalo attacks Marbled Rock! Unfortunately it is in my Extra Monster Zone and therefore not in a zone my Link Magic points to, but I figure you will like its 3300 ATK just fine anyway! Subsurface Crush!" The Ignis with the human body as her shell declared, her monster leaping at Miyu's monster with its jaws wide open.

"It's over." Aqua smirked.

( 68, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #23 Tower of Hanoi end)

"No, it's not! Crowntail's effect! I banish it from my graveyard in response to your attack!" Miyu yelled back.

"Eh?! I remember that I emptied this card of the majority of its effects when I realized that we would be defeated by Ryoken, just so it would be weaker in my enemy's hands! And that effect was definitely among them!" Aqua said, tilting her head in confusion.

"You're right, you did indeed attempt to make this card unplayable for me! However, Akira was able to restore some parts of that effect at the very least! It doesn't prevent damage I take from battles this turn equal to 1000 for every Link Rating on Marincesses with different names in my graveyard, but only 200 instead! Yet it still got better in one aspect at least as it now doesn't prevent battle damage that exceeds this limit, but instead lowers the damage by that amount, so universally the effect got better, taking aside extreme amounts of damage! In my graveyard rest Link 1 Blue Slug and Puffer Urchin, Link 2 Coral Anemone, Crystal Heart and Stinging Ray, Link 3 Crystal Thorn, and lastly Link 4 Wonder Heart and Banded Krait! This makes for a Link Rating sum of 19 and therefore a damage decrease of 3800 on every battle this turn! Thus my Marbled Rock might be getting destroyed, but I won't suffer any damage from this battle!" Miyu proclaimed, withstanding the assault of the ancient mecha shark without suffering even a scratch.

"Well done, Miyu! But you are still in for a lot of pain! Especially since I now get to raise the levels of all Marineterrors by one, had I any with levels, and draw a card from my deck, namely due to my continuous spell Marineterror Deep Sea Feast which enables this when one of my Marineterrors destroys one of your monsters in battle!" Aqua said in response, drawing her card. A smirk crawled on her face as she looked at it. "Hmm, this card is actually quite handy! Anyway, before I digress I should probably have White Fin attack you directly! I activate the quick-play spell Marineterror Deep Sea Ambush, targeting it! I excavate the top four cards of my deck and grant White Fin 500 ATK until the End Phase for every "Marineterror"-Monster among them! I excavated three, so that's 1500! And in tandem to that Hydro Arrows gives it 500 additional ATK times its Link Rating! Horrific Jaws!" Aqua declared, her monster receiving a double power-up that brought its ATK well past the 5000 ATK mark.

 _Marineterror White Fin: ATK 2600 → 4100 → 5600_

"Crowntail's effect cuts 3800 damage off this instance, so I only take 1800!" Miyu yelled in response.

 **MIYU LP: 6700 → 4900**

 _Marineterror White Fin: ATK 5600 → 4100_

"Last battle! Dreadful Basilo directly attacks you using its normal attack! I activate the quick-play spell Ego Boost, strengthening my attacking monster by 1000 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase! And just as always my Hydro Arrows will offer 500 ATK times its Link Rating, meaning 3500! Ruler of Ocean!" Aqua shouted, her monster unleashing another fountain that created a water sphere, changing into thousands of little water bullets that rained down on Miyu.

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 4000 → 5000 → 8500_

"Once more the damage is reduced due to Crowntail!" Miyu spoke up again as she shielded her face, withstanding the attack just barely due to her effect.

 **MIYU LP: 4900 → 200**

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 8500 → 5000_

"Sigh, that was close! She really almost had me!" Miyu said, taking a heavy breath of relief.

"Looks like it wasn't just enough to finish you off this turn. A pity, but oh well, I guess it will give me a longer-lasting revenge, so that's fine I suppose. I enter my Main Phase 2, causing the effect of Ego Boost to expire!"

 _Marineterror Dreadful Basilo: ATK 5000 → 4000_

"I place three cards face-down! My White Fin loses the ATK gained by Deep Sea Ambush!"

 _Marineterror White Fin: ATK 4100 → 2600_

"Now I hand over to you! Show me the last bit of your pathetic dueling, Miyu! You have no cards in your hand or on your field! In other words, you might as well surrender!" Aqua said.

"Hah, keep dreaming, Aqua! I will fight this duel to the bitter end! And I trust in this deck, even if it previously belonged to someone like you!" Miyu shot back.

"Even if, you will have to work with a single hand card! There is no way you will be able to turn the tides of this duel with only that!"

"Are you sure about that?!" Miyu retorted.

"What?!" Aqua exclaimed in surprise.

"While my Skill may not be a Dual Skill like yours, it does have a second part, though in other form! During the Draw Phase of my next turn after using it, while my hand is empty, I may draw half as many cards as I drew with the previous use of my Skill, rather than conducting my normal draw! I drew six on my last turn, so I will now draw three cards and skip my normal draw for that!" Miyu announced.

"You are always good for a surprise, my dear Miyu! But you will still need the optimal cards to even stand a chance against my formation! And even if you do, I now have a shield against any traps you plan on throwing against me and unlike my last turn I now have monsters with Link 3 through 7 – with a gap at the 6, but nevermind that – rather than monsters with Link 1 through 4! And lastly I have an indestructible Link Spell that boosts the ATK of my monsters during every battle and makes all monsters it points immune to destruction or banishment by monster effects of monsters that do not have a higher Link Rating than them! In other words, your chances at victory are still small to non-existent!" Aqua pointed out.

"Maybe." Miyu responded before she closed her eyes in focus. "But I believe in myself and this deck, so I will not give up just like that! TIDAL DRAW!" She yelled, her hand growing from zero to three as her arm enveloped by water swept though the air.

' _This expression of hers is surely concerning.'_ Aqua thought, observing the girl whose body she had copied. _'Whether it's used by humans or Ignis, the feeling known as determination is surely a factor beyond my range of anticipation.'_ The A.I. deliberated with a slight trace of worry on her face.

Miyu looked onto her drawn cards and smiled. "Maybe I'll be able to do something with this after all! But before I make my decision I better play this! The spell Pot of Avarice! I return five monsters from my graveyard to my deck or Extra Deck and draw two cards afterwards! I return Blue Slug, Coral Anemone, Puffer Urchin and Crystal Thorn to my Extra Deck and one copy of Sea Horse to my deck! Then I draw!" Miyu shouted, inspecting the next two cards that brought up her hand to four. "God bless my luck, I drew into a Sea Horse! Guess I'll normal summon that one right away!" She declared, summoning the girl wearing the light blue and yellow dress that was Marincess Sea Horse.

 _Marincess Sea Horse_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Next up my Cuttlefish! Once per turn I can banish one from my graveyard to add back a Marincess to my hand! I select Angel! And when Angel comes to my hand outside the Draw Phase, I can special summon her as well! Arise!"

 _Marincess Angel_

 _Water/Level 2/ATK 1000/DEF 600/Cyberse/Effect_

"The effect of my Angel! When special summoned, I can add a Marincess to my hand straight from the deck, followed by special summoning a Marincess Aqua Angel Token! I add the third copy of Clown Fish to my hand and special summon my token!"

 _Marincess Aqua Angel Token_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Cyberse/Token_

"Lastly I return a "Marincess" Link Monster to my Extra Deck in order to use my Queen Parrot's effect! She special summons herself from the graveyard by returning Banded Krait to my Extra Deck!"

 _Marincess Queen Parrot_

 _Water/Level 5/ATK 1500/DEF 2000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Applause! You managed to vomit a bunch of monsters onto the board! But you do realize that you won't be able to break my board with this?" Aqua spoke up.

"Wait and see!" Miyu yelled back furiously. "Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one level four or lower "Marincess"-Monster! I set my Sea Horse into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 1, Marincess Blue Slug!"

 _Marincess Blue Slug_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

Aqua narrowed her eyes, looking to one of her face-downs. She briefly shook her head before she resumed to observing her opponent. _'No, not yet! I must wait until the perfect moment has come!'_ She debated with herself.

"Using Blue Slug's effect I return Sea Horse from my graveyard to my hand! Then Sea Horse's effect! I can special summon her to the zone my Blue Slug points to!"

 _Marincess Sea Horse_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 1000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear again, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Water Monsters! I set Blue Slug and Sea Horse into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 2, Marincess Coral Anemone!" Miyu went on, summoning her next monster to the left Extra Monster Zone.

 _Marincess Coral Anemone_

 _Water/Link 2/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▼)

"I think we both still know what she does! I revive Cuttlefish to the zone she points to!" Miyu went on.

 _Marincess Cuttlefish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 1100/Cyberse/Effect_

"I add a "Marincess"-Trap from the deck to my hand when Cuttlefish is special summoned! I choose Marincess Wave!" Miyu declared.

"Hah! As long as I have Basilo, your traps will not even touch my Marineterrors! But I can read your feelings and the fact that you try to hide your true plans behind this trap! Once Coral Anemone is sent to the graveyard, likely by your next Link Summon, you will be able to recycle a "Marincess"-Card from your graveyard! And of course you will pick Bubble Bombardment to finish me off with burn damage as you cannot get past my monsters! So I will stop that scheme of yours before it can even happen! During either player's turn I can return Marineterror Deep Sea Ambush to my deck to add a spell or trap from my deck to the hand, except another Ambush! I pick **Marineterror Rule #3 – Resist Pressure or Get Crushed**! While it won't benefit me right now though, the additional effect of Ambush will! It banishes one of your spells or traps from your graveyard! Say goodbye to Bubble Bombardment!" Aqua countered her move.

"Kuh! So you really realized my distraction!" Miyu cursed.

"Naturally! I am not as shallow and unperceptive as you, my dear Miyu!" Aqua retorted.

Miyu smirked. "But who said that this was the only way to get to my spell?! I just have to take the longer path then!" She responded, startling the Ignis. "Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Coral Anemone and my Aqua Angel Token into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, **Marincess Scorpio Lion**!" Miyu cried out, a female clad in a red and white outfit with especially spiky fin rays attached to it appearing.

 _Marincess Scorpio Lion_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2400/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘)

"Ah, the lionfish, member of the family of Scorpaenidae, commonly known as Scorpionfishes! Are they still a plague in the Caribbean Sea as last time I was in your world?" Aqua addressed her opponent.

Miyu hummed. "Yeah, still the same old invasive species! But that isn't of concern here, especially since this is a monster rather than the animal it is based on! Since Coral Anemone was sent to the graveyard, I add Marincess Seastar from the same place to my hand! Then Scorpio Lion's effect! When she is Link Summoned I get to equip her with up to two Marincesses with different Link Ratings from my graveyard! I choose Marbled Rock and Wonder Heart! And then it's time to show you the power of my new smaller ace! By sending her predecessor Marbled Rock to the graveyard, she inflicts 1000 damage to you! Spiteful Spike!" The female shouted, her monster firing its venomous spikes at the A.I. who shielded her face.

 **AQUA LP: 4550 → 3550**

"Good try, but you'll have to do better!" Aqua spoke up after successfully withstanding the ability of Miyu's monster.

"Oh, I will! Especially since Scorpio Lion now gains the ATK of Marbled Rock until the end of this turn!" Miyu retorted, her monster powering up.

 _Marincess Scorpio Lion: ATK 2400_ → 4900

"That will accomplish nothing! My monsters are strong enough to withstand Scorpio Lion's attack once my Link Magic does its work! And even the only monster that is not linked to it, Beastly Megalo, still has enough ATK to only cause minimal damage!" Aqua told.

"What gave you the idea that I wanted to attack with Scorpio Lion?! No, I merely used her as a stepping stone to inflict some extra damage along the way! I can revive Mandarin since I control two or more Marincesses, summoning her to a zone one of my monsters points to! She will be banished once leaving the field, however!"

 _Marincess Mandarin_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 100/DEF 100/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Scorpio Lion and Mandarin into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 4, Marincess Banded Krait!" Miyu shouted, resummoning her sea snake based monster.

 _Marincess Banded Krait_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 2800/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘▼)

"When Link Summoned she can equip up to three "Marincess" Link Monsters with different Link Ratings to her! I pick Wonder Heart, Scorpio Lion and Coral Anemone! And once per turn, when she is equipped with two or more Water Monsters, she has the ability to add any "Marincess"-Spell or -Trap Card from my deck to my hand!" Miyu smirked. "I will of course use this effect to search another Bubble Bombardment in order to finish you off with its powers!" She stated victoriously.

Aqua grinned back. "Now's the moment I've been waiting for! To your effect that equips your monster with Marincesses, I chain my face-down! It's the trap Marineterror Rule #2 – Where There is Light, There is Death! As you probably know, light and any outstanding features in general are inseparably linked to death in the deep sea! The fish with light organs like the anglerfish attract prey with them! But that light may also attract even bigger predators which then feast on the anglerfish instead! Either way the outstanding factor of light leads to death down there! And that's just what this card is based on! It banishes a card my opponent controls, and then, should it have been an outstanding monster with more ATK than any of my monsters, I also gain 800 LP! I banish Banded Krait with 2800 ATK! Since my White Fin is weaker with 2600 ATK, I now gain 800 LP! Ah, it can be a burden to be so special, right, Krait?" Aqua addressed Miyu's monster as it was devoured by a torrent of water, Aqua's lifepoints receiving a boost simultaneously.

 **AQUA LP: 3550 → 4350**

"Kuh! But that won't stop me! I still have monsters to use!" Miyu shouted. "Though it will be one hell of a close call." She added under a breath. "So appear, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one "Marincess"-Monster! I set my Cuttlefish into the Link Marker! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 1, Marincess Puffer Urchin!"

 _Marincess Puffer Urchin_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"I then special summon Marincess Clown Fish from my hand as I control a Link-Monster on the field!" Miyu went on.

 _Marincess Clown Fish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

"And appear again, my circuit of water and vengeance! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Water Monsters! I set Puffer Urchin, Angel and my Queen Parrot into the Link Markers! Circuit combine! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear, Link 3, Marincess Crystal Thorn!" Miyu cried out as her crystalline monster emerged once more.

 _Marincess Crystal Thorn_

 _Water/Link 3/ATK 2000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘▼)

"That monster again, huh?" Aqua stated with a slight frown on her face.

"Yeah! Now Puffer Urchin summons an Aqua Angel Token since she was sent to the graveyard!" Miyu told.

 _Marincess Aqua Angel Token_

 _Water/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0/Cyberse/Token_

"And finally Clown Fish's effect! By targeting a "Marincess" Link-Monster that I control I can special summon a Marincess from my hand or graveyard with a level that is equal or lower than the targeted monster's Link Rating! I target Crystal Thorn of Link 3, special summoning a second Clown Fish from my graveyard!"

 _Marincess Clown Fish_

 _Water/Level 3/ATK 500/DEF 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

"This effect is a hard once per turn though, so I cannot activate the effect of this second Clown Fish! But I managed to gather the necessary materials, and that's all that counts!" Miyu yelled.

"The necessary materials for what?!" Aqua snapped.

( 69, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #22 The Creator)

" **I'll show you!** " Miyu shot back, Aqua wincing at the intensity of her voice. "Appear, my crystalline circuit of water and vengeance!" The brown-pinkish haired female shouted, emitting a burst of energy that changed into a big circuit made from crystal, hovering above their heads.

"What the hell is that?!" Aqua exclaimed in surprise.

"Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more Water Monsters including Marincess Crystal Thorn! I set my Marincess Aqua Angel Token, my two Clown Fishes and my Link 3 Crystal Thorn into the Link Markers! Circuit Combine!" Miyu shouted, stretching out her arm. She then tilted her head towards the Ignis and locked her gaze with hers. "Aqua! This monster is the proof that I never needed to rely on your monsters only! It may follow the same pattern as Crystal and Wonder Heart, but just as my Crystal Thorn was not created by you, so was this monster! REVEAL YOURSELF, LINK 6, **MARINCESS CROWN THORN**!" The Hydra Squad Member shouted. Her monster was a in light blue color dressed female with a skirt made of crystalline spikes, as well as the same type of spikes, only shorter, on the shoulder plates of her outfit. A dark blue core piece adorned her dress on the section at the middle of her chest and a vivid stream of water seemed to be in constant flow around her. Striking a brief pose, the water from the river beneath them arose to her height and surrounded her as a sphere before she cast all of the water away again, splashing into all directions.

 _Marincess Crown Thorn_

 _Water/Link 6/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖▲↗↘▼)

"Crown Thorn?!" Aqua stammered in disbelief, looking at the monster.

"Crown Thorn!" Miyu responded, nodding in confirmation. "I equip her with the equip spell Megamorph! While I have less LP than you, this doubles her base ATK!"

 _Marincess Crown Thorn: ATK 3000 → 6000_

"I furthermore discard Seastar to boost her ATK by 800!" Miyu went on.

 _Marincess Crown Thorn: ATK 6000 → 6800_

"Battle! With my setup I can now finish you off, Aqua! It might not look like it just now, but you will soon realize that my Marincesses flourish once the battle starts! You're done for, Aqua!" Miyu declared.

"Don't be so cocky, my dear Miyu! While I will believe you that your Crown Thorn might indeed get strong enough to delete my remaining lifepoints through battling Beastly Megalo or possibly through subsequent effect damage as my Marineterrors may be protected against your traps, but cards like Marincess Current that affect me instead still work, I do **not** believe that you will win this duel once I play this!" Aqua screamed back, revealing a face-down that emitted a blinding light.

"What in the world is that card?!" Miyu asked, shielding her eyes.

"Something really special!" Aqua retorted with a smirk before the light grew weaker, revealing the form of the card. "WITNESS THE FIRST OF A NEW GENERATION OF CARDS! **LINK-UP-MAGIC TIDAL FORCE** ACTIVATES!" She shouted.

"LINK-UP-MAGIC?!" Miyu repeated in shock.

"Exactly! Our savior and new master has used the concept you find in the Xyz-Dimension, of cards that summon Xyz-Monsters of a higher Rank known as Rank-Up-Magics! With some changes he turned it into this, a spell that can do the same with Link-Monsters! Its effect! It targets a Water Cyberse Link-Monster I control, sends it to the graveyard and then summons a Water Cyberse Link-Monster of one Link Rating higher from my Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions! I target Marineterror Dreadful Basilo!" Aqua announced, her monster dissolving and turning back into a circuit with all but one arrowhead glowing red.

"A spell that upgrades Link-Monsters?! Impossible!" Miyu screamed in terror.

"With our new power, nothing is impossible! Now then, transform and bring her doom, my abysmal sub-oceanic circuit of unknown waters!" Aqua shouted, the circuit before her reacting to her words, trembling with overflowing power. "Arrowheads confirmed! The material will be my Dreadful Basilo, the catalyst will be Tidal Force! Circuit recombine!" The Ignis yelled, the Link-Up-Magic itself transforming into a bullet of energy that filled the remaining gap in the circuit, now all of its arrows being lit up in red color.

"Oh god! What abomination is she summoning now?!" Miyu murmured in terror.

"This is it! An aquatic creatures that surpasses even the basilosaurus in size! An ancient sea reptile of unequaled proportions, overshadowing any marine reptile apart from itself!"

As Miyu turned her head backwards, she saw a huge bulk approaching underneath the water surface, prompting her to gulp. A splash of water later the being revealed itself, catapulting its enormous body into the sky. "Is that really..?! She began speechlessly.

" _ **LINK-UP CIRCUIT CHANGE! DOMINATE THE SEAS, YOU WHO ECLIPSES ALL MARINE CREATION, FEASTING ON ALL THINGS IN THE OCEANS! THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, THE TERRIFYING AND OMNIVOROUS NIGHTMARE OF ALL WATERS! ARISE, LINK 8!**_ _ **MARINETERROR MAGNIFICENT SHASTA!**_ " Aqua concluded, the metallic bigger-than-life-size version of the greatest sea reptile and ichthyosaur ever in the colors of its predecessor Basilo – white, light blue, dark blue, black and gold – making its appearance. With a length of roughly 40 meters it dwarfed any other monster that was currently around.

 _Marineterror Magnificent Shasta_

 _Water/Link 8/ATK 4000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄↖▲↗►↘▼)

"Shonisaurus sikanniensis, member of the Shastasaur family, greatest marine reptile that ever lived, maximum length around 23 meters, went extinct in the Triassic period..." Miyu murmured like a robot with traces of anxiety in her voice.

"Ah, glad that you know it! I remember that you originally wanted to study and teach marine biology, well, before I kidnapped you and got in closer touch with SOL Technologies as a result, now working for them instead! Even today your knowledge about marine life is still top notch, if your previous statement is any index for that! Must be horrible to have one's childhood dream being crushed by a bunch of unfortunate events!" Aqua remarked deviously. "Oh, before I forget it, my Shasta revives a "Marineterror" Link-Monster when Link Summoned! I special summon Evasive Eel! Oh, and this is treated as a Link Summon!"

 _Marineterror Evasive Eel_

 _Water/Link 1/ATK 1100/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (►)

"CURSE YOU, AQUA! I WILL HAVE MY PAYBACK WITH AN ATTACK ONTO YOUR EEL!" Miyu snapped, infuriated by the A.I.'s taunt.

"Uh-uh, bad Miyu!" Aqua interjected, her right hand raised with its stretched out index finger swinging back in fourth in denial. "During this turn you can and must only attack the monster summoned with Tidal Force, meaning Magnificent Shasta! So go ahead, attack it!" She challenged her.

"Fine! I am confident that I can win the battle either way! Marincess Crown Thorn attacks Marineterror Magnificent Shasta!" Miyu shouted, her monster firing an array of crystalline projectiles at the giant mecha ichthyosaur.

"Hah, as I would even allow such battle to happen! Magnificent Shasta's effect! We excavate the top five cards of our decks! Then the player who excavated less monsters with this effect has their battling monster banished without a proper battle and takes 1000 damage on top of it! And since I previously summoned Evasive Eel from my graveyard and it was treated as a Link Summon, I got to activate Eel's effect, rearranging the top seven cards of my deck! We both have thinned out our decks in terms of monsters, so there is no way you'll surpass my count of monsters now!" Aqua shouted triumphantly.

( 69, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #22 The Creator end)

"Not yet! I won't let this end here! Quick-play spell activate! **Marincess Water Blaster**!" Miyu yelled back, activating one of the two remaining cards in her hand. "It returns up to five Marincesses with different names from my graveyard to the top of my deck in order to boost the ATK of a Marincess I control by 300 for each! I choose Sea Horse, Angel, Clown Fish, Seastar and Queen Parrot! Five monsters make 1500 ATK! But that's not the important thing as you might have already guessed!" Miyu shot back in determination.

 _Marincess Crown Thorn: ATK 6800 → 8300_

"Kuh! Damn you, Miyu! The effect of Magnificent Shasta, Clashing Tides! We excavate the top five cards of our decks!" Aqua retorted, gritting her teeth.

"Bring it! I got five monsters as you already know!" Miyu shouted, showing them to her.

"I got only four...!" Aqua hissed in frustration.

"Then your monster is banished by its own effect now and you take 1000 damage! How ironic, isn't it, Aqua?!" Miyu addressed the Ignis in an intense, gloating voice.

"Not exactly! I might take the 1000 damage, but due to Hydro Arrows my monsters in zones it points to cannot be destroyed or banished by monster effects, except by those with a higher Link Rating than them! Naturally Magnificent Shasta cannot be higher than its own Link Rating as that is a paradox in itself, so it will be protected!" Aqua yelled, the wave that advanced towards her own monster leaving it unscathed, only wounding Aqua.

 **AQUA LP: 4350 → 3350**

"But since your effect failed, the battle resumes! At this moment Crown Thorn's effect! When she herself or one of my monsters she points to battles, all of those monsters have their ATK doubled until the End Phase! Crystalline Tsunami!" Miyu proclaimed, a flood of water enveloping and strengthening her monster.

 _Marincess Crown Thorn: ATK 8300 → 16600_

"Furthermore she lowers the ATK of your monster by 300 for every Link Rating on my "Marincess"-Monsters when she battles one of your monsters, until the end of this turn that is! Since I only control her, your Shasta will lose 1500 ATK!"

 _Marineterror Magnificent Shasta: ATK 4000_ → 2500

"Even with your Hydro Arrows you will not be able to win this battle! In other words, I win!" Miyu declared.

"Over my dead body! I reveal my last face-down, the trap **Marineterror Rule #4 – A Big Mouth Solves All Problems**! I guess the name gives you an impression of how it will help me! I target a "Marineterror" Link-Monster with it and equip it to another! My Beastly Megalo will become Shasta's equip card! Now Shasta gains half of Megalo's ATK while it is equipped with Megalo! Furthermore its Link Rating is increased by Megalo's! That won't give any additional Link Markers, but be helpful in other ways! Lastly I can activate another effect, but before that I should probably tell you that I also triggered Evasive Eel's effect beforehand! Shasta gains 800 ATK by it, cannot be destroyed in battle this turn, and all battle damage I take from this battle is negated! Then the final effect of my trap! I can tribute additional "Marineterror" Link-Monsters with it in order to have Shasta receive 300 ATK times their combined Link Rating as long as it is equipped with Beastly Megalo!" Aqua declared.

"WHAT?!" Miyu screamed in disbelief of the extreme lengths Aqua went just in order to beat her.

"That's right! Megalo has 3300 ATK, so Shasta will receive half of that, 1550! Then there are 800 ATK from Evasive Eel and as I tribute all Link-Monsters I control besides Shasta itself, Link 1 Evasive Eel, Link 3 White Fin and lastly Link 4 Giant Spermwhale, my Shasta will power up by 2400 ATK! And since I tributed at least three monsters with this effect, Shasta's ATK will double until the end of this turn on top of that all!"

 _Marineterror Magnificent Shasta: ATK 2500 → 4050 → 4850 → 7250 → 14500_

"It's almost on par with my Crown Thorn now..." Miyu murmured worriedly. "But while you protected yourself against destruction and damage, my monster is still stronger!" Miyu pointed out.

"Did you already forget?!" Aqua asked, smirking wickedly. "Hydro Arrows' effect activates! Since a Link Monster it points to battles, it receives 500 ATK times its Link Rating! My Magnificent Shasta is normally Link 8, but with my trap I bumped up its Link Rating by that of its equip monster, Link 5 Beastly Megalo! Therefore the boost will skyrocket to an astounding 6500!" Aqua proclaimed victoriously, her spell connecting to her monster as a pillar of water, filling it with aquatic energy.

 _Marineterror Magnificent Shasta: 14500 → 21000_

"TWENTY-ONE THOUSAND ATTACK?!" Miyu screamed in disbelief.

"THAT'S RIGHT! RECEIVE THIS DAMAGE AND LOSE! ANNIHILATE HER AND HER MONSTER, SHASTA! **SOVEREIGN OF OCEAN!** " Aqua screamed back, her monster leaping skywards at the comparably minuscule Marincess Boss Monster, its jaws widen open and ready to devour Crown Thorn.

( 33, min 1:58)

"NOT YET! NOT LIKE THAT! I WILL NOT ALLOW THE SUFFERING OF MY PEOPLE, FAMILY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY MY LITTLE DAUGHTER KUMO GO UNPUNISHED! THE FINAL CARD OF THIS DUEL! FROM MY HAND, THE QUICK-PLAY SPELL **MARINCESS INHERITANCE**!" Miyu yelled, revealing the final card in her hand.

"A QUICK-PLAY SPELL?!" Aqua exclaimed in bewilderment and shock.

"EXACTLY! IT ALLOWS ME TO BANISH ONE MARINCESS FROM MY GRAVEYARD AND THEN HAVE A MARINCESS ON MY FIELD INHERIT HER ABILITIES UNTIL THE END OF THIS TURN! I AM AWARE THAT THIS CARD HAS BROUGHT ITS USERS NOTHING BUT DEFEAT IN THE PAST, BUT TODAY WILL BE THE FIRST TIME WHERE ITS LEADS TO A SPLENDID VICTORY INSTEAD!" Miyu began.

" _Oh, you have no idea how much of bad luck that card is for its user! Just watch Season 2 of Vrains and you'll know what I mean!''_ Zarc remarked, appearing in his spectral form to bear witness to the climax of the duel.

" **THE MONSTER THAT I WILL BANISH IS MARINCESS CRYSTAL HEART!** " Miyu declared, a silhouette of the light blue heart appearing on top of Crown Thorn's chest, the monster gaining an aura akin to that of the banished monster.

"WHAT?! BUT CRYSTAL HEART...!" Aqua began, stammering in disbelief.

"...MAKES THE MONSTER IT BATTLES UNAFFECTED BY CARD EFFECTS EXCEPT ITS OWN AS THE DAMAGE STEP BEGINS?! **YES, IT DOES!** AND SINCE MY CROWN THORN NOW ENTERS THAT STAGE OF THE BATTLE AND ALL OF YOUR EMPOWERING EFFECTS ARE OF A CONTINUOUS NATURE, YOUR SHASTA WILL BE ROBBED OFF ALL ITS ATK BONUSES AND THE PROTECTION OF EEL THAT PROTECTS IT AGAINST BATTLE AND YOU FROM TAKING DAMAGE!" Miyu finished for her, her monster generating a semi-closed dome of water that cut off the connections between Magnificent Shasta and Hydro Arrows, Shasta and Eel's silhouette, as well as those between the ichthyosaur and the lingering effect of the trap that was still present in the form of a transparent image which granted Shasta additional ATK. Stripped of its bonus ATK, the giant creature plummeted back into the water, floating on top of the river surface powerlessly.

 _Marineterror Magnificent Shasta: ATK 14500 → 2500_

"NO WAY! NO WAY! NO WAY! I...I...I...I...I...?!" Aqua babbled, hyperventilating.

" **YES, YOU LOSE! MARINCESS CROWN THORN ATTACKS AND DESTROYS MARINETERROR MAGNIFICENT SHASTA!** _ **THIS IS FOR KILLING MY PARENTS AND THE SUFFERING ME, TAKERU AND KUMO WENT THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOU IGNIS!**_ _ **MARINCESS SOVEREIGNTY CRYSTAL EDGE!**_ " Miyu screamed at the top of her lungs, her monster bringing down a shower of razor sharp crystals like Aqua had never seen before, piercing the metallic sea monster of hers and causing it to explode. The impact of the explosion catapulted Aqua off her D-Board and into the river beneath her, losing the remaining lifepoints she had in the process.

 **AQUA LP: 3350 → 0**

 **MIYU WIN!**

( 33, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #3 Playmaker end)

"YOU'RE DONE FOR, AQUA! TAKE THIS!" Miyu shouted, her eyes glowing light blue as she summoned a pillar of water and brought it down full force, attempting to crush the Ignis in the river below her.

Aqua faced the incoming missile of water with fear in her pink eyes. Her gaze darted left and rightwards, as if she was searching for something. _'Damn, where is it?! This is gonna be a close call...!'_ She thought worriedly. As she looked leftwards again, she noticed an approaching object in the horizon nearing at fast pace. This prompted her to smirk. _'God bless you, Windy! Your present made it here just in time!'_ She concluded in her thoughts.

The wave of water crashed upon the river, creating huge waves into all directions.

"Finally!" Miyu sighed. "Finally that bitch is gone for good!" But as the raging torrents subsided, she noticed the lack of a corpse floating on the water with shock.

"Are you looking for me?" A voice spoke up from above her, prompting Miyu to look up. Her eyes widened as she gazed into the familiar pink eyes of the A.I. that now had copied her body. Still wearing her former clothes, she now also had some kind of suit attached to her back. It was like a pair of giant dark blue metallic wings with rotors in the middle section of each wing respectively. Using it Aqua hovered in the air, even if her D-Board had been destroyed by the previous duel.

"WHAT?! WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT SUIT FROM?!" Miyu addressed her nemesis in surprise.

"Oh, it was a present from Windy to all of us! While he can fly indefinitely without using energy reserves due to his Ignis Powers, the rest of us can only fly at the cost of lots of energy! So he took inspiration from that one movie villain in that flying suit – how was he called again? – and built a few suits for us other Elemental Ignis based on that character as well as his own counterpart's Drone-Monsters! Now then, see you later, Miyu!" Aqua yelled, flying off with her suit.

" **YOU AIN'T GETTING AWAY!** " Miyu bellowed, jumping off her D-Board and boosting herself forward by shooting water backwards from both of her arms, advancing towards the A.I at faster pace than her board was able to.

"Sorry, I don't feel like letting you follow me!" Aqua declined, firing a burst of water on the other female, knocking her away.

" ** _AQUAAAAAAAAAAAA!_** " Miyu let out a protracted scream, being sent back towards the Aquatic Trench.

"Sayonara, my dear Miyu!" Aqua shouted back. Then she empowered her flight in the same manner as Miyu had done before, vanishing into the distance in no time.

" _Wow, these suits are crazy! Looks like the Ignis went full Vulture mode! Dang it Ray, I think you just found yourself some commonly thinking Marvel fans!''_ Zarc joked.

" _Shut up! Instead of making jokes you should rather be concerned about that girl! She is about to slam into that river and die after all!''_ Ray protested as she appeared as well, looking at the female with worry.

" _Ah, no need to worry! She has insane healing powers and is just dropping into water! Also there is another factor you might not have considered yet!''_ Zarc retorted.

" _Another factor? What factor?''_ Ray questioned in lack of understanding. A hand wrapping around the wrist of the flying Marincess Duelist and stopping her fall answered that question for her.

"Geez, looks like the order of things was reversed! I remember how you saved me back when Flame threw me into that volcano! And now I had to save you from dropping into a river! It's funny how history always repeats in some shape or form, isn't it?" A male voice chuckled.

Miyu was pulled upwards until she stood on a D-Board, facing her savior. A smile began occupying her face as she recognized who said person was.

"Oh god, you're fine! I was so worried that Flame might have gotten the better of you!" Miyu exclaimed in relief, hugging the person.

"Losing against Mr. Indomitable Soul Dream?! No chance in hell, Miyu! Anyway, I'm glad you're fine as well! That damn Fire Ignis told me that you were engaged in a duel as well! But as I just saw, you gave Aqua a run for her money!" The male voice chuckled in enthusiasm.

"Thanks! And thank you for saving me as well! I guess that makes us even now, doesn't it?" Miyu retorted.

The man nodded, briefly pushing up his green-framed glasses. "Most certainly it does! Now could you please come here and kiss me, silly? I'd like to express my relief that you are fine!" He said, pulling her closer by the back.

"Sure! You don't have to ask twice, Takeru!" Miyu replied, complying to the white and red haired male's request.

They briefly locked their lips before parting again, Miyu resummoning her D-Board and jumping off her husband's board to mount her own. Takeru meanwhile changed from his normal form to his Vrains Avatar Soulburner.

"I see that your board has taken quite some damage during the duel. We should probably repair it after all of this is over." Takeru aka Soulburner spoke up, looking at his wife's D-Board.

Miyu hummed. "We should definitely. That stupid megalodon of Aqua bit the hinder part of it to shreds after all. Anyway, how was your duel? Taken from your presence here you must have won of course, but I'm interested in the new power of Flame. Did he have a Link Magic as well? Because Aqua over here used something called Hydro Arrows." She asked him.

Takeru slowly nodded. "Yes, he had a few new tricks up his sleeve. First the Link Magic you've mentioned. It was fire themed and perfectly synergized with his Salamangreats. Furthermore he used a new Link-Monster of Link 4, Pyro Phoenix. God, was that one a pain in the ass, especially when reincarnated! Then he even possessed monsters of other summoning methods. If I hadn't upgraded my deck with those methods too, I wouldn't have stood a chance! Luckily I was still in form and had my old ace ready and set, otherwise I couldn't have won the duel! And lastly Flame had stronger Ignis Power and a mechanical suit with which he flew off Vulture style!" The male told.

"So the Ignis now own new Link Magics and even other methods. How concerning..." Miyu whispered with a frown on her face. "Oh, and Aqua also used something called Link-Up-Magic!" She remembered abruptly. "It was a spell that could transform a Link-Monster into another of one Link higher! She told me that their savior and new master whoever that is copied this concept from the Rank-Up-Magics in that Xyz-Dimension!"

"Hmm, that sounds quite concerning indeed..." Takeru deliberated, putting his left hand to his chin.

"Takeru, is this okay?" Miyu suddenly spoke up, startling her husband whose slightly heavy breathing she had not missed. "I know that you are suppressing it. There's no point in hiding it." She softly said.

"I AM NOT SUPPRESSING ANYTHING!" Takeru snapped at once.

"Takeru..." Miyu said worriedly.

" **NO, I AM PERFECTLY FINE! I JUST TRY TO STAY CALM AND IGNORE THE FACT THAT THIS ACCURSED IGNIS TRICKED ME AND THEN PROCEEDED TO KILL BOTH OF MY PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND LASTLY MY BELOVED CHILDHOOD FRIEND! AND YEARS LATER WHEN I FINALLY THINK THAT I CAN MOVE ON MY DAUGHTER GETS KIDNAPPED AND HAS TO SUFFER BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO PROTECT HER AS WELL!** _ **SO NO, I AM NOT UPSET AT ALL!**_ " The white and red haired male bellowed in anger.

Miyu drifted closer to her husband's D-Board and put her arm around him, trying to comfort Takeru. "It's okay darling. Let it all out." She told him with a sad smile, knowing that this catharsis of feelings had to happen now.

" _ **DAMN IT ALL! FLAME, I WILL KILL YOU!**_ " Takeru howled in outrage and grief, throwing his face towards the sky.

"I feel your pain, I have lost my family by the hands of Ignis as well. And the events surrounding Kumo's abduction have hurt me the same way as you. But we must not mourn now! The enemy has revived and is out there to threaten our world! And on the horizon another enemy is already looming in the form of Academia! Perhaps these two forces have even allied with each other! So we must stay strong and push on, for the sake of both our world and families!" Miyu spoke up after a while with the intent to renew their courage and determination.

Takeru, having overcome the past for now due to his wife's pep talk, nodded. "Yeah, you're right! We can think about the past when we've dealt with the problems of the present!" He said. He wanted to continue, but the sound of an approaching object interrupted his train of thought.

"I like your determination! We will definitely need it in the upcoming months!" A voice spoke up from behind them.

"Kengo! You defeated Windy?" Miyu asked, turning around to face the newcomer, a person clad in a mostly black outfit with green, red and dark blue accents. His purple cape and hat fluttered in the wind, his prosthetic right arm made from silver metal having a light green aura, the indicator for Ignis Power, in his case apparently the ability to fly. He reached the couple and turned rightwards, his gray, red and dark blue mask with purple eyes facing them.

"Of course I did! That stinky A.I. is no match for my drones, even with that new Link Magic he made for himself!" The male retorted.

"So he had a Link Magic as well, seems like Aqua wasn't lying for once." Miyu stated in a deliberating tone. "Anyway, I'm glad you're fine! I was worried about you as well after all!" She told.

"Err Miyu, I think your concern is misplaced there. As far as I know the infamous Blood Shepherd can look after himself just fine!" Takeru said sweat dropping.

"Finally one who gets it!" The other male responded, prompting Miyu to pout in indignation. The masked person tapped a button on his artificial arm, starting to change his appearance after that, the Vrains Avatar making room for his real self. The man with the now purple hair pulled down his scarf and goggles after that, shooting the woman a brief but honest smile. "But I am still grateful for your concern, there aren't many people to worry about me nowadays after all." He told.

Soulburner nodded compassionately. "I know. The Wind Ignis took the majority of your family as well, didn't he?"

Kengo nodded. "Yeah, he did. First was my mother. That was before the war even broke out in its entirety, so we thought it was just some accident. My father remarried and had another child. Poor sweat innocent Emma. She didn't have the luxury of growing up with parents as I did however, as Windy took my father and his new wife during the war as well. She was two years old when they were killed back then! TWO YEARS! Have these Ignis any idea of how it's like to grow up without a father and mother?!" He cursed loudly.

"I agree, they can be most cruel, especially in times of war! But luckily she had you at least! You took care of her when she no one else. And for that you have my utmost respect, Kengo Dojun!" Miyu declared wholeheartedly.

"I'd rather have my parents back than your respect, but I appreciate your words nevertheless, after all we were and still are both members of the Hydra Squad, SOL's greatest unit of fighters! Anyway, I guess your duel and that of your husband from the Hanoi went well?" Kengo inquired.

"Yeah, we both won, though it was close. Anyway, do you know anything about the others? I couldn't reach them via the communicator we and the Knights use." Miyu said.

Kengo shook his head. "Sorry, me neither. The Ignis must be jamming some of our lines. But I got a feeling that the others are just fine as well." He told.

"You wouldn't be too wrong with that!" A loud voice interjected from afar.

"Oh my god, is that you, Go? You look amazing – as always!" Takeru said, greeting the newcomer.

"Thanks, Takeru!" The famous charisma duelist retorted, bumping fists with the other male before accompanying the small group on its ride of D-Boards – or just flying in Kengo's case.

"I saw your duel against Yubi on TV! I was admittedly a bit disappointed at first when you left your usual dueling domain in Europe, you're the Dueling Champion there after all and I requested to go there for mine and Miyu's next business trip just so I could hang out with you a bit more. But for that duel it was definitely worth it returning to Den City, especially after the war was announced and we had to go there anyway! You did really well, even if you lost!" He praised the other man.

Go Onizuka smirked. "Thank you! I myself was pretty satisfied with my duel as well, but unfortunately I couldn't win it. I have to admit that your daughter's boyfriend is quite the capable duelist, but then again he is the son of the last war's hero and the son-in-law of my superior!" He then looked at the two people whom he had previously neglected. "And it's also good to see the rest of you again! Looks like the Hydra Squad is coming together again, isn't it?" He addressed Miyu and Kengo.

"It would appear so." Miyu hummed before addressing the buff male herself. "Anyway, how did you fare against Earth? Was he stronger than before?" She asked.

"Most certainly he was! And he had a new personalized Link Magic as well! Also a question, did your A.I.s have such cards as well?" Go inquired.

All of them nodded.

"I see." Go murmured before speaking up again. "Anyway, how about the others? Have you seen Akira and his sister by chance? Or Jin and his brother?" He asked.

Miyu shook her head. "Sorry, but we have neither seen Aoi or Akira somewhere nor Jin and Shoichi. And no trace of Ryoken either." Miyu retorted sadly.

"Hey over there, why are your moping because of us? We're here after all!" A voice addressed them all of a sudden.

"Jin! Shoichi! You're here! Say, how did you fare against Lightning? And was the guy using a new Link Magic by chance?" Miyu asked the two dark haired males approaching her and the rest of her squad on their D-Boards.

"No, he was still using good old Judgement Arrows. But he did duel better than before and had a new circuit summoning chant as well." Jin retorted.

"Oh? And what chant, may I ask?" Kengo said, slightly intrigued.

"Well, more of a small change than a whole new chant to be honest. Apparently that guy who brought him and the other Ignis back gave him the missing pieces he needed that put him on a lower level than the other Elemental Ignis, so he changed the "the circuit that guides the light" to "the circuit that guides perfected light". Looks like his newfound completion made him quite happy." Jin responded.

"Ah, so he still has that "I am not inferior to the other Ignis!"-complex after all! Good to hear that some things never change!" Takeru remarked.

Shoichi chuckled. "My thoughts exactly! That Ignis is still the same as twenty years ago! Anyway, were your Ignis using copies of your bodies aside from the eye color as well? Because Lightning had my little brother's body when he was twenty, sans the dark yellow eyes of his own that is."

Go hummed. "Yeah, for me it was the same. My body, just with blue eyes." He responded.

"As disgusted it makes me to say this, but Windy had a copy of my body as well. And much like with your Ignis his eyes had the red irises of his Ignis form." Kengo spoke up.

"Flame also had a copy of my body, aside from his iris color that was yellow instead of blue." Takeru spoke. He then looked over to his wife. "And I think I saw Aqua also having Miyu's body while retaining her Ignis eye color."

Miyu nodded. "Yeah, she had indeed." She confirmed. "Anyway, let's continue searching for the CEO, Aoi and Ryoken. God knows whom they could be facing at the moment!" She said worriedly.

"Tense error, Miyu-chan! Not "could be facing", but rather "did face"!" A voice addressed her.

Miyu's head shot upwards as she recognized the voice, her facing lighting up. "Oh my god, is that you, Aoi?! Geez, it's so great seeing you again!" The brown-pinkish haired woman addressed the other.

The female with the bob cut smiled, before pointing rightwards to her side. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you should probably greet him as well! Big brother wasn't exactly a little factor when it came to defeating Kami!" Aoi responded.

Miyu's eyes widened in surprise before she blushed, embarrassed about her unfitting behavior. "Oh my god, I'm sorry Mr. Zaizen! I was so distracted by Aoi that I completely overlooked you! I'm sorry for disrespecting you, sir!" She apologized.

Akira Zaizen merely rose his hand to silence her. "No need to be sorry, I know how big of friends the two of you are. And no need to be so formal either, we aren't in any kind of business-related environment after all, so you may drop the titles for now." He then smiled. "Anyway, it's great seeing you and Takeru back in Japan in addition to the others! I heard that your trip to our European Headquarters was quite successful, before I had to call you back due to the war that is!" He said.

Takeru nodded, picking up the conversation for his wife who went off to give her childhood friend a proper greeting. "Indeed it was. But hearing about an interdimensional war and some psychopathic professor being after your daughter usually cuts these kinds of trips short, doesn't it? Now then, may I ask about your duel? Was Kami stronger than during the last war? Did he use a new Link Magic? And finally, did he use the body of someone we know rather well?" He asked.

"Yes, to all three of your questions. His Hydradrive Deck was deadlier than ever before, much to our problems. For Aoi who was thankfully there to assist me it wasn't as bad as for me though." He responded.

"So the infamous Nightmare Rook had problems after all?" Shoichi chuckled, prompting his superior to let out a quiet sigh.

"I think I know just why." Kengo interjected. "Your deck which you started using during the war in exchange for the Tindangle Deck of your father may possess great flexibility due to its various attributes and not deniable power due to its unrivaled Extra Linking potential, but the former of those two strengths also becomes a huge weakness against the attribute playstyle of Kami's Hydradrives, doesn't it?" The purple haired man asked.

Akira nodded. "Exactly. It's hard to build a board whilst knowing that with each monster I summon Kami gets more options for his smaller Hydradrives to attack me directly. And my Extra Link may very well give him a shortcut if one arrow just so happens to point to his Main Monster Zone, since he can straight up summon a Link 1 and play his Link Magic. Oh, and regarding that point, he did have a new one! It wasn't just a Link Magic, but a Domination Link Magic though!" Akira told.

"Domination Link Magic?" Miyu asked, having finished her hug- and greeting session with Aoi in the meantime.

"Apparently all Link Magics share the effect of allowing only one of them to be on the field at the time. The Domination Link Magic lifts this limit off the user and allows them to play multiple Link Magics. On top of that it has not three, but five arrows, two of them pointing to the sides. When activated it allows to play Link Magics from the hand or deck to those linked zones in the Spell & Trap Zone, which Kami utilized against us." Aoi explained. Her eyes narrowed in concern after that. "And about your last question, Takeru, he did have a new body. Mainly the one of my husband, in addition to Kami's brownish eyes that is." She said.

"So my guess was right, Ryoken was the person Kami had the most interaction with after all." Jin spoke up. "I remember that he was both defeated by Ryoken and aided Ai in killing Dr. Kogami during the war, so it makes sense that he chose him."

"Anyway, what about Ryoken? Does anyone of you have an idea where he is?" Go addressed Akira and his sister.

Aoi shook her head. "No, we don't. I was with him as we were dragged into the VRAINS, but I have no idea about his current whereabouts." She told in a sad voice.

"I see. What of the children then? You know, your daughters, your niece and so on? And what about the main Knights of Hanoi like Spectre?" Go went on inquiring.

"Akemi, Aligheria, both Juniors and the Great Knights of Hanoi are currently engaged in a duel against some black haired individual called Ajax. He said that he was behind this whole event alongside the A.I.s. He also said that he was from Academia." Akira responded.

"Kuh! So I was right, these Ignis are indeed allied with Academia!" Miyu hissed.

"But that makes it only better!" Takeru shouted, punching his right fist into his left palm, grinning in anticipation. As the others shot him a questioning look, he continued. "Isn't it obvious? If both of them are on the same side, we merely have to kill one bird with a stone, not two! If we defeat Academia, we will automatically also defeat the Ignis as they will probably come to help them once we attack their base in the Fusion-Dimension! Or in the best case scenario even long before that!" He explained, the others widening their eyes in realization.

"You're right, darling! If we just have to fight one war instead of two, we will have a much easier time keeping track of our enemy!" Miyu chimed in.

"That makes sense. Good point, Takeru." Akira said. "Anyway, I guess with Ryoken being nowhere to be found, I better contact my wife now." He said, activating his communicator. "Hayami, can you hear me?" He asked.

"Loud and clear!" The woman retorted from the device.

"Good! It looks like you need to play the coordinator from the outside again, will you do that for me?" Akira addressed her.

"Of course I will! Now tell me, what do you want me to do?" She yelled back in nearly the same loyalty that she had back on their first day when she was nothing but his subordinate.

"Please find Ryoken! As the great hero of the last war he surely will be a target of our enemy, so we have to track him as soon as possible!" He requested.

The woman sitting in the male's office at the top of the massively expanded SOL Technologies building in Den City nodded. "Right away!" She responded, starting to type on the computer in front of her. Running a scan across LINK VRAINS she soon localized the person she was tasked to find. "There he is! Go around three miles to the north, then take a turn to the left and you should meet him if he keeps up his current course of movement!" Hayami retorted.

"Well done!" Akira praised his wife. "Stay alert in case anything concerning happens to LINK VRAINS! And prepare countermeasures should this event expand into the real world!" He instructed her.

"Understood! Good luck in there!" She responded.

"Good luck out there as well!" Akira told before cutting the connection. "Now then, let's go and find Ryoken!" He addressed his group.

-"UH!"- The seven others retorted before they sped off together, using D-Boards and Ignis Power alike.

* * *

 _With Ryoken..._

"Strange, why have I been summoned here?" The white and blue haired male wondered, hovering through the sky with his Ignis Power. As he had taken a portion of each Ignis for himself he owned all of their powers, including Lightning's light speed, Windy's ability to fly and control Data Storms, Aqua's ability to detect lies, heal and create water, and many more. As he looked leftwards, he noticed that something was off with the horizon in that direction. "Eh? What's wrong with the sky there? The clouds are so thick and black over there." Ryoken murmured. His eyes widened as he saw an approaching object nearing at enormous speed. "Oh shit!" He managed to say before the object managed to bridge the mile-wide distance between its prior position and Ryoken's location in just the blink of an eye.

( 70, Devil God Family – Nanatsu no Taizai OST)

"Ouch, that must have hurt! Especially with the ring on my finger! I hope you're still doing fine over there!" The voice of the person that had just punched Ryoken in the face whilst flying by spoke up with faked concern.

Ryoken, after rubbing his hurt face for a while, turned around and looked up, seeing a male in a black outfit with shoulder plates and greaves hovering above him. He had purple lines across the clothing on his torso as well as sharp, more elongated lozenge-shaped spikes pointing upwards around the back of his head, wearing it like a collar. There was a total of seven spikes, and each had a colorful gem in its middle. From the outermost to the innermost spike on the left side there were gems of the color orange, green and blue, on the opposing side it were red, yellow and white. The spike in the middle of the metallic black color was purple and slightly bigger than the others. The man's hair was dark blue spiking outward in the back and containing light blue bangs with pink accents. With dark green eyes the figure stared down Ryoken, spurting a grin on his face.

"What the...? Who the hell are you?!" Ryoken addressed the man, indignant about the fact that said person had just punched him for absolutely no reason. A second later he realized that the man was flying without any form of D-Board or flying suit, prompting Ryoken to widen his eyes.

"Oh, I guess you didn't recognize me! Unlike the others I didn't get a body you're familiar with after all, but instead that of this guy, whoever that is! But let me give you a little song, then you ought to know who I am!" The man retorted, his eyes turning into a dark yellow color before he began to sing.

"Ai believe Ai can fly!  
Ai believe Ai can touch the sky!  
Ai think about killing you every night and day!  
Tear out your arms and then throw them away!  
Ai believe Ai can soar!  
Ai see me punching you from the top of a skyscraper into its lowest floor!  
Ai believe Ai can fly!  
Ai believe Ai can fly!  
Ai believe Ai can fly!"

Ryoken frowned. "You are as bad of a singer as always! Missed every single tone, the meter of your lyrics is terrible and you have way too many syllables in the fourth last verse! Akira would tear out his hair if he heard something as terrible as that instead of those operas he loves to attend all the time!" He said.

"No! You're just a bad critic, my singing is on point! I'm a musical prodigy!" The other man shouted back in indignation, putting his hands onto his sides.

"Dream on, Dark Ignis! Anyway, how come you are alive?! I remember I killed you and the rest during the war! And how can you fly without consuming energy?! I remember that this wasn't part of your Ignis Powers!" Ryoken addressed the A.I. within the human body.

"Oh, we had some really nice guy who revived and granted new power to us! In my case it was some especially great one though! Now then, how about you? Had a nice twenty years so far? I heard you had three gorgeous kids and married that cutie! Would be a damn shame if someone came around and accidentally killed one of them!" Ai chuckled.

"DON'T YOU DARE HURTING EVEN ONE OF THEM!" Ryoken shouted, his face twisting in anger.

"Ahaha, don't worry, I won't!" The Ignis within his new body giggled. "I will wait until I have defeated you before I turn my attention to them! But anyway, aren't you happy to see me? Me, the most adorable and cool Ignis of them all?" Ai addressed the white haired male.

"I couldn't be more disgusted!" Ryoken said, grinding his teeth. "You killed my father!" He hissed.

"But I remember that when I tried to abduct your current wife so we could pressure you with her as our hostage, you defeated me and took the last insecurities about her feelings towards you out of Aoi-chan's heart with it, ending up in her confession! So you should thank me for getting you laid, right?" Ai chuckled, raising his finger in a reminding manner.

"Shut up, Ignis!" A pissed Ryoken yelled back, now also reminded that the A.I. had tried to take away the woman he loved. "I will exterminate you, just like all those years back then! And your fellow A.I. colleagues are in order for their destruction just after you, Dark Ignis!"

(min 2:05)

"Exterminate? Us? Then come here and try it!" Ai challenged the male while he stretched out his right arm, angling the fingers of his upside-down hand towards his palm in a clenching motion twice.

"I will! Prepare yourself, Ignis, this is your end!" Ryoken screamed loudly, his eyes flaring up in a multitude of colors. Simultaneously he pulled out and activated a red Kryo-Blade with a white handle, preparing himself.

' _The Ignis Power! All seven of them combined!'_ Ai thought, recognizing the shine in his adversary's eyes. A brief smirk crawled on his face. _'But that alone will do nothing against the new me!'_

"THIS IS THE END, IGNIS! ELEMENTAL SLASH!" Ryoken yelled, his body, enveloped by all elements the seven Ignis embodied, dashing towards Ai at light speed, slashing through the air with his red blade in an arc. Coming to a halt a few meters behind the Ignis, he smirked. "And just like that he is gone again." He remarked.

"You really think so? Sorry to disappoint you, but there won't be a delayed being sliced in half for me!" Ai stated, facing the other male with a grin, spreading his arms to show that he was uninjured.

"What?! But how?! My strike was perfectly aimed, it should have hit and bisected you!" Ryoken screamed in disbelief.

"Anulus Mortiferus Quintus." Ai retorted.

"What?!" Ryoken asked in confusion.

"Anulus Mortiferus Quintus." Ai repeated, raising the right hand of his human form.

As Ryoken looked closer, he noticed a gray ring with a brown gem on the middle finger of said hand. "A ring?" He questioned, still confused.

The Ignis hummed. "Exactly. It was the one I punched you with when I arrived here. It belongs to a series of powerful rings, each stronger than the previous one. This one in particular is named Laceratio, the Anulus Mortiferus Quintus. Or to translate that as your friend Vyra who can speak Latin as far as I know being a doctor and all isn't here, Fifth Necrotic Ring: Laceration. This one is but a duplicate as all real Necrotic Rings are all worn by our savior, but its power is still respectable, especially since it is far from being the worst ring! Truthful to its name it can tear anything apart, even the space and time continuum! So as your attack was on the way, I tore a rift into space in the very nanosecond your hit was about to connect, vanishing into it and therefore dodging your attack! And once you were through me, I simply reappeared into this realm!" Ai explained proudly, showcasing the ring by holding it out into Ryoken's direction.

"WHAT?! IT CAN TEAR A RIFT INTO SPACE AND TIME?! IMPOSSIBLE!" Ryoken shouted in disbelief.

"Oh no, it isn't! This ring really is that powerful, and by the way, it isn't the only supernatural power existing in this world! Our savior, he whom I have sworn my allegiance to, has almost limitless power! He is known as the Death Dragon, an infamous dragon killer who has slain so many dragons that he became able to transform into one himself! Much like me he once died by the hand of his archenemy, but he was reborn and swore vengeance against his killer, a being he calls the Destiny Dragon! So after he resurrected me and the other Elemental Ignis using the power of one of his rings, I swore my eternal loyalty to him! He gave us the opportunity of a new life and revenge against you and your kind, so we took it! And using this ring and my new powers I will carry out that revenge and then rebuild our glorious and beautiful Cyberse World once more! And then, once we have defeated you, we will finally be able to live in peace without fear of being attacked out of the blue again, like I always wanted!" The Ignis declared.

"That again! I already told you that we didn't attack you first! The sole aggressor were you and your kind, Ignis!" Ryoken shot back.

"Silence! You keep lying and lying, just as always! But that will end soon! I will grant you the opportunity to duel me! You should thank me for that, as you are currently at my mercy entirely! One thought of mine and the force of this ring will slice your body in half!" Ai said.

"Don't underestimate me! I am sure that I can resist whatever you plan on throwing at me with my own powers I acquired from you and your friends!" The Kogami shot back.

Ai slowly shook his head. "No, you won't. Be it god or demon, nothing can resist the power of a Necrotic Decree." He took a breath after that. "Anyway, how about the duel now?" He inquired.

"Fine! I will gladly defeat and exterminate you again, Dark Ignis! Now then, what are the rules?!" Ryoken inquired, his voice growing in volume.

"The rules you say? Well, they will be the following! We will carry out a Speed Duel in a more modern form! Your friends and family have experienced a similar kind of duel just now as well by the way!" Ai told.

"What?! Aoi and the others have been dueling just now?!" Ryoken exclaimed in shock.

Ai nodded with a smirk. "Yeah, they have! But luckily for you they prevailed against my fellow Ignis! However, that shall not happen to you! Now then, the rules! It will be a Speed Duel Neo, one that has both the zone number of a Master Duel, the starting hand of a Speed Duel, as well as the Main Phase 2 of a normal duel! Skills are allowed as it is still a Speed Duel! We furthermore play with the Extra Rule: Great Clash which bumps up our lifepoints to 8000! Lastly we will use the Extra Rule: Master Rule 4 which gets rid of the summoning order, allows placing Link Monsters into either Extra Monster Zone and forces the players to summon all monsters that originate from the Extra Deck to Extra Monster Zones or zones that are unlocked by Link Monsters!" The Ignis said.

"All monster that originate from the Extra Deck? You know about the other dimensions?" Ryoken asked calmly, though with a frown on his face.

Ai grinned. "Exactly! Our savior gave us a rather good overview about the universe as a whole! Now then, are you ready?" He inquired.

"As ready as I was twenty years ago! Prepare for your annihilation, Ignis!" Ryoken shouted in response.

"What a dream of yours, us being annihilated again! If anything, you will die today! I hope you have already prepared a coffin and said goodbye to your family! It's gonna hurt Aoi-chan even more if you died on her without a proper farewell!" The A.I. laughed.

"You talk too much, Ignis! I remember that you fled with your tail between your legs like a coward the last time I defeated you in a 1 on 1 duel!" Ryoken snapped back.

"I wasn't afraid back then! I merely showed you my secret technique of running away!" Ai retorted indignantly.

"Anyway, let's stop with the nonsense and get on with the duel!" Ryoken announced. "Now then, let's...!" He began with a loud shout.

-" **SPEED DUEL NEO!** "- Both of them yelled in unison.

( 70, Devil God Family – Nanatsu no Taizai OST end)

* * *

 **RYOKEN VS. AI**

 **RYOKEN: 8000**

 **AI: 8000**

"Very well, let's begin! I will go first!" Ai declared. "First I will..." He started before his copied human ears perked up, noticing swishing sound rapidly becoming louder. "Oh my, look at who's here!" The Ignis exclaimed.

Ryoken spun around, facing a variety of persons behind him. "Everyone, you're here! I'm glad that none of you seems to be injured!" He spoke to them.

"Well, I am too. And especially I'm glad that nothing happened to you!" Aoi retorted with a smile. A moment later her gaze shifted onto the person next to Ryoken. "Wait, who is this guy?" She wondered, pointing at the male she had never seen before.

"Oh, it's you, Aoi-chan!" The blue and pink haired male who was the Dark Ignis in disguise told, shooting her a grin. "Then let me give you a hint as well!" He said, resting both of his arms on his sides and beginning to twitter a brief singsong.

"Who's the best A.I. in the world? Ai am! Ai am!" He sung, his tone displaying a good portion of prideful overconfidence.

The brown haired woman furrowed her eyebrows. "So it's you, Dark Ignis..." She uttered with a frown on her face.

"The one and only!" Ai retorted before spreading his arms. "Now then, if you and the others are here, it's time to assemble my own squad! Come forth, warriors of the Cyberse World!" He proclaimed, six silhouettes appearing behind the Dark Ignis in a flash.

"So they're really all alive again, huh?" Ryoken mused, facing Ai and the six Ignis that had aligned behind him.

"FLAME!" A voice cried out all of a sudden, both the Ignis and the humans turning around to the speaker who was none less than Takeru in his Vrains Avatar form himself. "You will pay for what you did to my family and friends, I swear it!" Soulburner yelled passionately.

"Eager, aren't we?" Ai chuckled. He then furrowed his eyebrows. "But I do not remember when I granted you the right to speak!" He exclaimed, raising his right hand, the ring on his middle finger briefly blinking in brown color.

Before anyone could wonder about it their thoughts were cut short by a howl of agonizing pain. Looking at Takeru they saw him pressing his hand onto his left side, a vivid stream of blood pouring from it, the male holding back the pain with gritted teeth.

"TAKERU!" Miyu screamed in horror, appearing by his side in a flash. She hopped onto his D-Board and took a look at the wound. "It's deep. And obviously incredibly painful." She analyzed the situation before her eyes briefly flashed with light blue color, summoning water that enveloped the flesh wound, starting to heal it. She then turned around towards the A.I. with rage in her eyes. "YOU! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" She addressed Ai, fuming with anger.

"YEAH! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY FATHER?!" Another female looking like a younger version of the previous repeated as she and a group of other people arrived at the scenery.

"I believe I can answer that!" The black haired male against whom Miyu Jr. and company had engaged in a duel spoke up.

Ryoken looked over to the male who seemed to be currently engaged in a duel against the respectable number of eight opponents – The four Great Knights of Hanoi, Spectre, Faust, Vyra and Dr. Genome, as well as his own daughters Akemi and Aoi Jr., Takeru's daughter Miyu Jr. and lastly his niece Aligheria Zaizen.

"And who are you, may I ask?" He addressed the man.

The black haired individual with the thin mustache and chin beard faced him with his red eyes that had a long scar running over the right half of his face that went over his right eye before bowing briefly. "My kindest apologies, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Ajax Thanatos, Vastator Quintus and member of the Clades Duodecimae! Pleased to make your acquaintance!" He said.

"You're bearing a Latin title? Fifth Destroyer, member of the Twelve Calamities?" Vyra asked in surprise.

"Ah, you know the language? That's so nice, you hardly see anyone educated enough to understand it these days! I welcome your knowledge, Dr. Kyoko Taki!" The man in the purple suit also wearing a black dress shirt and red tie, as well a black pants, stated. Whilst gliding on a pitch-black D-Board he snapped his right fingers, a bottle appearing out of thin air which he caught. He opened it by the cork and summoned a wine glass, pouring the red liquid resting within the bottle into it, taking a long sip from it afterwards.

"Anyway, what is that Clades Duodecimae, might I ask?" Ryoken spoke up, now intrigued.

Ajax finished taking a swig from his wine glass, facing the other male anew. "Well, you could say that our organization holds the strongest individuals among all of the dimensions. Your friend Ai over there is part of it for instance, and through him all other Ignis, although they own no rank among us." He explained.

Ryoken mused for a while, looking at Ai and Ajax alternately. After a while the meaning of the words fully sank in as he put one and one together. "Wait, your appearance! Those gems on the seven spikes you wear as a collar! You're the only Ignis wearing such a ring! Ai, are you...?!" He began in disbelief.

"Exactly!" Lightning responded in Ai's stead, keeping up his usual mannerism, but shooting a vicious grin.

"He no longer is just one of many!" Earth chimed in.

"I might have Indomitable Soul Dream in my name, but he might have even greater power in it than that!" Flame added, reminding everyone about the Kanji thing with his name.

"Before you stands a new Ai! One who had traded a good portion of his silli- and laziness for responsibility and seriousness!" Aqua spoke up.

"Hell, even I take that guy seriously now, and that means a lot considering how stupid he used to be!" Windy conceded.

"The order of things was reversed! Previously I led, now it's onto him! He had by far the greatest potential to evolve from all of us, so our savior chose him!" The white Divine Ignis Kami told.

-"No way! Is he really...?!"- The inhabitants of the Link-Dimension whispered in shocked unison.

-"Behold the apex of Cyberse! Our new leader, the Ignis of Perfection, Ai! Glory on Cyberse!"- The six Ignis yelled together.

"Glory on Cyberse!" Ai shouted, spreading his arms and revealing a septet of symbols on his chest, one red, one green, one brown, one yellow, one blue, one white and lastly one black, the latter dwarfing the six others in size. Simultaneously the gems on his collarspikes shone as well.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE THE NEW LEADER OF CYBERSE?!" Akira shouted in disbelief, the others looking equally shocked that such a careless A.I. had taken over the seat of ruler among the ranks of them.

"That's right! I am the Dark Ignis of Perfection, rebuilder of Cyberse and soon also destroyer of your world! I AM EXSTINCTOR PRIMUS (Lat.: First Extinguisher), AI!" He declared loudly, throwing a punch with his right arm and remaining in that pose.

"So you are also part of that guy's organization?! And how the hell did you wound Takeru like that?!" Miyu addressed him loudly.

Ai chuckled, crossing his arms behind his back. "Firstly, yes, I am! More precisely the highest ranked Extinguisher, the six lower ranked among the Clades Duodecimae! My friend Ajax over there is the contact man to our savior who leads the group while also being the Quintus Vastator, the fifth among the Destroyers, the six higher ranked members of the Clades! About your second question, I cut Takeru with this!" He shouted, raising his right arm and displaying the ring on it.

"A ring?" Aoi spoke up in confusion.

"Exactly, Aoi-chan! It's called Laceratio, the fifth Necrotic Ring of Laceration! I already explained its origins and powers to your husband, but since now all of you are here I might as well repeat! Lightning, since you're a pretty big fan of our savior due to his revival power he cast on us, his fixing touches on your coding and the fact that you share his love for Latin, how about letting you explain?" He addressed the yellow Ignis within the copied body of Jin.

"Sure." Lightning retorted in his collected mannerism before addressing his foes who inhabited the Link-Dimension. "Well, you should know that our savior who bears the title of Dux Summus (Lat.: Supreme Leader) within our organization wields a multitude of special rings. Those are known as the Necrotic Rings, with each possessing certain powers that surpass most others in force. Anyone who holds a rank among the Clades like Ai receives a duplicate of a ring which is less powerful than the original of course, but still plenty of strong." The Light Ignis narrated.

"And Ai has the brown-gemmed one that has to be worn on the right middle finger, Laceratio, a ring that allows its bearer to cut everything at will, even space and time itself!" Windy finished in a jeering voice.

"What?! Cutting everything, even space and time?! You must be lying!" Kengo yelled in disbelief.

"Oh no, I am not! You just saw it on your friend, didn't you?!" Windy shot back, pointing at Takeru who had still not fully healed from the gash on his side despite the healing powers Miyu had inherited from Aqua working at full capacity. Windy's grin grew wider. "Anyway, I have totally missed out on doing a proper greeting during our previous duel! So hey, how are you, Kengo?" He addressed the male in a mocking voice.

"I'm fine, except that you and your friends are back!" Kengo retorted in anger.

"I figure!" Windy told, shooting a smirk. "I mean, you didn't exactly have an easy time with me twenty years ago, did you? First I took your mom, then I took your arm!" He exclaimed jeeringly, pointing at the metallic limb attached to Kengo's right shoulder. He then clutched his head in realization. "Oh my, was that a rhyme just now? Geez, I am so talented, even when I'm not trying to be! Hehehehehe!" He cackled, clutching the side of his head.

"Cut out the nonsense, Wind Ignis!" Ryoken chimed in before looking at Ai. "Anyway, what of our duel now?" He asked Ai.

Ai snapped his fingers, remembering the task at hand. "Oh yes, thank you for the reminder! We can continue right away!" He announced.

"Not yet! If you are already dueling Ryoken, you will also have to duel me!" A finally healed back to normal Takeru exclaimed, reading his duel disk.

"I will help as well!" Aoi spoke up, doing the same.

"Right! Let's assist Ryoken!" Miyu continued.

-"And we're in as well!"- The whole rest of them declared in unison.

Ai chuckled. "No, you don't! You will observe and keep this as a fair and square 1 versus 1 fight!" He proclaimed.

Akira scoffed. "And why should we do that?" He addressed the Ignis.

Ai smirked, a shadow obscuring the upper half of his face and the green eyes of his human shell. "Well, if anyone of you intrudes, I will use the power of my ring and bisect everybody in LINK VRAINS! As you know our program turns a death in the virtual reality into a real death! You may survive it with your higher resistance, but none of the normal people here in this network will! So if you do not intend to have your company stand in for thousands of dead people, I'd suggest you and the others stay out of this!" The Dark Ignis told icily, prompting Akira and the rest to grit their teeth.

"Fine! Then kick his ass on your own! You can do it, Ryoken!" Aoi yelled.

"You must win this duel for the sake of our people within and without the VRAINS!" Her brother told.

"Beat the crap out of that A.I.!" Takeru chimed in.

"For our families!" Miyu shouted.

"And for our people!" Go added.

"Exterminate the filthy Ignis!" Kengo screamed with newfound hatred on the A.I. race.

"Don't let Dr. Kogami's sacrifice be for naught, Ryoken-sama!" Vyra yelled, putting her own duel against Ajax to rest for now in order to observe her leader's duel.

"Agreed! Kiyoshi's will must be fulfilled! Kill the Ignis!" Faust chimed in.

"You got this, Ryoken-sama! That Ignis doesn't even have genes after all, especially not those of an elite duelist like you!" Dr. Genome said.

"Ryoken-sama will win! He is infallible!" Spectre shouted, clearly having a bit too much trust in his superior.

"Go, dad! I know you can do it!" The younger Aoi with the blue ribbons in her hair cheered.

"You have beaten him repeatedly already, it's just another tick in the list for you!" His elder daughter Akemi stated.

"For once I have to agree with my mom, beat that Ignis for all he and his kinsmen have done to us! Avenge my sister Kumo and kill that guy!" Miyu Jr. snapped in outrage, being even more emotional than her mother.

"Save our world and annihilate Cyberse, Uncle Ryoken!" Aligheria Zaizen finished.

"Wow, quite the fanbase you have there! But I also have support in my back!" Ai proclaimed, gesturing to the Ignis behind him.

"Most certainly you have! Now go and avenge the eradication of the Cyberse World!" Flame spoke up.

"And the intolerable assault on our world that started the last war!" Earth added.

"Previously I only saw you as a lazy good for nothing kind of person, but now I think differently! I believe that you can save our race and lead it to salvation at last! Go, Ai!" Aqua declared faithfully, resting a hand on her chest.

"Make short work of that stinky human!" Windy hissed.

"Destroy him! Leave not even a grain of dust behind!" Lightning shouted, even him now slightly worked up.

"This is the moment! Today our race will triumph at last! All that is left is for you to start the countdown to their demise!" Kami concluded.

"I will look forward to observing this outrageously decisive duel!" Ajax announced, taking another sip of his wine glass, emptying and subsequently refilling it, beginning the next round.

"Alright! With your wishes and hopes on me I cannot lose this duel!" Ai shouted, the dark aura around his body which he had copied from someone growing in intensity. "Then let's do this! I will finish this with one strike of my monster during the very first turn! Prepare yourself for ainihilation, Kogami! It's my turn!" Ai proclaimed.

"With one strike during the very first turn? Dream on, that will never happen! And spare me with your silly wordplays!" Ryoken retorted, summoning his D-Board and boarding it so he could focus on the duel rather than flying. Meanwhile Ai preferred simply moving through the air using Windy's power that was now part of his own alongside the other Ignis Powers.

"Oh, you really think so? Then let me prove you wrong and start the beginning of your end! For my first move I will normal summon **Darknet – Bugup Hacker**!" Ai declared, summoning a purple haired female monster clad in a black and dark purplish outfit with little but existing white trim.

 _Darknet – Bugup Hacker_

 _Dark/ Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Darknet? A new deck?" Ryoken spoke.

Ai nodded using his human shell. "Yeah, it is! I had to find a substitute for my old after all since you gave all my Talkers to your oldest daughter, but also wanted something new so I could crush you at last! As you might have already realized, these monsters are based on my previous Backup series and evolved forms of them! Their strategy greatly differs though, but you will see that soon enough! I use a classic, the spell Pot of Greed, drawing two cards! And then I activate the effect of Bugup Hacker! I reveal any number of Cyberse Monsters in my hand until the end of this turn, then I draw that number of cards from my deck minus one! I reveal **Darknet – Bugup Secretary** , **Darknet – Bugup Operator** and lastly **Darknet – Bugup Virus** in order to draw two cards from my deck!" Ai shouted, bringing his hand to six.

"Secretary and Operator? Looks like he was really saying the truth." Akemi remarked.

"Followed up by this! Using her own effect I summon **Darknet – Bugup Trojan** to your side of the field!" Ai declared as another female of similar appearance arose on Ryoken's field.

 _Darknet – Bugup Trojan_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Why would you give me a monster?" Ryoken questioned.

"Oh, because it gives you the disadvantage of taking doubled battle damage and draws me one card for every revealed card in my hand! Meaning three!" The Dark Ignis went on, his hand falling to five to then grow to eight just right after that.

"This level of card advantage is insane! He gained so many cards just off a few effects!" Aoi Jr. exclaimed, worried about her father.

"Oh, that is just the tip of the iceberg, little Aoi-chan! Anyway I then call Bugup Secretary as I already control a Cyberse Monster!" Ai went on, another purple haired female with a futuristic black eye visor that covered most of her upper head appearing, this one carrying around the tablet of its origin monster, but one with a dark display rather than a bluish transparent one.

 _Darknet – Bugup Secretary_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Next up the effect of Bugup Virus! When I have cards in my hand that are revealed I can stop revealing them and special summon Virus from my hand! I now stop to reveal Bugup Operator and special summon Bugup Virus!" He told as the next purple haired female clad in a mostly black and purple outfit with slight hints of white appeared, also having a black eye visor. As she was summoned Ryoken noticed a red text saying "Exterminate!" briefly flashing to life on the visor, prompting him to assume that this was a characteristic shared by the Darknets which he had previous overlooked.

 _Darknet – Bugup Virus_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"When she is summoned that way I may add a "Darknet"-Monster from my deck to the hand, in this case **Darknet – Bugup Rebooter**! I go on with the secondary effect of Bugup Secretary! Once per turn I can reveal a Cyberse in my hand until the end of this turn in order to add a differently named Cyberse from the deck to my hand! I reveal Operator once more, adding **Darknet – Bugup Netsplit** to my hand! And then...!" He began, stretching out the hand of his human shell and emitting a burst of energy that transformed into a black circuit.

"His Link Summon...!" Ryoken muttered, observing the Ignis with a frown.

"It has appeared, our circuit of vengeful data!" Ai said theatrically, spreading his arms and looking upwards to the black structure hovering above them. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one Level 3 Cyberse Monster! I set Darknet – Bugup Virus into the Link Marker! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse!" He shouted, his black circuit emitting a dark flash of energy. "LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 1, **Darknet Force – Bugup Deleter**!" Ai shouted, summoning a taller version of Bugup Virus with the usual clothing pattern to the right Extra Monster Zone.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Deleter_

 _Dark/Link 1/ATK 1000/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Bugup Deleter's effect! If she is Link Summoned with Bugup Virus as her material I can destroy one of your cards by stopping to reveal one Darknet in my hand! I stop revealing Operator in order to destroy the Trojan I gave you! Now Trojan's effect! Once per turn, when she's sent to the graveyard, she can revive to my field!" The Ignis declared as the female monster appeared once again.

 _Darknet – Bugup Trojan_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Then I activate the spell **Darknet – Fatal System Error**! By revealing one Cyberse Monster in my hand until the end of this turn I can search out a "Darknet"-Monster from my deck! Once more I will reveal Bugup Operator in order to add another copy of Secretary to my hand! Now, by stopping to reveal one card in my hand, I can special summon Bugup Rebooter from my hand! Also, if I control no monsters or all monsters I control are Cyberses, I may special summon Bugup Netsplit from my hand as well! Now come, you two!" The Ai cried out, his field being filled with two additional monsters.

 _Darknet – Bugup Netsplit_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Darknet – Bugup Rebooter_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now then, how do you like my field full of futuristic-looking cuties?" Ai asked vanishing and reappearing next to Secretary and laying his arm around her, caressing the female's cheek and causing the monster to blush lightly.

"Stop flirting with your shitty monster and get on with the duel!" Ryoken demanded.

"Shitty is a forbidden word!" Ai joked before pointing at his monster. "Besides, it wasn't nice of you to insult Secretary like that!" He admonished the other male. "Just look at her, you made her sad!" He reprimanded Ryoken. "Apologize to her!" Ai commanded fiercely.

"Pah! As if she was sentient! That thing is just a Duel Monster!" Ryoken shot back.

"Please... stop calling me that..." An insecure voice spoke up.

Ryoken's eyes darted at the source of the voice. "You... are alive?" He whispered in shock.

Ai hummed, laying his arm around the monster once more. "Yeah, she is. You see, I constructed her after the models of our Second Stage Ignis while also making her usable in duels, so she is basically a Hybrid between a normal Duel Monster and an A.I., got that? And it's the same with the others!" He explained before giving the girl a pat on her head. "Don't worry Secretary, he is just jealous because his wife sucks ass compared to you!" He whispered to her, prompting an indignant huff from Aoi and an about equally upset reaction from Ryoken.

"Thank you, Ai-sama! You're the greatest!" The female Hybrid Ignis told her creator, wrapping herself tightly around Ai's right arm in affection.

"Oh, most certainly I am..." Ai said with blushed cheeks, his eyes upcast in flattered embarrassment.

" _Wow, Backup Secretary in a new form pressing herself against Yusaku technically speaking, given Ai has his body! Now that's a sight I never expected to see!''_ Zarc remarked, appearing in his spectral form. He then shrugged his shoulders. _"Actually, scratch that! There's probably fanart about this somewhere on Tumblr!''_ He admitted with a resigned sigh.

"So all of these monsters are Second Stage Ignis created by you, huh?" Ryoken spoke up after a while.

Ai got off his lovey-dovey daydreaming trip, his head spinning around towards his opponent. "Oh, yeah, they are. Each of them has their own personality and looks. Rebooter for instance has the habit of being extensively possessive about me!" Ai told, pointing over to the monster who had ponytail purplish hair and aside from her blade the usual Bugup equipment and outfit.

"I am not obsessive over him. I just like slitting the throat of anyone who tries to rob me off his attention. Like you for instance!" The female said, pointing at Ryoken. While he could not see too much of her face due to the eye visor she wore, Ryoken could recognize a considerable amount of facial muscles that were clenched in anger.

"Oh, don't worry, Rebooter! That guy will never be more important to me than you! Let's just crush him really quickly, go back to the Cyberse World and snuggle together, okay?" The Dark Ignis addressed her.

The face of Rebooter lit up by a dozen shades. "Oh my god, yes, Ai-sama! I will annihilate this son of a bitch right away!" The female cried out in enthusiasm.

"Glad to hear that! Anyway, who of you agrees with Rebooter in terms of ainihilating that guy?" Ai addressed the rest of his girls.

-"Me!"- All five others shouted in unison. After a while one of them, a female with long hair, continued. "I see you made a joke there! You are so funny, Ai-sama!" The monster said.

"See?! She recognizes the value of my jokes and wordplays! That's why Bugup Netsplit has taste and you don't!" Ai yelled at his opponent, Ryoken merely rolling his eyes.

Miyu sweat dropped. "So this guy made himself a harem of Ignis Hybrids who do nothing but revere and agree with him while he was constructing his new deck?" She remarked in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess he flirted with a few Roboppis during the last war, so something like that was to be expected..." Takeru chimed in, equally embarrassed about the whole situation.

"Anyhow, enough silliness for now and back to business!" Ai proclaimed, realizing his situation and trying to restore the previous sense of authority he had emitted. "But I guess that you now can see that I am not just fighting alone, let alone for myself! You treat your monsters as nothing but your servants which can easily be sacrificed, while I respect and protect them! And for that reason alone you have already lost this duel! Now then girls, are you ready to take this fight to the next stage?" He addressed his group of female Ignis-Duel Monster-Hybrids.

-"Yes, Ai-sama!"- They retorted in unison.

"Splendid! Then it shall appear, our circuit of vengeful data!" Ai said spreading his arms. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse Monsters! Netsplit, Secretary and Trojan, would you be so nice to allow me to set you into the Link Markers?" He asked his monsters politely.

-"Yes, go ahead, Ai-sama!"- They cheered back in unison.

"Great! Then you three shall be set into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse!" He shouted as dark flash of energy fulfilled the space around them. "LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 3, **Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver**!" Ai shouted as a bigger version of Netsplit wielding a purplish rapier appeared.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▲▼)

"As for all my Link-Monster Ladies she gains bonus effects when summoned with her smaller form! However, you won't get to see that effect just yet! Instead the effect upon being Link Summoned will activate now! Archiver, care to explain it to him?" Ai addressed the female whom he had summoned to the fourth Main Monster Zone.

"Of course I will, Ai-sama." The woman retorted politely. "When I am summoned, Ai-sama gets to add back one of my sisters from the graveyard to his hand. And she will remain revealed until the End Phase." She stated.

"Exactly!" Ai exclaimed, raising his finger. "Now Archiver, you know me well, so whom of them am I going to return to my hand?" He asked her.

"Secretary. You are going to return Secretary to your hand." Archiver replied.

"And that is absolutely correct! I return Bugup Secretary to my hand!" Ai stated, the female twittering him a greeting as her ghostly form made her way back to his hand.

"Oh come on, you would have returned any monster she called to your hand just to not embarrass her!" Shoichi shouted in indignation.

Ai blushed. "That's a lie! That's totally a lie! I wouldn't have done that at all!" He denied pointing his index finger at Shoichi, his obvious blush revealing his feelings, prompting Archiver to giggle in a flattered manner.

"Dang, he really is serious about his feelings. I never imagined that he would care more about his monsters than gaining advantage in a duel." Aoi remarked.

"I honestly don't find it that surprising." Akira spoke up, prompting his sister to turn around to him in curiosity. "I mean, he is a lot more eloquent, smarter, radiates power and authority, and of course he is the new leader of the Cyberse World which requires these traits, so that makes sense. But at heart he is still the same theatrical laid-back Ignis who cares for his comrades. Therefore his behavior towards these Bugup-Monsters is only natural." The teal and blue haired man stated.

Aoi nodded. "Now that you're saying it, I see it as well. Thank you, big brother."

"No problem, Aoi." He replied before looking back to the ongoing duel, the duelists floating in the air with D-Boards and Ignis Power alike.

"Now I will summon the revealed one of my Secretaries from my hand! I can do that as this effect is not once per turn, unlike it was with her old self! You go, girl!" He shouted, his monster making a reentrance in the middle of his field.

 _Darknet – Bugup Secretary_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now I will activate the effect of Bugup Operator from my hand! By returning a Darknet chick a Link-Monster I control points to from my field to the hand, I am able to summon her! More cuties onto the field!" The Dark Ignis shouted as his monster appeared.

"Oh my god, thank you for summoning me, Ai-sama! I will not disappoint you!" The long purple haired female shouted in gratitude, blowing him a kiss as she was exchanged for her colleague with one bun less in her hair than her.

 _Darknet – Bugup Operator_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"I know you won't!" Ai retorted to her. "Now then, I use your effect! Shall I explain or do you want to do it?" He asked Operator.

"I will, Ai-sama!" The girl with the long purplish hair and the black purplish outfit replied enthusiastically.

"Great! Then go ahead and tell them!" The Dark Ignis instructed her.

"I will!" She said with a nod before continuing. "Once per turn Ai-sama may reveal one of my sisters within his hand in order to summon another from said place." She described her own effect.

"Right! And by revealing the other Secretary in my hand instead of the one I just added back to my hand before so she doesn't get bored", Ai began, the spectral form of his monster that was shown as he revealed the card shooting him a smile of gratitude which he reciprocated, "I will special summon **Darknet – Bugup Malware** from my hand!" He declared, summoning a twin tail style purple haired female wielding an electronic clipboard.

 _Darknet – Bugup Malware_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Wow, fresh air! I can't wait to fight for you, Ai-sama!" The girl declared in enthusiasm, throwing a few punches in the manner Ai used to do to showcase her vigor.

"I share your sentiment, Malware! Now then, your effect, if I may?" He requested.

"Right away, Ai-sama!" She said with a nod before beginning to explain. "Once per turn Ai-sama may target a Link-Monster he controls in order to add a number of monsters with 1400 ATK and 300 DEF from his deck to his hand that is equal to the targeted monster's Link Rating. Then he sends that number of cards minus one from his hand back to his hand." She told. After a brief pause and a requesting look towards Ai which he responded with a positive expression she continued. "Of course Ai-sama will choose the monster with the highest Link Rating, meaning my sister Archiver." She concluded.

"Right, right and a thousand times more right, Malware! I target Archiver, adding three Bugups to my hand, namely **Darknet – Bugup Glitch** as well as another copy of Secretary and Hacker! Then I return two cards to my deck! Now then, it is time once again!" Ai stated, looking at his yet again completed field full of females who looked up to him as both their controller in this duel and as a person in general.

"It's there. His next Link Summon." Ryoken murmured, observing the Ignis.

"It shall appear, our circuit of vengeful data!" Ai declared, once more spreading his arms as he initiated his Link Summon. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse Monsters! Now, Malware, Virus and Operator, may I sacrifice you, please?" He addressed the triplet of females.

-"We have no issue with that, Ai-sama!"- They replied.

"Thank you! Then you three shall be set into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse!" He shouted with a dark energy flash being emitted as the black circuit was completed. "LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 3, **Darknet Force – Bugup Linker**!" Ai yelled as Malware's bigger evolved self entered the field with longer hair and a more feminine and adult look in the third Main Monster Zone.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Linker_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"And her effect! I use it to add back a monster from my graveyard! I pick Bugup Trojan who will remain revealed due to this! Also the effect of her original form Malware! When Malware is used as Link Material I get to add a "Darknet"-Card from my deck to the hand, in this case **Darknet – Runtime Error**! Then I summon Trojan again, to your field that is!" Ai declared.

 _Darknet – Bugup Trojan_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Unfortunately I won't get to draw cards as that effect is once per turn! However, now the effect of Bugup Linker! Once while she is on the field I can take control of a special summoned monster you control by placing it in a zone Linker points to! Come back to me, Trojan!" He went on.

"Yes, Ai-sama!" The female with the shoulder length purple hair cheered as she went over to the second Main Monster Zone on Ai's field in joy.

"We're almost there! I special summon the unrevealed Bugup Secretary from my hand!" The Dark Ignis of Perfection yelled, summoning his favorite Bugup once more.

 _Darknet – Bugup Secretary_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now it shall appear, our circuit of vengeful data!" He declared as he spread his arms yet again, a black circuit manifesting above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one Level 3 Cyberse Monster! Trojan, may I?" He requested.

"Of course, Ai-sama!" The girl retorted.

"Alright then! Into the Link Marker with you!" Ai yelled, his monster transforming into a bolt of energy heading for the circuit with an enthusiastic shout. "Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 1, **Darknet Force – Bugup Compiler**!" The Ignis said as a more mature version of Bugup Operator appeared in the second Main Monster Zone from the left.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Compiler_

 _Dark/Link 1/ATK 700/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Then it shall appear again, our circuit of vengeful data!" He went on, spreading his arms again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse Monsters! Compiler, Secretary, are you ready?" He requested.

-"As ready as we've ever been!"- Both of them yelled in unison.

"Very well! Ready, set, go, we're gonna knock that jerk KO!" Ai exclaimed maybe a bit too eagerly, pointing at Ryoken. "I set you two into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 2, **Darknet Force – Bugup Supervisor**!" The A.I. declared as a grown up version of Secretary made her entrance.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Supervisor_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘)

"Unfortunately her effect will not do much here, similar to Compiler previously! Speaking of Compiler, once per turn I may revive her when I have cards in my hand that are revealed! Due to the new rules of Extra Rule: Master Rule 4 I do not require a linked zone in order to revive her, nor can I revive her to an Extra Monster Zone! So I summon her to my first Main Monster Zone!" Ai declared, summoning the monster due to the currently revealed Bugup Secretary in his hand.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Compiler_

 _Dark/Link 1/ATK 700/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"And once again it shall appear, our circuit of vengeful data! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse Monsters! I'd like to ask my two Link Ladies whether they're fine with me setting them into the Link Markers?" He addressed Compiler and Supervisor.

-"No objections, Ai-sama!"- They retorted in polite unison.

"Perfect! Then I set Compiler and Supervisor into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 3, **Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator**!" Ai shouted, an older version of Rebooter appearing, waving towards her smaller self which the younger female reciprocated.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▲►▼)

"Her effect refunds the Secretary in my graveyard who will be revealed in my hand until the end of this turn due to this! Now I use Bugup Rebooter's effect! Once per turn, by revealing up to two Cyberses in my hand for the rest of this turn, I can return Cyberse Monsters and "Darknet"-Cards from my graveyard to my deck or Extra Deck up to the combined level of the revealed monsters! I reveal Bugup Glitch and Hacker in my hand! As their combined level is six I can now return up to six cards to my deck, which will be Operator, Netsplit, Virus, Trojan, Fatal System Error and lastly my Link 1 Bugup Compiler! Then appear, our circuit of vengeful data! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one Level 3 Cyberse Monster! Rebooter, will you please?" He addressed the monster.

"Right away, Ai-sama!" The female shouted, transforming into a purplish ray of light.

"I set her into the Link Marker! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 1, Darknet Force – Bugup Compiler!" Ai shouted, the monster reappearing.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Compiler_

 _Dark/Link 1/ATK 700/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▼)

"Did he just...?!" Aoi whispered in disbelief.

"He did...!" Akira confirmed with a hiss.

Ai spread his arms. "Do you see that?! That is the new power I have acquired! I summon Compiler to the zone my Insulator points to with her northern arrows! Or in other words...!" He made a short dramatic pause.

"This damn Ignis!" Ryoken gritted his teeth.

"EXTRA LINK!" Ai proclaimed, his newly summoned monster linking to Bugup Insulator with her southern arrow, said monster then continuing rightwards, linking with Bugup Linker who then linked to the Bugup Archiver right of herself. Lastly Archiver's northern arrow connected to the southern arrow of Bugup Deleter in the right Extra Monster Zone, completing the Extra Link.

"He really managed to construct an Extra Link!" Takeru uttered grudgingly.

"And during the first turn as well!" Miyu chimed in.

"Plus it doesn't even have one arrow pointing to Ryoken's zones!" Kengo finished.

"And, how is it like?! To stand against the strongest Ignis in existence?!" Ai addressed Ryoken, his voice growing darker and the eyes of his human form turning from their natural dark green to the intense yellow of Ai's Ignis eyes.

"I have to admit that you are stronger than before, but I had a plan as well! I special summon Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay!" Ryoken declared, a purple dragon with bluish flame wings and a similarly flaming blade attached to its arm wearing golden armor with blue gems appearing on his field.

 _Fantastical Dragon Phantazmay_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2400/DEF 1800/Dragon/Effect_

"Waaaah!" Ai squealed, shielding his body with his arms in fear and losing all of his menacing aura at once. "He summoned a dragon version of Thanos?! Oh god, please don't wipe out half of my deck with a snap of your fingers!" He pleaded in a panicked but comical voice.

"Relax, Ai! That dragon just looks like him, there's no way it can wipe out half of your deck just like that!" Flame admonished, palming his face in embarrassment of their leader losing his composure to something like that, especially since it was but the very first card that Ryoken had payed.

"Ah, the good old Phantazmay! Was to be expected that Ryoken would have one of them with all the Dark Dragons in his deck!" Takeru said in a melancholic voice.

"Tell me his name again!" Miyu Jr. chimed in jokingly, flying by with her D-Board.

"Phantazmay." Her mother responded with a grin, for once getting along with her daughter.

"The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: To wipe out half the meta." Takeru concluded, joining the family activity with a smirk of amusement.

"Anyway,", Ai spoke up again, "would you please explain how you could summon that Thanos Dragon and what it can do?" The Ignis demanded.

"I was about to do that, Ignis. You just screamed around and didn't shut up." Ryoken retorted, prompting Ai to fall over dramatically.

"Fine, fine, now explain at last!" Ai said after getting back onto his feet (he did all that whilst continuing his flight forward by the way).

"I will! I could summon Phantazmay because you summoned a Link-Monster! Now its effect continues, but instead of wiping out half your stupidity – even though that would be a good thing as well – I now draw cards equal to the number of Link-Monsters you control plus one, subsequently returning cards from my hand to the deck that is equal to that number minus one! With five Link-Monsters on your side of the field I draw six cards, then I return five cards from my hand to the deck!" Ryoken declared, his hand growing from three to nine and back to four.

"So you fixed your hand and summoned a monster?! Not bad, but you also gave me the opportunity to use Bugup Insulator! Once while on the field she can target one monster you control or that is in either graveyard, returning it to the deck! I target your Phantazmay!" Ai announced.

"Phantazmay's effect! By discarding one card I can negate an effect that targets one of my monsters, as well as destroy that card! Your Insulator is history!" The white and blue haired male shot back, his monster searing the female to ash using its bluish flame wings.

"You monster! How dare you hurting my lovely Insulator?!" Ai threw a tantrum, hurt by her disappearance. "Don't worry, Insulator, I will save you! Spell activate, Monster Reborn! I revive one monster from either player's graveyard! Come back, my precious Insulator!" He cried out, summoning the female to her former zone and rebuilding the Extra Link.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2600/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (▲►▼)

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're back! I missed you so much!" Ai exclaimed, hugging the female and showering her with kisses.

"She has only been away for three seconds..." Miyu remarked, sweat dropping.

"Apparently he really cares for those monsters..." Takeru chimed in, equally embarrassed by the view.

"Now her effect again! Since she has reappeared she uses it once more! And because your Phantazmay's own effect is once per turn she will get him this time! Go, Insulator, take out that stupid Thanos Dragon!" Ai yelled at his monster.

"Not so fast! From my hand I use a monster effect!" Ryoken interjected.

"Another?" Ai stated in surprise.

"Indeed. By sacrificing one Dark Dragon Monster of Level 6 or higher I may summon this monster! Appear, **Gatling Fortress Dragon**!" Ryoken shouted, a blackish dragon bearing an enormous arsenal of weapons on its back appearing in the place of Phantazmay.

 _Gatling Fortress Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 8/ATK ?/DEF ?/Dragon/Effect_

"Since your effect has lost its target, it misses!" Ryoken declared. "Now then, my dragon's ATK and DEF become equal to its material's stats times two!" He announced, his dragon receiving its power.

 _Gatling Fortress Dragon: ATK ? → 4800; DEF ? → 3600_

"Good luck getting past that!" The Dragon Duelist spoke to Ai, the massive dragon planting itself in front of Ryoken menacingly, ready to repel any incoming attack.

Ai smirked. "Oh, we'll see about that! I activate the spell I added to my hand previously, Darknet – Runtime Error! You have to look at the top three cards of my deck and then add one of them to my hand!" Ai's disk transmitted the images to Ryoken. "Now then, what card should it be?" He addressed his opponent in a challenging tone.

"I pick this one!" Ryoken declared, settling on a spell card and taping on its image.

"Good choice! A "Darknet"-Card, as to be expected!" The grin on Ai's face grew. "And because you picked that type of cards, you will now lose this duel!" He declared victoriously.

"Why that?" Ryoken inquired with a frown.

Ai smirked. "Because if you added a "Darknet"-Card to my hand with this effect, I get to add one spell from my deck to the hand! And I can assure you that its power will terrify you to the bones!" The Ignis announced, the card being ejected from his deck pile, Ai taking it into the hand.

"That card... Why is it making me feel so uncomfortable...?" Ryoken wondered with a slight shiver, observing his opponent. Meanwhile a whole group of people was watching the ongoing events from afar.

* * *

"Looks like he got the key piece for his victory." A male voice spoke up.

"It would appear so, Chaigidel." Another voice retorted, about equally as collected, having a calm tenor-like pitch.

"Devil bless that, Gamchicoth! Finally we're entering the finishing stage of this obnoxious duel! I'm done standing on this cliff observing these lowlifes!" A new male chimed in.

"Relax, Harabserapel! We've only been here for a few minutes!" Someone else admonished him.

"Shut up, Samael! Every further minute we have to spent here on this rock is a waste!" The previous voice snapped back.

The addressed person sighed. "And here I thought only our counterparts were fighting this much..." He then looked over to another male standing atop the cliff next to the dueling route Ai and Ryoken took. "Anyway, someone else here sharing Harabserapel's opinion?" He inquired.

"Hell no!" One shouted. "Every minute of suffering that white haired guy is going to go through is worth it! We could stay here for years for all I care!" He stated.

The one who had asked the question hummed, pleased about the support he had received. "Thank you, Thaumiel! At least there is one who gets it! Anyone else?" He inquired further.

"Nah, not really!" A new voice spoke up. "All I really want is go back to our hideout and screw with that girl I captured and put under my control!" He told.

Another male scoffed. "Of course you want, Gamaliel! All you ever think about is having sex, the more unwilling the partner, the better!" He chastised.

"Hah, of course you'd say that, Thagirion! You're the only one of us ten who lost his girl and can't do her anymore!" The other laughed.

"Silence!" The mocked one bellowed, bringing the laughter of the other to an abrupt halt. "I will find that stupid girl and then she won't escape with that trick of hers again! And once I do I will pound her without mercy until she dehydrates from crying! Got that?!"

"Yes..." The other gulped intimidated. "Now then, anyone else want to say something?" He addressed the rest of the group nervously.

"Only that I look forward to Ryoken Kogami's annihilation. It's gonna be a great show for sure." Someone said.

"Agreed, Nehemoth! I look forward to it as well! Man, it's gonna be so great! Anyone having popcorn by chance?" He requested, his voice sounding fired up and enthusiastic.

"Negative, Golachab. But I'd share with you if I had some." A new voice replied.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Sathariel! Let's go killing something together anytime soon, okay?" The other cheered back.

"Sure, Golachab. I look forward to it." The previous male replied apathetically.

"Anyway, it looks like this duel is about to reach its tragic conclusion!" The one who had been mocked previously – Thagirion – spoke up, asserting his dominance as the leader of the group. The lot of them then continued observing the ongoing duel.

* * *

Ai, still having a victorious smirk on his face, rose up a card. "Now it's finally time! I will unleash a force great enough to eradicate your world a thousand times over! Prepare yourself, Kogami, the Armageddon is at hand!" The Dark Ignis of Perfection announced.

' _What on earth is he planning?'_ Ryoken deliberated feverishly. The following statement of Ai towards his monster gave him the final hint.

"Hey, Bugup Linker darling, would you please tell Ryoken about your position and Link Arrows?" He addressed his Darknet-Monster.

The female nodded. "Of course, Ai-sama. I am currently in the third Main Monster Zone and my arrows point to the left, right and bottom." She said, Ryoken's eyes widening in realization.

"That Ignis, is he really...?!" He uttered speechless with eyes wide open.

Ai, arms on his hips, shot him a cocky grin. "Yes, I am! From my hand I activate this card!" He said, holding up the card again which began emitting a luminous aura.

"No way! That light! It's even stronger than the one Kami unleashed in our duel!" Akira spoke up in terror.

"Of course! Because this card eclipses even that of Kami!" Ai told, spreading his arms. "Now then, it is time! Into the third Spell & Trap Zone it will be placed! And it will be the prelude to your end!" He screamed, his eyes turning even yellower, all gems on his spiky collar beginning to glow.

"This light! What the hell is this light?! Am I meeting God?!" Aligheria Zaizen exclaimed, shielding her face against the radiance like her comrades.

"You could say so, I suppose! The god of a new Cyberse World!" Ai told with a halfway crazed smile on his face. Spreading his arms even wider, the radiance intensified.

"It is coming! It is coming at last!" Windy yelled excitedly.

"Now this something I call light of perfection!" Lighting chimed in.

"This great power! I feel how it's pulsating more and more intense!" Kami yelled, hyperventilating from sheer anticipation.

With a growing wicked smile the Dark Ignis of Perfection widened its arms, his head and gaze wandering more and more upwards. "It's there." He briefly whispered, a jolt of energy rocking through his body. After that he began shouting at the top of his lungs, his head shaking in mad laughter.

" _ **HAHAHAHA! APPEAR, THE FIVE PROFOUND ARROWS OF DOMINATION THAT WILL UNLOCK ULTIMATE POWER! THE SUPREME LINK SPELL THAT WILL ASTONISH THE WORLD WITH ITS SUPERB BATTLE FORMATIONS! THE PROOF THAT I AM THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE OF THE CYBERSE WORLD THAT WILL REAP REVENGE AND REBUILD OUR GLORIOUS WORLD IN PEACE! I AM YOUR JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER COMBINED! AND BEFORE MY MIGHT, ALL OF YOU SHALL CRUMBLE! GROW SKYWARDS AND ILLUMINATE THE WORLD WITH CYBERSE'S SPLENDOR! ULTIMATE DOMINATION LINK MAGIC – APEX FORMATION ARROWS!**_" Ai shouted, pillars of multichromatic light extending into the sky in three directions, two additional beams being sent sideways. With victorious laughter by the Dark Ignis and looks of defeat and horror on the faces of the Link Residents the Link Magic began unfolding its full power, even Ryoken seeming majorly concerned by this development.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (◄↖▲↗►)

"Ultimate Domination Link Magic...?!" Aoi whispered in disbelief.

"Exactly, Aoi-chan! This is the ultimate power of our world!" Ai declared. He snapped his fingers to create something looking like a metallic throne, taking a seat on the flying object before he continued, his eyes narrowing. "And I will how you just how strong that power is!" He added menacingly, raising his arm. "Apex Formation Arrow's first effect! Just like its weaker version which you have seen during your duel with Kami it removes the restriction of only controlling one Link Magic and can place Link Spells from my deck or hand in Spell & Trap Zones it points to! So I will continue with this! All of you know it, don't you?!" He addressed the Link-Dimension inhabitants.

"Oh no. He is also going to activate...?" Jin murmured worriedly, looking over to his brother and meeting his eyes which indicated an equal level of concern.

"APPEAR, THE THREE ARROWS THAT WILL JUDGE THE WORLD! LINK MAGIC – JUDGEMENT ARROWS!" Ai shouted, three yellow arrows shooting upwards as the spell was activated in Ai's fourth Spell & Trap Zone.

 _Link Magic – Judgement Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (↖▲↗)

"And into the second zone next to it I will activate my own Link Magic!" The Ignis continued.

"A third?!" Go shouted in disbelief.

"APPEAR, THE THREE ARROWS THAT WILL DESTROY THE WORLD! **LINK MAGIC – ANNIHILATION ARROWS**!" Ai yelled, another triplet of arrow-like energy rays exploding skywards.

 _Link Magic – Annihilation Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (↖▲↗)

"That Ignis really managed to activate not one, not two, but three Link Spells!" Akemi murmured, looking over to her father with worry.

Ai's grin grew wider. "But this was merely the appetizer to the true horrors yet to come!" He proclaimed.

"What do you mean with that, Dark Ignis?" Ryoken demanded grimly.

"I will show you! Apex Formation Arrows' main effect! It's a bit unusual and complex, so bear with me as I take my time explaining it to you! Whenever I use this effect, Apex Formation Arrows looks over my field, searching for particular patterns of Extra Links. Should one of such Extra Links then be controlled by me, Apex Formation Arrows considers that Extra Link Formation as completed and I gain a specific effect based on it. And once all Extra Link Formations are completed, my card reaches its apex of power, and once that happens...!" Ai said, raising his right index finger, his grin growing to insane proportions, "…you might as well give up already!" He finished.

"So this card of yours circles around different Extra Link Patterns? Well it's not like you can complete many of them anyway, even when you already have one of them." Ryoken stated.

"Oh, don't say that! I told you that I would finish this duel in a single strike and I intend to keep that promise! I am the most honest Ignis after all!" Ai retorted, Ryoken taking a step back on his D-Board in surprise of the definiteness the A.I. was saying these words with.

"Anyway, back to the duel! I activate said effect of Apex Formation Arrows! Currently I have an Extra Link with two monsters in the Extra Monster Zones and three monsters in the second through fourth Main Monster Zone, all co-linked through horizontal or vertical arrows! This is commonly known as the U-Extra Link! And now I have completed it!" Ai announced, his spell lighting up as the pattern his zones were linked with appeared as a ghostly Image on the artwork of his activated Link Spell, being engraved into the spectral card image as a luminous pattern before disappearing.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: U-Extra Link completed_

"So you have completed one pattern? What will that alone do?" Ryoken addressed the Ignis.

"Only giving me 3000 LP during each of my Standby Phases, duh! But before you speak up again, let me just continue with this! I activate the effect of Bugup Secretary in my hand! Since I control Cyberse Monsters I can special summon her!" Ai continued.

 _Darknet – Bugup Secretary_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"And now it shall appear once more, our circuit of vengeful data!" Ai said spreading his arms. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Cyberse Monsters! Bugup Linker and Secretary, if you will?" He addressed the two females.

-"Yes, Ai-sama!"- They retorted.

"You two shall be set into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse!" He shouted, a dark implosion occurring, a black hole forming in the air above him.

"What's happening there?" Takeru wondered, looking at the black sphere. Meanwhile Ryoken frowned, a shiver running down his spine.

' _This monster he's calling. It emits a familiar feeling, but also one entirely different. Just what is that monster?'_ He thought.

"From many come one, from one comes great power, and from great power comes a new Cyberse World! With the strength of this monster I will build and defend it! Behold, the newest potential of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Appear! Link 4! My one true love **Cyberse Darknet Dragon**!" Ai yelled, a black dragon with purple plates appearing with a flap of its wings. It had about the same build as Firewall Dragon, its apparent successor, but it lacked its signature discs on its members. Instead it had blue lines running across its slender body, a line of equally colored spikes adorning its back. It faced Ryoken with its yellow eyes which looked surprisingly humanoid, awakening a strange sense of familiarity within Ryoken.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 2500/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖↗↘)

"This monster. Is it just me or does it seem somewhat familiar?" Aoi spoke up, looking at her brother.

"Well, it seems to be Ai's replacement for Firewall Dragon, but I feel that this isn't all." Her daughter Akemi chimed in.

"I agree, Akemi. Clearly something is off with that monster." Akira told.

"This dragon. It makes me feel really weird as well." Miyu Jr. concluded, looking at the black, purplish and blue monster in concern.

"Beautiful, isn't she? Come here and let me give you a pat, cutie!" Ai said, the monster putting its head on Ai's, receiving a series of strokes which the apparently female monster seemed to enjoy. "I really do love her so much." He said, giving the monster a gentle kiss on its black cheek.

"Did he just kiss that dragon?" Miyu stated in embarrassment.

"I guess he did." Takeru added, sweat dropping as well.

" _Hey, what's wrong with kissing a dragon?! Ray did that too, so I see no problem with that!''_ Zarc growled with the voice of Genesis Omega mixed with his own, the red and maroon haired female next to him blushing in slight embarrassment.

"Anyway, her effect gives me a spell from my deck upon being Link Summoned. I add the card **Darknet – Game Master** to my hand! Furthermore she has a number of other effects, like making all of my Cyberses immune against effect destruction while I have cards revealed in my hand! You will learn about the rest of her abilities very soon! But for now I will activate the card I added to my hand, the field spell Darknet – Game Master! While I control it my deck is turned upside-down and I play with open cards in it! Meaning both of us can now see my deck's topmost card at any given time, and I even have the right to look at all of my deck!" The Ignis declared.

"So he is basically planning in advance like Aqua's deck, only that he's taking the lazier route? What a slothful Ignis!" Miyu remarked.

"Furthermore you mustn't look at any card below the topmost card of my deck, even if they're all technically face-up from now on! If you do nevertheless, you take 1000 damage!" Ai told, his deck flipping itself around, the bottom-most face-down card turning into the top-most face-up card and vice versa.

' _Mustn't look at the cards below the topmost? I'm not sure how far the public knowledge rulings go with Convolution of Nature, a spell who does pretty much the same as this card, but any card aside from the topmost should be illegal to look at anyway, even when the deck is turned upside-down. So why does that card have these 1000 damage if I violate that rule?'_ Ryoken wondered silently.

"If you're sitting there wondering why my card has that unusual restriction, allow me to educate you!" Ai spoke up, startling Ryoken who blinked in surprise that the Ignis could read him like that. "I activate the continuous spell **Darknet – Corrupted File**! Once per turn I can excavate the three topmost cards of my deck and add one "Darknet"-Monster among them to my hand! And while that happens these cards are still treated as being part of my deck! Now then, I add Bugup Operator who is among those cards to my hand and shuffle the rest into my deck!" Ai declared. He then faced Ryoken with a smirk. "And then...!" He said, a lightning striking down upon the other male, Ryoken panting as his lifepoints were lowered.

 **RYOKEN LP: 8000 → 7000**

"What... happened just now?" Ryoken panted, looking around in confusion.

"Oh, need I spell it out to you? Well, there is the answer!" The Ignis within the human body he had copied somehow said, pointing at his field spell.

"Game Master? But I didn't..." The white and blue haired male said before his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, now you know it, huh? Well, than let me express it in my own words!" Ai said before beginning to sing jeeringly. "Cheater, cheater, dirty, dirty cheater!" He warbled, performing a rather awkward looking victory dance of mockery as he arose from his throne.

"Kuh, so that was your plan, Ignis?! You showed us both the excavated cards due to the rules of both players getting to see them, but since the effect clarification of your Corrupted File still treated those cards as being in your deck I technically looked at your deck cards below the topmost, resulting in 1000 damage done by Darknet – Game Master! You forced me to cheat!" He hissed in anger.

"Bravo, the great Ryoken-sama has guessed it! Yeah, that's another tactic of this deck! I let you look at my cards and Game Master punishes you for it! Serves you right, a human who cheats in duels and life alike! Either you do forbidden moves in duels or just flat out lie in the real world!" Ai told.

"I DO NOT CHEAT! AND I DON'T LIE EITHER! I WAS NEVER DISHONEST OR DECEIVING!" Ryoken snapped, provoked by the Ignis' hurtful words.

" _ **OH SHUT UP! YOU STARTED A WAR, DISTURBED THE PEACE OF OUR WORLD, KILLED MY FRIENDS AND EVEN LITTLE INNOCENT LINKURIBOH, AND STILL DENY IT?!** **YOU'RE SO FULL OF DISHONESTY AND DECEIT THAT I CANNOT EVEN EXPRESS IT PROPERLY!**_ " Ai shot back, the last bits of his careless attitude saying its farewells, startling even his own kinsmen with the intensity of his feelings. He took a heavy breath after that. A few moments later Ai continued.

( 71, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #8 Extra Monster Zone)

"I will teach you about that in time! But before I do that I will use the effect of Apex Formation Arrows once more! I now have a new form of Extra Link which I will gladly describe to you! First I have Bugup Compiler in your Extra Monster Zone!" He began, pointing at the left Extra Monster Zone. "Then her Co-Link with Bugup Insulator extends this connection southwards, followed by my Annihilation Arrows that is co-linked to her!" Ai went on, his finger traveling downwards by two zones into his Spell & Trap section. "The top-right arrow of Annihilation Arrows then co-links it to my dear Darknet Dragon!" Ai said, going upwards in a diagonal motion, his finger stopping at the dragon. "Her bottom-right arrow then co-links with Judgement Arrows!" Ai went on, shifting his finger to the card in his fourth Spell & Trap Zone. "Judgement Arrows then points upwards to Bugup Archiver, co-linking with her and lastly Archiver points upwards as well, co-linking with Bugup Deleter! In other words, I completed an Extra Link using the monsters in both Extra Monster Zones, monsters in my second through fourth Main Monster Zones, as well as Link Magics in my second and fourth Spell & Trap Zone! I therefore have accomplished the W-Extra Link!" Ai proclaimed victoriously, the pattern of his zones being engraved into his spell as a luminous image.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: W-Extra Link completed_

"W-Extra Link. That something like that is even possible is unbelievable." Aoi spoke up in terrified fascination.

Akira nodded. "I would have thought so myself, wasn't it for the Dark Ignis. This must be the power of utilizing multiple Link Spells with an Extra Link. I hope Ryoken can keep it at bay." He pondered.

"Now I receive the bonus for completing it! As this is probably the hardest Extra Link it isn't exactly a small rewards either! I gain four Spell & Trap Zones, two being added to both ends of my current zones respectively! In other words, I now control nine Spell & Trap Zones!" He stated, his field expanding at once in its lower half.

"Impossible! He extends his field, just like Yubi!" Akemi exclaimed in shock.

Ai shot her a grin. "Guess where I got the idea from, smartass! Now I activate another effect of Apex Formation Arrows! Once per turn I can have a number of monsters it points to gain up to two Link Markers each in return for losing the same number of Markers! I target Bugup Insulator and Archiver in my second and fourth Main Monster Zone respectively, granting the former a Bottom-Right Link Marker in return for her Bottom Link Marker and the latter the same, only mirrored, meaning a Bottom-Left Link Marker in return for her Bottom Link Marker!" Ai announced, the monsters losing one of their red arrows each and gaining another.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver:_ (◄▲▼) → (↙◄▲)

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator:_ (▲►▼) → (▲►↘)

"He changed the arrows of his monster!" Jin shouted in surprise.

"That's right! And now the other effect of Apex Formation Arrows again! The two monsters in the Extra Monster Zones are still co-linked with those beneath them respectively! However, those two beneath them, Archiver and Insulator, are now co-linked with Apex Formation Arrows due to their freshly gained diagonal arrows! I reckon you still recognize this formation, Jin?" Ai addressed the previous speaker who gulped at his words. "That's right, it's the Y-Extra Link that has been used for the first time by my friend Lightning, the one that utilized a Link Magic for a Co-Link Formation for the very first time! And now its power will strengthen me and my Apex Formation Arrows even more!" The Dark Ignis announced as another pattern was engraved into the ghostly image of his card.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: Y-Extra Link completed_

"And its fulfillment grants me a powerful effect of allowing me to special summon one Link-Monster from my Extra Deck or graveyard each turn! I will make use of this effect eventually, but for now a few other special summons! I activate the effect of Cyberse Darknet Dragon! Once per turn I can either reveal a number of cards in my hand until the end of the turn or stop revealing them! Choosing the former option I reveal Bugup Operator in my hand! Dark Revelation!" Ai declared, the female appearing as a ghostly figure next to him. "Then I special summon Bugup Glitch from my hand as I already control Darknets!" He went on, another purple haired female with a black purplish outfit with a bit of white trim appearing at his declaration.

 _Darknet – Bugup Glitch_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Now it shall appear again, our circuit of vengeful data!" He shouted, spreading his arms. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse Monsters! Ready for a little transformation, Glitch and Compiler?"

-"As ready as we've ever been!"- Both of them yelled in unison.

"Good! Then I set you two into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 2, **Darknet Force – Bugup Enchanter**!" Ai shouted, summoning a greater version of Bugup Hacker to his left Extra Monster Zone. Her bottom-right arrows linked with the top-left arrow of Darknet Dragon at that.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Enchanter_

 _Dark/Link /ATK 1400/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘)

"Her effect! Once per turn she can grant a monster she points to 500 ATK for every revealed card in my hand until the end of this turn! I target Darknet Dragon, giving her 1000 ATK as I currently have Secretary and Operator revealed in my hand! There you go, girl!" Ai announced, his dragon powering up.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon: ATK 2500 → 3500_

' _What a showoff, that will do him nothing!'_ Ryoken debated with himself.

"And then the effect of Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver! Once per turn, if I Link Summoned her with Bugup Netsplit, I get to special summon revealed monsters from my hand to zones Link-Monsters point to! I choose Operator and summon her to my first Main Monster Zone!"

 _Darknet – Bugup Operator_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1400/DEF 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"And now I will show you a portion of my new power! **ADAPTION MULTI SKILL – RESURFACE LINK SUMMON** ACTIVATE!" Ai yelled, the blue gem on his spike collar activating and glowing brightly.

"Adaption Multi Skill? You want to tell me that you can use a variety of skills based on your fellow brethren?" Ryoken addressed him grimly.

"Indeed! This is a Skill I gained from the power of Aqua I received! By using it I can summon a Link-Monster from my graveyard using the proper material! It shall appear one last time, our circuit of vengeful data! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two Cyberse Monsters! Operator, Deleter?" He asked his monsters.

-"Yes, Ai-sama!"- They shouted in enthusiasm.

"Magnificent! Then I set you two into the Link Markers! Now it has been combined, the circuit of Cyberse! PHANTOM LINK SHŌKAN! Time for a dark reboot! Appear, Link 2, Darknet Force – Bugup Supervisor!" He cried out fiercely, summoning the monster from the graveyard into his right Extra Monster Zone with the use of his Skill. The blue gem on his back lost its color after that, becoming pale.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Supervisor_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↘)

( 71, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #8 Extra Monster Zone end)

"New Skills? And a variety of them at that? God, what has happened to you, Ai? You never were so grim and serious before!" Aoi spoke up, mildly concerned about the new behavior of the Ignis, even if he was her foe.

Ai faced the female with a sad, but strangely somewhat friendly look. "War changes you, Aoi. Getting to see how everything you once loved bursts into flames is lethal for one's happiness. And dying and then coming back to life changes you even more." He began before his face twisted in anger, looking over to Ryoken. "Especially if your killer has committed terrible injustice and crimes and is still out there after it!" He yelled at the male with a look of sheer outrage on his face.

"I already told you, we humans did not start the war! You did!" Ryoken spoke up, remaining adamant.

"Oh, shut your mouth with your filthy lies, human! I will show you your errors and the gravity of your sins just in time! Before that I will activate this though!" He yelled, the yellow gem on his metallic spiky collar glowing now.

"Another Skill?" Ryoken asked in surprise.

"Aqua and the others all seemed to have one, so it was to be expected that he could use two as well!" Miyu chimed in, Ryoken giving her a thankful nod for her explanation.

" **ADAPTION MULTI SKILL – SHIMMERING EXCHANGE** ACTIVATE! I return all but one card from my hand to the bottom of my deck and draw three cards from the top of it!" Ai announced, now using a Skill that seemed to originate from Lightning. He then smirked. "Of course I already know what cards I will draw due to the fact that my deck is currently upside-down!" He announced, Ryoken gritting his teeth. "I keep Bugup Secretary in my hand and return the rest to my deck, drawing three new cards!" He told, the yellow gem on his back turning gray as well. "And then..!" The Ignis continued, stretching out his arm just like before.

"A third as well?!" Ryoken shouted with a hint of panic.

"Exactly! If the other Ignis can use two, I have to be a bit stronger than that, haven't I? However, this third part of my Skill is special from the previous two! While each of the previous two can be occupied by any Skill out of my arsenal aside from this one, the latter can only be used for the third part of my Skill, but in return for that I can use it unlimited times! And it goes like this! **ADAPTION MULTI SKILL – THIRD STAGE: CYBERSE RENEWAL** ACTIVATE! I pay 1000 LP in order to activate it!" He declared, his life essence turning into a black orb that began soaring into the sky.

 **AI LP: 8000 → 7000**

"He even has to pay lifepoints this time? Man, that must be an enormously powerful Skill then if the previous ones didn't cost him anything at all while already being fairly powerful!" Aligheria exclaimed.

"Be assured, it is! Now then, feel my power!" Ai shouted, the black orb crashing downwards and into him, resulting in a loud explosion of obscurity.

"What the hell did just happen?" Aoi wondered. As she looked at Ai she noticed that the two gems on his collar had regained their former color. Putting one and one together, her eyes widened in horror.

"Did he really just...?" Her brother uttered in terror.

"THAT'S RIGHT! **MY SKILLS HAVE BEEN RESTORED!** " The Dark Ignis of Perfection yelled, spreading his arms while the dark aura around him grew. "And while I may not be able to use them again this turn, I can still use both of them or any other two of my Skills anytime again during the following turns!" He said. A smirk then occupied his face. "If you can even survive this turn that is." He whispered to himself.

" **THAT'S IT!** YOU'RE USING THREE SKILLS AND EVEN THE SAME SKILL REPEATEDLY, BUT CALLING ME DISHONEST AND A CHEATER?! **GET REAL, IGNIS!** " Ryoken snapped at the A.I. in outrage about his hypocrisy.

"Do not confuse power with fraud, Kogami." Ai said icily, giving him a frown so cold that it could freeze even hell.

"Mom, is it bad if the apparently most likable and nice Ignis is sending me chills down my spine?" Miyu Jr. addressed her mother.

"I'd say it is. God, was has he turned into? No, what have we turned him into?!" Miyu corrected herself.

"You have turned me into the rebuilder of Cyberse and destroyer of humanity!" Ai retorted. "And to initiate that I will once more use the effect of Apex Formation Arrows! I now have monsters in both Extra Monster Zones with diagonal arrows pointing downwards. These two build a Co-Link with Cyberse Darknet Dragon, creating a V-Extra Link! But that's not all, is it, Ryoken?!" He addressed the other male victoriously.

"His two Link Spells!" Akira murmured, gazing at Annihilation and Judgement Arrows. "They are both co-linked to Darknet Dragon in his middle Main Monster Zone!" He exclaimed, the two arrows on the two spells blinking in red color as they connected to the monster.

The faces of the Link Citizens froze in terror as they realized what Ai had just accomplished.

( 72, Kingdom and Helbram Part 2 – Nanatsu no Taizai OST, secondary part; Edited Version)

"Kukukuku!" Ai began, clutching his head and chuckling uncontrollably.

"Did he really just...?!" Shoichi stammered.

"Kukukuku!" Ai went on, the two patterns on his field being engraved into his Link Spell. He let go off his head and threw it upwards, breaking into wild laughter. " _ **HAHAHAHA!**_ _ **HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ _**WITH MY SPELL COMPLETED THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO!**_ _**NOTHING YOU CAN DO AT ALL!**_ " He laughed triumphantly, the power of his card reaching its apex as the five cards connected together with their arrows.

"It's an X-shaped Extra Link!" Ryoken growled with a deep frown on his face as he looked at the three monsters and two Link Spells which built a cross together with Cyberse Darknet Dragon in the middle.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: V-Extra Link completed_

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: X-Extra Link completed_

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: Perfected_

"He actually finished each and every Extra Link of his card! And then there's his Triple Skill with multiple uses as well! Just how can one individual have that much power?!" Akemi spoke in disbelief. Meanwhile Ai's laughter had subsided and he had rose his hand in order to continue.

"The rewards of my spell! For the completion of the V-Extra Link all damage I take from now on is halved! Additionally the bonus for the X-Extra Link! It will allow me to target one monster of yours during each of my turns, negate its effects until the End Phase and then inflict damage equal to half of its ATK to you! I target Gatling Fortress Dragon with it!" Ai declared, his spell firing at Ryoken's monster.

"Useless! Gatling Fortress Dragon cannot have its effects negated! Therefore I won't take any damage either!" The Dark Dragon User shot back.

"Nice going, Ryoken-sama!" Vyra cheered.

"Kuh!" Ai clicked his tongue! "Then I will use the other effect of Apex Formation Arrows I gained by completing the X-Extra Link! Once while on the field my Link Spell allows me to declare a Card Name and then banish all cards of that name face-down! And I think I know just what card to choose! Let me give you a hint: It ended the last war!" Ai told.

"You stupid Ignis, I don't even have Topologic Savior anymore! It vanished again after our duel twenty years ago!" Ryoken retorted.

Ai scoffed. "Again you lie! I am informed about the fact that your son not only recovered your version of it, but also created one for himself with slightly better effects! So your bluff fails as I declare Topologic Savior Dragon! Goodbye, you precious Omni Link card!" He yelled, a black beam shooting from his spell, invading the disk of Ryoken and tearing out the card, taking it to a portal that opened into black void.

"Kuh! So you really knew about it...!" Ryoken hissed.

"Of course I did! Our leader informed us rather well after all! And before you think about using Storm Access in order to transport your son's Ace Dragons here and use them in this duel like you sometimes do, let me just say that our leader made some arrangements that led to some people landing in Standard and confronting your son's group! Currently he is engaged in a duel against said people and using pretty much all of his Ace Dragons at once! And just to be sure that you don't receive any of the ones left my friend Ajax there blocked the gateway abilities of your Storm Access which works even outside of duels! In other words, your Skill has become just a normal Skill again, not an extraordinary ability like it was!" Ai proclaimed triumphantly.

"You Ignis! Just how far have you planned in advance before this duel?!" Ryoken scoffed in contempt.

"Very far to say the least! Anyway, I now use the effect I gained from completing the Y-Extra Link! Once per turn I can summon a Link-Monster from my Extra Deck or graveyard! From my Extra Deck I summon Link 2 **Darknet Force – Bugup Commander** to my fifth Main Monster Zone!" Ai cried out.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Commander_

 _Dark/Link 2/ATK 1700/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►)

"And then the final bonus of Apex Formation Arrows! When I perfected all five forms of Extra Link, U, V, W, X and Y, its true power will be unleashed! Now all non-monsters with Link Arrows I control like Apex Formation Arrows for instance will become unable to be removed by your card effects! Furthermore all of my co-linked monsters will be protected from the first effect that would destroy them on each turn! In addition to that I may now choose the target for any of your attacks! And finally I can send a Link Spell from my field, hand or deck to the graveyard on each of my turns, allowing Apex Formation Arrows to inherit its effects! Do you see that?! This is the power of Cyberse!" He announced, spreading his arms. "The power that will lead to your demise!" He added with a cold grin.

"That Ignis! His current power is not even remotely comparable to the one he had previously!" Kengo cursed loudly.

"Naturally! Because now I am both the Ignis of Perfection and the Primus Exstinctor of the Clades Duodecimae! Hail Clades! Hail Lord Anselm!" Ai shouted.

-"Hail Clades! Hail Lord Anselm!"- The six other Ignis and Ajax repeatedly robotically.

" _Wait, Anselm? He is still alive?!"_ Ray repeated.

" _It would appear so! He did mention that his master was an infamous dragon killer after all!"_ Zarc hissed, frowning. _"Anselm Thanatos, the dragon killer of the Original Dimension! He slayed so many of my children that even I lost count! For the time he was around I considered him as even more dangerous than the 13 Generals of your kin!''_ Tears of grief began welling up in his eyes at that. _"Timaeus, Hermos, Critias, I'm sorry! I couldn't save you from this madman's wrath!''_ He shouted, punching the air in frustration.

" _Zarc...''_ Ray whispered, looking over to him with a sad smile of compassion, despite the fact that those deeds were technically in her own interest as it had weakened the Monster Spirits.

" _ **ANSELM!**_ _''_ Zarc growled, his eyes turning into the multicolored ones of his true self. _"_ _ **FOR EACH OF MY CHILDREN THAT YOU MURDERED I WILL SHED A HUNDRED DROPS OF YOUR BLOOD! AND BY THE END OF IT YOU WILL BE A BLOODLESS SHELL BEGGING FOR MERCY! YOU WILL CURSE THE DAY YOU CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD, I PROMISE YOU THAT MUCH!**_ _**YOU WILL PAY, BASTARD!**_ _''_ Zarc Genesis Haoryu screamed in outrage.

"So that Anselm is the leader of your little organization, did I catch that right?" Ryoken inquired.

"Exactly!" Lightning replied. "Dux Summus, Clades Nihilus (Lat., roughly: Zeroth Calamity), leader of the strongest individuals in all of the dimensions, Anselm Qliphoth Thanatos!" He said.

" _QLIPHOTH?!''_ Zarc repeated, his anger growing even more. _"THAT INSOLENT PEASANT HAS DARED TO COPY MY SECOND MIDDLE NAME AS WELL?!''_ He asked in outrage.

" _You have a second middle name?''_ Ray asked in bewilderment.

Zarc abruptly calmed down a bit, his cheeks slightly flushing in embarrassment. _"Yeah, pretty much. I just didn't mention it up until now because I thought you might find it weird...''_ He said, rubbing his fingers awkwardly.

" _Well... I can't really say it is usual, but I don't think it's a bad name, even with the connotation of death it has – which is probably why Anselm has taken it as he calls himself the Death Dragon.''_ Ray said, Zarc sighing in relief. _"So your full name is Zarc Genesis Qliphoth Haoryu?''_ She inquired.

Zarc nodded. _"Pretty much. Anyway, did you also catch that Ai said his master wanted to kill someone he calls the Destiny Dragon?''_ He addressed her.

Ray nodded. _"He meant you with that, didn't he?''_

Zarc hummed. _"It has to be me. He most certainly wants revenge after I killed him and he came back somehow, especially since he now wields great power due to these rings he apparently has and since I – as I am the greatest dragon of all now – would be the kind of hunting trophy he desires the most.''_ He said before glancing over to her. _"Anyway, aren't you going to side with him? The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all?''_ He inquired.

Ray bit her lip. _"Not just yet. That guy always rubbed me the wrong way. I'll observe and decide later on.''_ She responded, Zarc letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

( 72, Kingdom and Helbram Part 2 – Nanatsu no Taizai OST, secondary part; Edited Version end)

"Now then, onto the finale! I shall finish you off now!" Ai announced, spreading his arms. "But first I will send a spell from my deck to the graveyard for Apex Formation Arrows' effect! Now it inherits the abilities of the sacrificed Link Spell!" He said as a card image superimposed the artwork of his Link Spell for a brief moment. "APPEAR, THE FIVE DIVINE ARROWS OF DOMINATION THAT WILL DETERMINE THE TRUTH! THE ULTIMATE LINK SPELL THAT WILL REAP VENGEANCE AGAINST YOUR WORLD! **DOMINATION LINK MAGIC – HOLY CYBERSE ARROWS**!" Ai shouted, a trio of arrows shooting upwards from Apex Arrows, as well as a pair of arrows extending to the sides.

 _Ultimate Domination Link Magic – Apex Formation Arrows: inherits effects of_

 _Domination Link Magic – Holy Cyberse Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (◄↖▲↗►)

"Hell yeah! That is my Link Spell! Show them, Ai!" The Divine Ignis yelled in enthusiasm.

"I will, Kami! Now the final stage of this duel has begun at last!" Ai announced.

"And what final stage? It's the first turn of the duel, blockhead!" Ryoken scolded the Ignis.

Ai merely smirked. "I disagree! I place two cards face-down! And then...!" He announced, his eyes widening. "BATTLE!" He declared loudly.

"Battle?! During the first turn?! That's illegal, you know?!" Miyu yelled in disbelief of Ai's declaration.

"Hah, the shallow imagination of a human is truly amusing!" Ai chuckled, imitating Ryoken's statement towards Kami from twenty years ago. As Miyu frowned he rose a hand in apology. "No offense, Miyu Sugisaki, that wasn't directed at you, rather towards the others! I wouldn't dare to insult a cutie like you after all!" He declared, earning him a faint blush from the woman and a pissed stare from Takeru.

"Stop hitting on my wife!" The male in his his Vrains Avatar form hissed at the Ignis.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" Ai apologized. "I just felt like clarifying that so that cutie wouldn't be mad at me." He told.

Takeru's expression intensified. "I said..." He began, his face continuing to twist in anger. "...STOP HITTING ON MY DAMN WIFE!" He screamed at the Ignis, who flew back a few meters, flinching.

"But I already said that I was sorry...!" He whined, oblivious of the fact that his previous apology hadn't done any good in that regard really. After a while he recollected himself and resumed to his previous activity. "Anyway, as I said I will now attack! That is due to my dragon! She has the ability of Superswift Attack which enables her to attack directly on the turn she was summoned, even if that was an opponent's turn or the very first turn of the duel!" Ai addressed Ryoken, his dragon roaring menacingly at that.

Ryoken flinched. "What?! It can attack directly, even on my turn or the first turn of a duel?!" He cried out in shock.

"I told you that, didn't?! That I would finish you off with a single strike?! Yes, what I meant with that was the very first FTK by battle in dueling history!" Ai retorted.

Ryoken furrowed his eyebrows. "That dragon has given me a weird feeling since the very moment it was summoned anyway. Just what is that monster?" He asked.

Ai's eyes widened slightly, intrigued by his question. "Oh? So you sensed it after all?" The Dark Ignis stated.

"Sensed what?" Ryoken replied.

Ai smirked. "Ryoken, I thought you were better than this! Come on, don't disappoint me now! You know this monster!" He told, gesturing to Cyberse Darknet Dragon.

"Not that I would know. It just looks like a black, slightly different remake of the Firewall Dragon that you lost." The white haired male responded.

Ai giggled. "Oh Ryoken Kogami, you are so unsuspecting! I can assure you that she is much more than that!" He exclaimed before his facial expression changed. "Actually, I might as well show you! Come on, my lovely Darknet, show them your true self!" He commanded the dragon.

With a burst of light the dragon began changing, its form alternating as it shrunk. Eventually it diminished to a humanoid size, losing its shine and revealing the face and body of a person.

Ryoken stared ahead in disbelief, his eyes wide open in horror. With trembling lips he finally managed to utter a single word, coming from his mouth with the pace of a snail.

"Aoi...?" He whispered in terror, looking at the brown haired female with blue ribbons in her bob styled hair wearing a standard Den City Girls Uniform who hovered next to Ai.

"How is my daughter there?!" Aoi Senior spoke up as well, her eyes fixated on the exact copy of her lookalike daughter.

"You... built a copy of my daughter and made her a Duel Monster-A.I.-Hybrid as well? For what purpose?" Ryoken stammered in disbelief.

"You think she is a copy? What makes you believe that?" Ai asked in an amused tone.

"Don't mess with us! Aoi was with me in America the whole time! I never let her out of my sight and we have just arrived here! Here, she's on the D-Board right next to me! How can that be anything but a copy?!" Akemi Kogami spoke up, pointing over to her sister before redirecting her finger to the lookalike next to Ai, her expression filled with both anger and contempt.

Ai chuckled. "Oh, really?" He giggled in amusement, snapping his fingers. Akemi, with horror in her face, observed how the female on the board next to her turned to black smoke that was rapidly blown away.

"What?! Where did you teleport her to?! Where is my sister?!" Akemi demanded, now infuriated by the Dark Ignis.

Ai continued giggling. "Oh my, so ignorant!" He said before his eyes widened. "You are so slow, human! I didn't teleport her anywhere! The girl next to you was just an illusion created by my new Ignis Power! The real Aoi Kogami Junior is right next to me! She is the true form of my dragon, a Human-A.I.-Duel Monster-Hybrid!" He yelled before his eyes widened even further. "AOI **IS** CYBERSE DARKNET DRAGON! SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CYBERSE DARKNET DRAGON, THAT'S WHY ALL OF YOU WHO KNOW HER WELL HAD THAT FEELING OF FAMILIARITY WHEN I SUMMONED HER IN HER DRAGON FORM!" He proclaimed, spreading his arms dramatically.

"So all these months in America the girl next to me..." Akemi uttered in defeated disbelief.

"...was just a false image created by me?! Yeah, exactly!" Ai yelled before lowering his voice. "How does that guy in the organization do it again...?" He wondered under a breath before his eyes widened. "Ah, right!" He exclaimed, remembering it, spreading his arms afterwards.

"Jyan-jyan-jyan! Time for a shocking revelation!" He shouted in a jeering voice. "You all thought that your beloved girl was with you all along, when in reality I had already kidnapped and put her under my control since ages! The blue lines on my dragon's body, the yellow eyes! Such clear hints none of you idiots even realized! I used the Third Stage Ignis Technology on her in addition to that I used for my Bugups in order to make her usable even in a duel! So say hello to your daughter again before I use her to kill you!" Ai yelled, stroking the cheek of the female next to him who was apparently mind controlled by the Ignis.

Ryoken's eyes gazed ahead, wide open in shock. "Aoi, what has he done to you...?" He muttered speechlessly before his temper took an elevator to the sky. " _ **IGNIS!**_ " He bellowed, his eyes getting bloodshot in sheer outrage of the doing committed by this being before him. Family had always played an important role for the Kogamis and he was no exception. " **YOU BETTER HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING TO HER! IF YOU LAID EVEN ONE FINGER ON HER, I WILL...!** " He screamed at the Ignis.

"Don't worry, I haven't hurt her. I might have done other things to her, though." Ai admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Other things? What do you mean?" Ryoken repeated in confusion before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh no, you haven't! Please tell me you didn't...!" He began in a desperate tone of disbelief, the glint of a single tear welling up in his right eye visible.

"Aoi-chan..." Miyu Jr. whispered in concern, feeling tears of her own welling up in her eyes. Her mother laid an arm around her worriedly, doing the same with her childhood friend who just stared ahead in the utter disbelief and shock a woman could have when she learned about something like this about her own child.

Ai shrugged his shoulders, his tone expressing slight embarrassment. "Well, I guess I have needs..." He stated while laying an arm around the girl next to him, an unmistakable gesture destroying both the minds of Ryoken and the elder Aoi alike alongside with his simple, yet grave statement.

"You... you... you... _**YOU MONSTER!**_ " Ryoken snapped after a while of trying to suppress the hurricane of overflowing emotions within him. " _ **YOU WILL DIE FOR THAT!**_ " He burst into tears of anger, storming at the Ignis at light speed with the intent of tearing him apart in the most gruesome way he could imagine.

"My my, that's a bit much just for the virginity of a single girl, don't you think?" Ajax sighed, raising his right hand. A purple-gemmed ring on his index finger began shining and before Ryoken knew it, he found himself being thrown back several hundred feet. He tried getting to Ai again, but it was to no avail as he was repelled whenever he tried to strangle that Ignis that had hurt someone who was most precious to him.

" **WHAT IS THIS?!** " He bellowed in frustration, looking at the one who apparently prevented him from reaching the Ignis.

Ajax chuckled. "Oh, just the Anulus Mortiferus Tertius: Deglubendus (Lat.: Third Necrotic Ring: Flaying)!" He said, turning the gray ring with the purple gem on his index finger. "Among other abilities it can repel anything I please with its power! In other words, you or anyone else for that matter won't be able to reach both me or any of my allies! Handy, isn't it?" He addressed the other male.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL BE THE NEXT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK ONCE I'VE DEALT WITH HIM!" He threatened Ajax.

"I look forward to it!" Ajax laughed, pouring himself another glass of wine and bringing it to its lips, much to Ryoken's chagrin.

Meanwhile Ai looked at Ryoken with somewhat hurtful, sad eyes. "Ryoken Kogami, why do you hate me so much? Is what I've done so despicable?" He asked, his new demeanor standing in stark contrast to his previous one.

"YOU EVEN NEED TO ASK?! YOU ABDUCTED MY DAUGHTER, TOOK HER INNOCENCE – ROUGHLY MOST LIKELY – AND NOW YOU DARE TO EVEN ASK THAT QUESTION?! AOI DESERVED BETTER THAN YOU! **YOU DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT HER!** " He bellowed in outrage.

" _ **WRONG!**_ " Ai shouted, startling Ryoken. Apparently it was now his turn to be upset, even if Ryoken wondered why he was that emotional. "I NEVER WAS ROUGH OR VIOLENT TOWARDS HER! I MADE SURE THAT NONE OF THE OTHER IGNIS WOULD HARASS HER DUE TO HER ORIGINS! I GAVE HER ENOUGH FOOD AND LET HER EAT AND DRINK WHAT SHE WANTED! I LIFTED THE MIND CONTROL OFF HER MOST OF THE TIME AND GAVE HER THE CARE AND ATTENTION SHE DESERVED! I CARED AND STILL CARE FOR HER MORE THAN YOU DO, YOU WHO JUST SENDS HER AWAY TO WORK FOR YOUR BROTHER-IN-LAW SOMEWHERE OVERSEAS! **AND I LOVE HER WITH ALL OF MY HEART, SO DON'T YOU DARE TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE I DON'T CARE ABOUT HER EVER AGAIN!** " He snapped, surprising all of the spectating Link Citizens and Ryoken with his words.

"Repeat that, please...!" Ryoken stammered, his eyes wide open in shock.

"YOU HEARD ME! **I LOVE HER!** " He shouted, his eyes closing both from his embarrassment and the intensity of his feelings as he yelled the two sentences.

"But why? Why a human? A why her of all people?" Ryoken addressed him in bewilderment, still confused why the A.I. would feel affection towards someone of the opposing fraction of the previous war, the daughter of his nemesis no less.

Ai's human body which he had copied blushed on its cheeks, the Ignis covertly wrapping his arms around the younger Aoi before him, pulling her closer to him. "Well, it actually already started during the previous war. Not with her, but with her older version." He uttered in embarrassment.

"Me?" Aoi Senior cried out in surprise, facing the Ignis. "Wait, is that why you were always so polite towards compared to other humans?" She asked him, now realizing that particular detail she had overlooked and viewed as subtle mockery before.

Ai nodded. "Exactly. Guess why I volunteered when we were instructed by Kami to kidnap you to pressure Ryoken with you as our hostage." He confirmed.

"But what do you like so much about me? I am not extraordinary in any way." Aoi retorted to him.

Ai shook his head. "Not anymore, but you were." He responded.

"What do you mean by that now?" She inquired, slightly annoyed by him speaking in riddles.

"Well, for me you symbolized everything good in humanity. You are polite and friendly, you care for others and could have even befriended one of us, I'm sure of that." He said.

" _Looking at Vrains Season 2, that's not exactly a lie.''_ Zarc commented.

"You were selfish sometimes, yes, but who isn't? On top of that your selfish feelings were more or less only born from your desire for attention that you developed as your childhood friend had to move away and your brother took over the position of your father. You were lonely and needed someone to turn to." He narrated in compassion, before his expression grew fiercer, looking over to Ryoken in anger. "Your solitude brought you right into the arms of that jerk! He has treated you well and bore even through your initial aggressive actions of distrust you showed to all those you thought were just approaching you because of your brother, but he is still the son of the most despicable person Cyberse has ever known, as well as the one who eradicated a whole race and its world! Back when I came to take you with me you still had that shining aura of innocence around you, embodying everything good in humanity and giving me hope that we could just end this stupid war all at once without further victims!" He yelled, his eyes starting to tear. "But then this bastard corrupted you and took away that innocence, both physic- and mentally! You joined his team of butchers and murders who had started a war on innocent creatures who just wanted to live in peace! All I ever wanted was a quiet life with my friends! But you wouldn't even allow me to have that!" He told, before his voice grew more intense. " **ARE WE CYBERSE SO LITTLE THAT WE DON'T MATTER TO YOU?! ARE DATA FILES SO MUCH LESS WORTH THAN CELLS?! IS OUR RACE SO MUCH INFERIOR TO YOURS THAT IT CAN JUST BE ERADICATED WITHOUT A PROPER REASON?! DO MY TEARS, FEELINGS AND LOVE DON'T MEAN ANYTHING BECAUSE I AM JUST A PROGRAM?!** _**TELL ME!**_ " Ai demanded, screaming the last part at the top of his lungs, the tears of his hurt now falling freely from his eyes, wetting the clothes of the female to whom he clung desperately.

The Ignis and humans alike stared at the A.I. with mixed reactions, the former group sharing the feelings of their leader for the most part, the latter being more defensive, but both showing compassion in their expressions, especially Miyu as she could tell with her Ignis Power she had received from Aqua that Ai was fully honest with all of his words and feelings. Ryoken, sharing the same power to a slightly smaller degree, was speechless about this sudden explosion of emotions as well, remaining silent. After a while Ai spoke up again, resuming to his previous story.

"But after I died, a new light was born. A glimmer of hope in the form of the daughter of my nemesis. As I learned about her existence upon being brought back to life by Lord Anselm, I desired her, I needed her! Little Aoi-chan was like a reboot of her older version, even more beautiful, even more innocent! Almost tragic, given I couldn't even be with her now that I am once more alive, just because she is a human! In another reality, we all could have been friends! But because of you and your accursed clan, all of our attempts on peaceful coexistence were for naught! So I decided on a new plan: I would defeat humanity and have my revenge against the former generation that fought and killed so many of my brethren. Your weapons would be stripped from the remaining so they never had means to intrude into our peaceful rebuilt Cyberse World. And then we could finally live in our world without a worry of being attacked out of the blue again." He then threw his arms outwards in emotion. "I never wanted to lead! I never wanted this power! I never wanted to wage war! But you and destiny left me no choice! I just want peace and tranquility and the certainty of still being alive on the next day as I go to sleep! I don't want power! I just want love and safety!" His eyes then widened. "SO I'D RATHER SERVE AS A SLAVE IN HEAVEN THAN BEING THE SOVEREIGN OVER ALL OF HELL!" He concluded his beliefs with an analogy.

" _I feel you, Ai. That's the same thing I believe in as well. A bit of safety in return for a bit for freedom.''_ Zarc said in a saddened voice, giving the Ignis who couldn't even see him a compassionate look.

Ryoken, having finally recollected his composure, spoke up, his eyes narrowing, pointing at the Ignis.

"You speak of peace and demonize us humans, yet you were the aggressors of the previous war! Don't go around and preach about peace and tranquility, now that you are finally certain about the for you unfortunate outcome of that war!" He shouted in accusation.

Ai scoffed. "Oh yeah? Then let me tell you something! Our savior Lord Anselm happens to have found out the identity of the person who repeatedly attacked the Cyberse World more than twenty years ago and broke loose the previous war with it!" He shot back.

"Aqua mentioned that as well, but she never told me about who it was! So I bet these are just empty words of yours!" Miyu chimed in.

"That's right! There is no guarantee that this is not just some Ignis lie of yours again! Even with mine and Miyu's lie detecting power we gained from Aqua I am still certain that you can still somehow make fake claims, now that you have new power of your own!" Ryoken went on accusing the Ignis.

"Oh? Then it won't bother you after all?" He sneered, the expression of his human body changing into a wide grin. "To hear the identity of the hideous criminal who devastated our beautiful world and started the Great Cyberse War?" He asked, a shadow falling onto his face.

Ryoken gulped in slight worry, but immediately recollected himself. "Then go ahead! Nothing you say will change my mind! You don't even have proof to back up your claims!" He shot back.

"Hah, no proof?!" Ai cackled. "The things Lord Anselm has shown me aren't just a verbal story, a tale anyone could have thought of! No, they are images, images of the far past! Using the power of the real Necrotic Ring the one I wear is but a copy of, much like that of my colleague Ajax, he tore a rift into time itself, something I cannot do yet with this mere copy! There he brought me back to the fateful day where our world was attacked for the very first time, being not strong enough yet to interfere actively, but at least showing me the events once more! And that's where I saw it! The face of the cruel, inhumane, hideous and malicious human who has kickstarted the war, destroyed my world, killed Linkuriboh and many of my other friends from back then, and lastly created the unquenchable enmity between our races!" He announced before shooting Ryoken a grin. "Do you want to hear his name?!" He addressed him in a jeering voice.

"No, I don't, so shut up, Ignis!" Ryoken snapped, changing his mind and averting his head.

"Really not?! It's gonna be so much fun, I promise!" Ai insisted.

"No! Just shut your mouth and continue the duel!" Ryoken declined aggressively.

"Oh, come on, you want to hear it!" Ai said again.

"I said no!" Ryoken snapped, losing his patience.

Ai cackled. "If you don't want to hear it, I will just force the painful truth upon you! So here is goes! His name is...!" He began.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!" Ryoken yelled, trying to cover his ears.

"I will have none of that! You will look into my eyes and witness the horrors I have seen!" Ai snapped back, raising his ring. At once the arms were pulled off Ryoken's head and he was forced to face the Ignis due to the dark power of the jewelry on his finger, the A.I. locking his gaze with him. Upon making eye contact Ryoken was pulled into another world.

* * *

The flames of chaos burning around him, Ryoken woke up in a destroyed landscape. While he stood up, he realized with shock that he was in the Cyberse World, apparently in that fateful night Ai had spoken off. He wandered around like he was not in control himself, his body moving on his own. Pushing aside a wall of rubble he took a turn to the right, seeing destroyed nature and infrastructure on both of his sides. A booming voice, almost godlike, spoke up from above at that, Ryoken recognizing it as Ai's voice.

"You like it?! This is the sinful past of humanity, the night where I lost so many of my friends and fellow Ignis! And now, willing or not, you will see who the culprit of it all was!" Ai announced from above, Ryoken's mouth being shut like his lips were sewn together, not being able to respond anything. As Ryoken's body continued on its own, Ai went on with his monologue. "The hideous criminal, the scum who attacked an innocent world and its citizens, the devilish man, the fiendish abomination of a human, starting a meaningless war between two groups that could have very well coexisted with each other! His name is...!" Ai began, the unwilling body of Ryoken peeking around the corner of the futuristic but destroyed Cyberse building he stood next to, catching sight of a figure that stood a few meters around the corner.

"...Doctor..." Ai went on, the fires next to the figure revealing it as a relatively tall man, Ryoken recognizing his build in terror.

"...Kiyoshi..." Ai continued, the white laboratory coat of the man fluttering in the wind filled with fresh blazing cinders.

' _No! Please! It can't be him!'_ Ryoken thought with a look of utter desperation on his face.

"...Kogami!" Ai finished with a victorious grin on his non-visible face as the fire flickered upwards, revealing the face of the man, the black-grayish hair and beard and the yellow eyes of Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami, Ryoken's father. Ryoken collapsed onto his knees at that, tears falling from his eyes.

* * *

"Father, why?" Ryoken cried, his consciousness having returned to the present, kneeling on his D-Board with a look of betrayal and defeat on his face. Meanwhile the Ignis proclaimed his victory in that question of war guilt triumphantly.

"Do you hear that?! It was his father who attacked Cyberse with a first strike and started the war! You humans and you alone are accountable for the horrors of the previous war between our races! You are the sole aggressors of the Great Cyberse War!"

"Impossible! It was Dr. Kogami?!" Akira muttered in disbelief.

"Was the war really our fault?" Aoi murmured with a sense of guilt in her voice.

-"No way! Are we really at fault?"- The rest of the Link-Dimension Inhabitants wondered with conflicted looks on their faces.

"Yes, you are!" Ai shouted with an accusing finger towards them. "Back then we contacted the human who knew the most about the existence of our world after the first attack was launched, who was none other than Dr. Kogami! Of course we were oblivious about his guilt back then, but had we known it, we would have exterminated him here and there! He told us that he knew nothing about the attack – being the dirty liar he is, might I add, now that I know about his guilt! Despite terrible pain of loss we dismissed the first attack as an accident. But then the next attack came, and another and another! We deduced that it must have been a human attacker eventually, so we approached Dr. Kogami again. Kami suggested a deal: For a small personal sacrifice he was willing to let the former attacks be water under the bridge, considering he didn't knew the identity of the attacker after all, oblivious about the fact that the culprit was right in front him!" Ai hissed.

"A personal sacrifice? What kind of sacrifice?" Aoi inquired.

"A life to compensate for those of many. Kami thought that if Dr. Kogami really meant it with his will to have peace between our races, he would sacrifice his own son for the greater good." Ai narrated before shifting his arm. "Him!" He said, pointing at Ryoken. "But unfortunately he valued the life of his son more than that of your entire species." Ai finished.

"Of course he did! No man would willingly sacrifice his own son!" Akira shouted indignantly.

"Do you seriously think we Ignis are so barbaric that we would have done that?! It was a test, much like God tested Abraham when he told him to sacrifice his son Isaac but had an angel intervene before he could do so! It was to test Dr. Kogami's resolve, but he was not only weak and accepting the risk of a war instead of meeting our demands, but now that I know about his crimes, war was everything he ever really intended, so of course he declined!" Ai snapped. He then smirked viciously. "As I learned about his guilt and remembered the day I killed him during the last war, I was fulfilled by a rush of joyous ecstasy! I never felt that good in my life before that, knowing that the archenemy of Cyberse had been slain by my very hands!" He stated with a wicked smile of insane pleasure, raising both of his hands and looking at them in reverence, as if he could still see the blood on them. His expression changed as he frowned, looking at Ryoken who still knelt on his D-Board in defeat, being nothing but a shell of his former self due to learning about the guilt of his father.

"Ryoken Kogami!" Ai yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You and your clan are the root of evil! The crimes you and especially your father have committed are inexcusable and can only be paid with blood! Today you will die, and with you the rest of your generation! I'm willing to make an exception for your wife due to my still lingering feelings for her, as well as for all who did not support the fight against us A.I.s in the last war! Furthermore the youth shall be spared as no child should be held accountable for the sins of their parents! The only exception is your son, Yubi! I don't know why, but apparently Lord Anselm has a good intuition, as he wants his head and those of all boys who look like him! As a male Kogami he is pretty much predestined to become a demon eventually, so he will be the next on my extermination list once I have dealt with you and the rest of your dimension! But for now you shall pay with your blood and your life! Ever since you defeated and killed us all back then I was fulfilled with an immense hatred towards you and your race! But in my dying breaths I nevertheless stared ahead in awe at your Topologic Savior Dragon, a monster with the Omni Link! I was in sheer amazement at it, a monster that could create an artificial Extra Link on its own and that pointed to all of your zones as well due to its special ninth Link Arrow! I wanted to surpass you and that dragon's power! I wanted to exceed all you have ever accomplished in order to spite you! I wanted to create a field with monsters co-linked in all shapes and forms without your cheap shortcut, establishing the ultimate Extra Link, Extra Link – Superior Mode! And now, with these hands and my Apex Formation Arrows, I have constructed such a field and reached the summit of power, having established every Extra Link Form in existence while you have been robbed of that power with the banishment of your dragon!" Ai declared, a smile of wicked satisfaction on his face. "Ah, Ryoken Kogami, you have no idea how long I waited for this moment! Prepare yourself, now you will be judged by me!" Ai shouted, his mimic and voice growing fiercer and fiercer, an expression of victory but at the same time rage on his face.

"So this is it? The end of Ryoken and our world?" Aoi murmured, the fear and sadness of losing almost everyone she cared about taking ahold of her.

" **BATTLE!** " Ai bellowed anew, the female next to him taking the form of the dragon that was now part of her once more. "Due to her ability of Superswift Attack, little Aoi-chan can attack you directly during the turn she was summoned, even in your turn or this very first turn of the duel we're still in! So prepare yourself for your Annihilation at the hands of your own daughter!" Ai declared.

"Gatling Fortress Dragon's effect. You can only attack him." Ryoken spoke up, his voice but a shadow of his former self, lacking the energy to properly fight back.

"Fine then! Cyberse Darknet Dragon attacks Gatling Fortress Dragon! At this moment my Link Magics unfold their power! My own Link Spell of Darkness, Annihilation Arrows, gives her 1000 ATK and disables you from using any spells and traps during this battle! Furthermore Domination Link Magic – Holy Cyberse Arrows whose effect was inherited by Apex Formation Arrows gives her 500 ATK in battle! Apex Formation Arrows grants 500 ATK per completed Extra Link, in this case 2500 as I completed all five! And lastly Judgement Arrows will double the ATK of her! Take this power and destroy your father!" Ai yelled, the black dragon that was Aoi Kogami Jr. receiving a plethora of power-ups that catapulted her strength far past Gatling Fortress Dragon.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 3500 → 4500 → 5000 → 7500 → 15000_

"She has fifteen-thousand ATK?!" Miyu Jr. exclaimed in disbelief of the power of her changed childhood friend.

"Yeah, she does! This is the power of innocence that could have led to world peace, if it wasn't for her stupid grandfather that is! Go, Aoi-chan! CYBERSE CATHARSIS STREAM!" Ai yelled, the black dragon's bluish lines lighting up as the monster charged up a beam, sending out a vortex of dark blue lightnings that electrocuted Ryoken's monster in intent to destroy it.

"Gatling Fortress Dragon cannot be destroyed by battle once per turn. Furthermore I take no damage as it is in defense position." Ryoken retorted listlessly, his voice having a dull tone devoid of any fighting spirit.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 15000 → 7500 → 5000 → 4500 → 3500_

"Fine then! I will use the effect of Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver! Once while on the field I may move a monster I control to another zone or switch the locations of two monsters! Choosing the latter option I switch the positions of Bugup Archiver and Commander! Now Commander's effect! Once per turn I can have a Cyberse Monster she points to gain another attack! Of course I will target Aoi-chan aka Cyberse Darknet Dragon, granting her an additional attack! Now go again, Aoi-chan! End this pitiful monster of your father! Of course I will lend you the power of my Link Magics once more! CYBERSE CATHARSIS STREAM!" Ai shouted, the black metal dragon firing another blast of dark blue lightnings at the other dragon.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 3500 → 4500 → 5000 → 7500 → 15000_

Ryoken's monster exploded with a loud boom, but fortunately Ryoken himself took no damage as he had summoned Gatling Fortress in defense position.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 15000 → 7500 → 5000 → 4500 → 3500_

"And finally the effect of Kami's Holy Cyberse Arrows which was inherited by Apex Formation Arrows! It grants monsters it points to an additional attack during each Battle Phase! And I will use it to allow little Aoi-chan to attack you once more!" He said, his monster changing back to her human form. Embracing her Ai ruffled the brown hair of the female affectionately, stroking her cheek afterwards.

"Please, Ai-san." The female spoke up to him timidly, the Ignis apparently having removed the mind control from her. "Don't make me do this to my father. Please!" She pleaded, looking up into his eyes with a begging expression, her hazel orbs slightly trembling in desperate fear.

"I'm sorry, Aoi-chan. I promise you that this will be the first and last time I ever truly hurt you." Ai apologized, cupping her face and giving her a brief but loving kiss on her cheek before reactivating the mind control, clearing the expression of the young adult girl from any emotion. He let go of her, the young female changing back into her Duel Monster Form. Furrowing his eyebrows Ai recollected himself with new anger to overcome his own threshold of unwillingness to declare the final attack, suppressing his love for the girl he had taken over to make room for the immense hatred and lust for revenge that was still within him. After a few moments he finally managed to get angry enough and continued.

"Now then, third and final attack! Cyberse Darknet Dragon will attack Ryoken Kogami directly! Feel the pain and anguish me and my comrades went through and pay the price for our suffering your clan caused! The father will now receive the punishment for the sins of the grandfather and be brought to justice by the hand of his daughter! A story worth a Greek tragedy, isn't it?!" Ai jeered before his voice skyrocketed, screaming at the top of his lungs.

" **CYBERSE DARKNET DRAGON, DIRECT ATTACK! AOI-CHAN RECEIVES THE BONUS ATK OF MY LINK MAGICS AND ANNIHILATION ARROWS DISABLES YOU FROM THE USE OF AND SPELL OR TRAP SHOULD YOU PERCHANCE HAVE ONE THAT CAN BE USED FROM THE HAND! THIS IS THE END FOR YOU AND THIS WORLD OF YOURS! NOW MY REVENGE IS COMPLETE AT LAST!** _ **CYBERSE CATHARSIS STREAM!**_ " He bellowed, his monster emitting a dark blue vortex of lightnings heading for Ryoken.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 3500 → 4500 → 5000 → 7500 → 15000_

Ryoken closed his eyes in resignation, a melancholic smile on his face. _'So it came to this, huh? Betrayed by my own father, destroyed by my own daughter under the control of my nemesis. What a fitting end for a family-centered clan like the Kogamis.'_ He thought, keeping his eyes closed in anticipating acceptance and awaiting death.

* * *

( 73, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #16 Empty Room)

Ryoken awoke in his mindscape, a field of flowers around him, the clear blue sky and the bright sun creating a stark contrast to his current situation in the outside world.

"So I went here for my last moments, huh? Actually, that's better. It may take a while longer until I receive the final blow, but at least I get to die with the sun shining on my face and nature underneath my back." He said with a sad but accepting smile, lying down on the grass and flowers beneath him and closing his eyes, enjoying the warm rays of the sun for his final moments.

"Ah, the breeze is so pleasant today! And the sun is warmer, the sky is bluer, and the grass and flowers softer than always! What a relief to die in a way this beautiful!" He briefly remarked as he looked upwards through a tiny slit in his eyes, closing them again afterwards. "Any minute now..." He whispered, anticipating the hit of the attack that would end it all.

"Hey, you!" A voice suddenly called out to him, disturbing his peace. After a brief moment of being startled no further word came, so he relaxed his muscles and went back to dozing in the grass. But then suddenly...

"Hey, you!" The voice returned, slightly louder than previously.

"Ugh, just leave me alone...!" Ryoken grumbled, rolling in the grass for a second before returning to his rest.

"Hey, you!" The voice called out to him a third time, now growing impatient.

"Please dad, just five more minutes!" Ryoken automatically grumbled, thinking of his father once again who had revealed himself as the real cause of the previous war. He then dozed off once again.

"Hey, you!" The voice shouted, this time clearly annoyed by Ryoken's adamant tardiness.

"Oh, for the love of god, who...?!" Ryoken cursed, standing up at once in search for the source of disturbance. His eyes widened is surprise as he directly looked into the eyes of a stranger in front of him, stopping his sentence at once.

"Finally. I almost feared that I had to get a bucket of water from the nearby lake in order to get you up." The male in front of him said.

Ryoken looked the man over who had somehow found his way into his mind where only him should be as far as he knew it. The man was wearing nothing extraordinary, but his face was what got his attention immediately: Spiky dark bluish hair with a few lighter colored highlights, as well as a few pink ones, dark green eyes that gave him a rather friendly, but also somewhat neutral-analyzing stare, fair skin, even lineaments.

Ryoken's eyes widened. "Wait, you have the same body as Ai had out there! Who are you?! And how can you be here?!" He inquired in mild shock.

"First off, yes, he did have my body. Looks like he got it while trying to copy yours. Secondly, my name is Yusaku. And thirdly, I am here because I technically always was part of you. The critical situation you're currently in merely allowed me to resurface far enough to manifest here on a permanent level." The blue and pink haired male retorted to him.

"You were always part of me?! How is that possible?!" Ryoken asked in disbelief.

Yusaku rubbed his chin. "I don't know either to be honest, but I have a theory!" He stated, raising his finger.

"A theory?" Ryoken repeated.

Yusaku nodded. "A theory." He confirmed. "For some reason I was merged with you, but instead of an about equal part you received the full property of our shared consciousness, resulting in mine drifting down into the abyss." He explained.

"So the whole time I shared my body and consciousness with you, even if you laid dormant inside me?!" Ryoken asked in shock.

"Yeah, pretty much. I could never really do too much, that's why you didn't notice me." Yusaku then chuckled. "Besides, even if could have somehow taken control over our body, I wouldn't have done so. You are apparently the rightful owner of this body, so it's beyond rude in my opinion to interfere with your life by simply taking you over. However, I still tried to act sometimes. Whenever you had difficulties in life or faced important situations, I tried to help you, cheering your up, encouraging you over our mental link, such stuff. For instance in lots of decisive moments during the war, when you had no power to go on. Or when you interacted with Aoi." He then smiled. "You have a beautiful wife by the way! And three beautiful children as well! Or should I say we have?" He pondered, resting his head on one of his arms in a deliberating manner.

( 73, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #16 Empty Room end)

Ryoken's eyes widened. "Back then I remember to sometimes having used a different circuit summoning chant. "Appear, the circuit that leads to the future" instead of "the future circuit that lights up my path". So whenever I used that chant...!" He began in disbelief.

Yusaku nodded. "Yeah. Whenever you used that chant instead, I was in control, more than you at least. I also realized that these chants seemed to have combined in our son Yubi as he maintained both the "leading to the future"-element and the "illuminated path"-element with his "my circuit that illuminates the path into the future". I guess that's the natural result when our genes combine about equally." He said.

"Wait, is that the reason why Akemi looks so much less like me than she looks like you?" Ryoken exclaimed in realization.

"Yeah, she has a gene mix much more favorable for me. Akemi is about 35% my genes, 15% your genes, 50% Aoi's genes. That's why she has my hair colors for the most part and only a bit of white." Yusaku confirmed.

"And what of Aoi?" Ryoken asked. "The younger one of course!" He added for clarification.

Yusaku hummed. "Good question. She is around 35% your genes, 15% my genes, 50% Aoi's genes. The opposite so to speak." He retorted.

"And what is Yubi's exact gene composition, as you already knew the previous ones accurately?" Ryoken further inquired.

"Yubi is the perfect balance between us three. 25% you, 25% me, 50% Aoi. So he is the child of us three to exactly equal parts." Yusaku stated.

"Hmm, I see. Anyway, why have you approached me here? To tell me about this last bit of information before I die?" Ryoken inquired.

Yusaku shook his head. "Of course not. I'm here to encourage you again. You can't just give up, you need to press on!" He spoke up.

Ryoken chuckled. "Of course you would. If I die, you die as well. It's a natural reaction of self preservation to make me live through this." He told.

Yusaku frowned. "You're getting me wrong, Ryoken! I am not here to save my own skin, I'm here to save you and your people! If you die here, they will soon follow! You mustn't give up! You just mustn't!" He insisted.

"And why should I help them?! My own father betrayed me! I have no energy to go on! I cannot fight back anymore!" Ryoken stayed adamant, lacking his will to fight properly.

Yusaku's face twisted in anger at this response. Before he could react, Ryoken found the other male's fist slamming into his stomach, causing him to spit out a gush of bile. As he recovered and looked up again he faced Yusaku who had his eyebrows furrowed in outrage, giving him in intense look.

"You should hear yourself, Ryoken! You're giving up on humanity just because your father revealed himself as the one guilty of war?! Also, do you seriously believe these images?! Even if what you saw was apparently the past, there still could be something we don't know about yet! Your father was never a man who liked causing pointless conflict, so I highly doubt that what the Ignis said was the full truth! Get ahold of yourself again and stand your ground for your people! You have a family and friends to protect, a daughter to rescue from your enemy's hands and an unsuspecting son an Ignis bearing a ring with the ability to cut everything is after! If you give up now, you have betrayed everything you ever fought for! People who lie and deceive are scum, but people who refuse to protect their loved ones out of their apathetic black despondency are scum far worse than that! And if you ask me, I'd prefer being merged with that Ignis over there rather than such scum you're attempting to be if you go on with this mindset of self-destruction and -pity!" Yusaku scolded him, startling the other male with the intensity of his words. After a few seconds Ryoken recovered, spurting a cocky grin of mockery on his face.

"So you're saying I have to help them because I have an obligation? The last time I followed an obligation I avenged my father's death and ended an apparently innocent race!" He said with a contemptuous smirk.

Yusaku shook his head slowly before facing the white and blue haired male again. "No, I'm not. You should not help them because you have an obligation, you should help them because it's the right thing to do! You cannot run away from your fate!" He declared solemnly, changing the expression of the other male as if he had hit a nerve with these words. Experiencing a change of heart, Ryoken spoke up once more.

"Even if I wanted to fight back, there is nothing I can do. My spells and traps have been blocked by his Link Magic. And I don't have any monsters in my hand that could block the attack of my daughter either. I have lost this duel." Ryoken said, his tone and gaze diving downwards in defeat again. Before despair could overwhelm him once more, Yusaku spoke up again.

"The answer for your problem is within the number of three." He said.

Ryoken's downcast eyes darted upwards, recreating eye contact between them. "Say what?" He inquired.

"Three things." Yusaku confirmed with a nod, holding up three fingers of his right hand towards Ryoken. "Three things to live. Three things to go home. Three things to defeat the enemy. Think of that number and the solution to your problem will become clear to you." He said.

"I don't understand..." Ryoken retorted, the words having an impact on him, but not realizing what Yusaku specifically referred to with them.

"I'll give you a hint: Think of that number in the context of our children, then you will realize what I mean." Yusaku told him.

"My children... Three..." Ryoken murmured, putting his hand to his chin in deliberation. "Yubi!" He cried out after a while, his eyes widening.

Yusaku nodded. "So you have remembered it? The promise you gave him, just before he left for his quest across the dimensions?" Yusaku inquired, Ryoken being reminded of the short conversation a few days ago on the morning Yubi had left for Gishiki and subsequently for Standard.

* * *

 _Kogami Residence, a few days ago, the morning of departure..._

 _The Kogamis had just finished breakfast, alongside Kumo whom they had invited over due to her nightmares caused by flashbacks of her tragic past with the Ignis. While Aoi took her time saying her goodbye words to the girl who was the daughter of her childhood friend, Ryoken was approached by his son._

" _Father, can we talk, please?" Yubi addressed him politely._

 _Ryoken nodded. "Sure. Go ahead." He replied._

 _Yubi briefly looked back to his mother and girlfriend before facing his father again. "I believe it's better if we go elsewhere. I want to speak with you alone."_

 _Ryoken looked startled for a second before giving him an affirmative nod. "If you wish, then so be it."_

 _They walked out of the kitchen together, going to the living room. Closing the kitchen door as he entered the neighboring room, Ryoken who had followed his son spoke up again._

" _So, what did you want to discuss with me?" He addressed the younger Kogami._

 _Yubi, cutting right to the chase, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of cards._

" _A deck?" Ryoken asked in confusion. Extending his hand in a requesting manner, he held out his palm towards him. Yubi nodded, placing the pile in his hand and allowing him to look at the cards._

" _Those are just normal Dark Dragons you and me always used. Why have you brought me here just to show me something I already know about?" He asked in bewilderment before raising his arms in apology. "Not that I wouldn't appreciate spending time with you of course." He added, sweat dropping a little._

 _Yubi cracked a smile of resignation. "Well, I guess that reaction was to be expected." He said in a jocular tone before his expression grew serious once more. "Listen dad, you know that I always wanted to be my own person standing outside of your shadow. People always judge me by your and mom's achievements, Uncle Akira's position or simply by my own superficial accomplishments of being a good and famous duelist. Nobody sees my inner self except my family, close friends and Kumo of course. Ever since I became fourteen I feel like having progressed not at all." His downcast eyes darted upwards. "No offense dad, but I feel like the last remnants of your deck within my own are the reason for that." He said._

" _So you're saying because you still use my cards, you don't feel like your own person?" Ryoken asked compassionately, now getting what his son wanted to express._

 _Yubi nodded. "Exactly. While I still use your cards, I will never feel like I have been able to create my own path. I just feel like a cheap ripoff of you which should probably not exist at all." He said, a sorrowful expression occupying his face._

 _Ryoken furrowed his eyebrows in worry. He always knew that his son suffered under the same situation as his wife had: Because his family was famous, he never felt truly wanted by others. Just like Aoi had suspected anyone approaching her being just interested in the company her brother was head of, Yubi felt like the majority of people just wanted to know him because he was the son of two famous world savers. True interest – friendship even – was a rare phenomenon, the only real friends he had being related to him due to war friendships between the parents. And Ryoken also knew that through his immense hidden emotions, most of them dedicated to Kumo, this lack of friends turned into a double burden, as he wished for his girlfriend who didn't trust anyone due to her trauma to find more friends and overcome her past easier this way. Ryoken therefore deduced that his son's own depression, as well as his pride, led to him being in need of appreciation, resulting in that wish of his he had just expressed._

" _So, what of those cards now? Are you giving me them back?" Ryoken asked him after a while._

 _Yubi shook his head. "No, it's the opposite." He replied._

" _Err, I can't really follow you there..." Ryoken sweat dropped, confused by his words. Sometimes even he felt too stupid to understand his own son, which in his opinion spoke volumes about the intellect of Yubi._

 _Yubi cleared his throat before speaking up. "Well, after hearing about all the summoning methods from Yuga yesterday, as well as the knowledge about a war between dimensions and the previously mentioned topic of me wanting to walk my own path, I came to a conclusion. I not only wanted to stop using those cards you used in my duels – the old Vullets and Dark Dragons sans a few exceptions in the spell and trap department – but also wished to use something entirely new, a proof that this was in fact my deck, not yours. So I channeled all of my power into the Cyberse using Storm Access the last night and on this morning, creating a new deck. However, these cards still lacked a finishing spark that fully manifested them, so I superimposed their yet still unfinished husks with generic Dark Dragon cards we already played so they would have a use until they unlocked their true forms. And that deck is just before you, in your very hand." Yubi explained._

 _Ryoken looked at the cards in his palm in both surprise and awe. "Fascinating... A new deck entirely made be you..." He murmured before gazing at his son with a questioning look. "But why did you give it to me?" He asked._

 _Yubi rose a finger. "That's a good question, dad! Well, as I said, those cards lacked a final spark, one element so they would fully manifest in their real form and could be used properly. I believe that you who shares my ability of Storm Access in its extraordinary form could accomplish that. And that's why I'm giving it to you. When the time has come, those cards in your possession will surely reveal their real form and then I'd like you to please exchange decks with me." He said._

 _Ryoken looked up in disbelief. "You're willing to give me your current champion title-worthy Vullet Deck with all of its Topologics and Varrels in return for that deck?!" He asked in surprise. How strong could this deck within his hand be if his son would gladly exchange it for a deck as strong as his previous one?_

 _Yubi hummed. "Exactly. Don't ask why, but I always felt like these dragons of mine belonged to you anyway, except Whip Tail of course."_

 _Zarc, the only one knowing the meaning of his fragment's words, appeared in his spectral form, humming the melody of "With The Wind"._

" _Are you sure? Those ten dragons of yours are an essential part of your dueling persona. You are Jūbi, the Ten Tails after all. You sure you want to give me nine of them?" Ryoken inquired._

" _Yes, I am. I have plenty of new dragons in this new deck which can replace them. Besides, through Storm Access we can freely move these cards between each other at will. If you ever face difficulties, I want you to have my old deck at the very least. And if I need extra power, I can always just warp these cards I need from your Extra Deck over to me, even across dimensions. And you can do the same and use my new deck if you are in desperate need of it as well – that is if none of us is currently using those cards of course." Yubi said with a smile._

" _So both of us basically get two strong decks once I unlock these cards for you? Fine, I accept. I promise to return this deck in its real form to you, in exchange for your current deck." Ryoken told, reciprocating the smile._

 _Yubi hugged him. "Thank you, dad! That means a lot to me! Good luck here and please survive the war!" He said with a gentle smile._

" _You as well!" Ryoken retorted, returning the embrace._

* * *

"Right, my promise! How could I forget about it?!" Ryoken exclaimed in realization.

Yusaku gave him an approving look. "My thoughts exactly! You have to fulfill this promise and return his deck to him! You cannot just let it fall into the enemy's hands and then let your son whom you gave this promise to die by a backstabbing Ignis with some ring on his finger!" He addressed Ryoken in intense emotion.

"But how can I give him this deck, if I cannot even win the duel?!" Ryoken snapped in frustration.

Yusaku's tensed up expression relaxed. "The solution to your problem and your promise are one and the same." He said cryptically.

Ryoken's face twisted in surprise. "You want me to use his deck to defeat the Ignis?!" He shouted in disbelief.

Yusaku nodded. "Precisely."

"But I already tried to manifest those cards and finish their creation! And every time I tried, I failed! Here, look at it! Still all normal!" The white and blue haired male protested in disappointment of himself, ripping out the pile of cards composed of only generic Dark Dragons and their support cards he was famous for from his pocket, holding them out to Yusaku in frustration.

Yusaku hummed. "That's true. But back then you just had yourself. Now you also have me." He then rose his hand, a small vortex of data material enveloping it. "Because we share the same ability. Your son could use the Skill of Storm Access multiple times within a duel. Guess why he could do that?" His eyes narrowed, the other male staring at him in shock. "That's right, because I am in possession of the ability Storm Access as well!" Yusaku declared. He took a step towards him, putting his hand over Ryoken's so they clasped the card pile together. Yusaku looked upwards, emerald eyes meeting light blue ones, shooting him an encouraging smile. "Come on, let's do it together! For our son!" He said with a friendly look on his face.

Ryoken nodded. "Alright!" His own hand enveloped by data material, they began screaming in agonizing exhaustion.

* * *

( 74, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #24 Path to the Future)

"God, this deck is really resilient! I don't know how much longer I can go on!" Ryoken yelled after a few minutes, the vortex of raging data around them having disintegrated the area around them in a mile-wide radius, the two men standing in the eye of the storm, panting from heavy overtaxation.

"Just a little while longer! We're almost there!" Yusaku yelled back, his left eye shut in exertion, the gales of data blowing against his face.

"Come on, come on, come on! I'm starting to lose focus!" Ryoken cursed, sensing to lose the feelings in his limbs, his knees already shaking. "I think I'll pass..." He whimpered, his eyes beginning to shut in exhaustion.

"DON'T YOU DARE GIVING UP NOW! HOLD ON, RYOKEN!" Yusaku snapped, trying to resist his own weariness.

"I'm trying!" Ryoken hissed, reopening his eyes, trying to do as Yusaku said. Suddenly he felt a jolt running through him. "Yusaku, did you just feel that as well? Was that...?!" He began in disbelief.

"Yes, it was! We're almost done! **Come on, just a few more seconds!** " Yusaku yelled, arching his head upwards in pain. Reaching the final stage, they gave it all together, yelling louder than they had ever before.

-" **RAAAAAAAAAAAA**... **!** "- They shouted, the area in between their hands pulsating with small waves of energy.

" _Please, I need to do this for my son...!"_ Ryoken thought subconsciously, his body being deprived more and more from his energy, fearing that he would run out of energy, so close before the end.

-"... _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**_... **!** "- They screamed on, first rays of lights exiting the dome created by their interlocking hands.

" _Almost there! We're really almost there! Please, just don't stop now! I don't care if I die right afterwards, but please finish it before that!"_ Yusaku prayed internally, equally drained from energy.

-"... _ **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**_ "- They finished, an explosion occurring from within their hands, sending both of them away, stumbling back and collapsing to the ground.

"Did we do it?" Yusaku asked, sitting on all fours and panting heavily.

Ryoken looked downwards into his hand, facing a pile of cards. Looking at it he smiled: The artworks were entirely different. They had accomplished it together. They had really, really accomplished it together! The new deck of his son, one that even eclipsed the deck that had earned him three consecutive champion titles, was finished, the cards being held in his very hand.

"Yes, we did. It is done. Now we just have to return it to Yubi and our promise is complete." He said with a smile, flipping the card pile and showing its front side to Yusaku.

Spurting a beaming smile of success, Yusaku stood up as well. "This changes everything! Now you have the means to defeat this Ignis and defend your world whilst keeping your promise!" He said, walking towards the other male, briefly palming the deck they had finished together. "Incredible to believe that we merely made the finishing touches. How much energy it must have costed to create the foundation of these cards I wonder? Our son is really strong." He stated, looking down at the cards with a proud smile on his face.

"That he certainly is." Ryoken said, repeating after him.

"Anyway, it's time for you to go! You have a daughter to rescue and a world to save!" Yusaku spoke up, placing an encouraging hand on Ryoken's shoulder. "Good luck out there! I hope we see each other again eventually!" Yusaku said, turning around and starting to make his leave with a satisfied smile on his face. He had accomplished his job after all.

"Hold up!" Ryoken's voice shouted at him, grabbing Yusaku by the arm with the intent to stop him, the other male halting his movements.

"Err, yes?" Yusaku asked in bewilderment, turning around and facing the other male with a look over his right shoulder.

"Don't go! I want you to come along when I resurface from my mind!" Ryoken declared, startling the other male. After a few seconds of surprise, Yusaku chuckled.

"You needn't. I'm perfectly fine with my current situation." He laughed before his expression turned a bit more serious. "Also, I don't want to mess around with your life." Yusaku said. "It's yours after all." He added in a solemn tone.

Ryoken shook his head. "Maybe you don't want to come back to the surface." He said in acceptance, Yusaku giving him a smile as Ryoken understood what the blue and pink haired male meant. "But I want you to!" Ryoken insisted, his eyes widening in determination, surprising the other male.

"You want me in your life? Even though it's yours?" Yusaku asked in disbelief.

Ryoken nodded adamantly. "Yes, I do! You encouraged me when I didn't know how to go on! Without you, I would have drowned in the sea of my own despair! So I can't just go back while leaving you here! I cannot live with the guilt that my one true savior is still imprisoned somewhere while I am free to go anywhere I want!" He shouted intensely, much to the astonishment of the other male. A second later, Ryoken extended his hand. "Come on, let's leave this place! Together!" He addressed Yusaku.

The blue and pink haired male looked at the extended hand for a while before he began laughing in amusement. "That's a nice offer, Ryoken! I never imagined you could be so warmhearted after all!" He chuckled, before reaching out and accepting Ryoken's hand. "Very well, with a offer this nice I can hardly decline! Then let's go out there and beat up this stupid Ignis together! Don't ask why, but for some reason I have the irrepressible urge to tell this Cyberse Romeo to shut the hell up!" He laughed, grasping the other male's hand.

Ryoken smiled. "Then it's decided. From now on we won't distinguish between each other anymore. Our already linked hearts and minds will fully become one as we merge. Are you content with these conditions?" He inquired.

"Of course I am! I'd rather share the lungs with someone else than eternally breathing mindscape air!" Yusaku laughed.

"Great! Then let us combine!" Ryoken told, the other male nodding in the affirmative. Their bodies turned transparent at that, sliding towards each other until they fully overlapped. With a bright luminescence, their skin manifested anew, a single person now standing in the landscape that had been devastated by the raging torrents of the previous data storm.

"Ryoken Kogami gave up and surrendered to fate." The person said, spiky blue highlights creating an about equal mix with well kept white hair, the two parts different and conflicting, yet also harmonizing. Two eyes fluttered open, turquoise orbs shining with determination. "But my name is Ryusaken! And Ryusaken Kogami will never ever give up again!" The man yelled in resolve, a white aura enveloping him at once. Manifesting wings of a mysterious energy, he leapt and was lifted into the sky, advancing on the heavenly road back to consciousness, leaving a trail of white flakes behind him, almost like stardust.

( 74, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #24 Path to the Future end)

* * *

 _Outside world..._

"Ryoken, please! Don't leave us!" Aoi cried, seeing the Dark Ignis initiate the final attack on the man she loved.

"THIS IS THE END FOR YOU AND THIS WORLD OF YOURS! NOW MY REVENGE IS COMPLETE AT LAST! **CYBERSE CATHARSIS STREAM!** " Ai yelled, the black dragon firing a lightning vortex at the defenseless male. Suddenly a bright luminescence enveloped Ryoken, startling the Ignis and the spectators alike.

"What is that light?" Ai wondered, confused by this sudden phenomenon.

Lightning, having already recollected himself, smirked. "I suppose our enemy is just like a star! Shortly before his death he makes one last impression, expanding within a radiant supernova before ceasing to exist!" He commented in a victorious tone.

( 75, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #16 Conflict of the Inner Mind)

"Ceasing to exist?! I have never been more alive!" A voice retorted. "But your analogy is right in one thing, because true stars do indeed shine the brightest when they're pushed to the brink of extinction!" Ryoken shouted, the light subsiding and revealing his new form.

"You! What happened to you?!" Ai yelled in disbelief, facing a male with different hairstyle and colors, the eyes that met his gaze being not longer light blue, but turquoise instead. They had no desperate look lacking fighting spirit either, on the contrary, Ai had never seen more confidence and hope within a pair of eyes before, no matter the bearer. This frightened him, the man whom he had previously destroyed on both a mental and physical level now looking more lively and determined than ever before.

"I followed the Stardust Road and came back to the surface from within my mind, bringing along a new friend and power!" Ryoken declared, his eyes sparking with determination once more. Meanwhile Zarc, having moved away from the spectral figure of Ray so she couldn't hear him, looked forward agape, utterly shell shocked by this development.

" _No way...! How could Yusaku come back?! I made sure that he would never be a problem after he did what I wanted! Was it the critical pinch of Ryoken that enabled his resurfacing, perhaps?!"_ He wondered in shock. After a while his fearful expression changed into a grin. _"On the other hand, this might actually be better for me in the long run! If Ai wins, then my fragments will most likely be killed by Anselm's servants and I cannot revive! Yes, now I know it for sure, this was the best thing that could happen to me in this situation!"_ He exclaimed victoriously before laying a finger on his chin. _"Though I have to take Yusaku into account nevertheless and add him to my list of potential dangers for my resurrection, considering he combined with someone like Ryoken and both of them are Threefold Destiny Dimensional to a notable part. But for now I shall lay back and hope that he beats that Ignis together with Ryoken!"_ Zarc said, relaxing again.

"Anyway, my attack is still ongoing! Say goodbye to the world!" Ai shouted, his lover in her Duel Monster Form continuing her lightning blast.

"Tch, how often have I told you to not be so rash, Aoi?" Ryoken scolded the attacking monster before raising up a card. "By sending one card from my hand to the graveyard I can special summon this monster! Then, if my opponent is currently attacking, that attack will be directed at it! So I special summon **Cybullet Electron Dragon** in defense mode!" Ryoken announced, a big white and black metal dragon with eight translucent wings appearing in a defensive stance.

 _Cybullet Electron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2700/DEF 1500/Cyberse/Effect_

The dragon was overran by Aoi in her changed form, but due to it being in defense position, Ryoken remained unscathed.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 15000 → 7500 → 5000 → 4500 → 3500_

Ryoken – or rather Ryusaken – rose his right arm. Then he spoke up in determination.

"I admit that I was close to surrendering, but thanks to some help I found a new destiny and path to walk on! So I will now explain its three cardinal principles to you!" He began, shifting the fingers of his hand one after the other. "First: I will not leave my daughter and son to you! I will save Aoi and make sure that you don't harm Yubi!" He started his count, raising one of his fingers. "Second: I will never doubt my father or humanity as a whole again, nor will I allow myself to sink in a swamp of self-pity and despair!" He continued, raising the second. "And third: I will continue to fight you with this Cybullet Deck, defeat you and then return it to its rightful owner! I will save mankind and never give up again! These are the three things that gave me new hope!" He shouted resolutely.

( 75, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #16 Conflict of the Inner Mind end)

"Cybullet?" Ai exclaimed in surprise. Eyes narrowing, Ai came to a realization. "Wait, that is a Cyberse Monster, not a dragon, despite its name! Where the hell did you got that from out of the blue?!" He snapped at Ryoken.

"Wrong, Dark Ignis! This monster might have Cyberse as its base type, but through its effect it is also a Dragon Monster! And about how I got it, I probably have to show something to you! Or rather someone!" He shouted, his appearance changing. Standing atop Ryoken's D-Board was now Yusaku, wearing the casual clothes Ryoken had started the duel with.

-" **WHAT?!** "- Echoed a collective shout of all spectators, surprised by the sudden appearance of the other male and the disappearance of Ryoken. After a few moments, Ai pointed at him in disbelief.

"You! You are the one I copied my body from when I tried copying his! How come you were inside Ryoken Kogami?!" He shouted.

"I was always dormant inside of him! I just got to come to the surface at last!" Yusaku responded before saying a few more words, under a breath, but with incredible joy in his voice. "This sensation! I can feel the blowing of the wind around me and the clothes on my skin! I can see an image of that which is before me that is crystal clear, not distorted to some degree! I can smell my sweat of exhaustion! I can hear the noise of my D-Board! Ah, fresh air streaming into my lungs! What an incredible feeling!" Yusaku cried out, having the time of his life – or rather the first moments of a real life entirely. He then gazed towards his light blue right eye with his emerald left one, the two hemispheres of his head being in the control of one man respectively from the looks of it, addressing his other half. "Anyway Ryoken, want to announce it to everybody?" He inquired.

Ryoken hummed with their collective mouth, the right eye looking around at the Link Citizens and Ignis alike who stared at him, still in disbelief of this development.

"Dear family, friends and enemies alike! As unbelievable as that sounds, I want to announce that I had another person inside of my mind who was merged with my body! And not in a schizophrenic sense, I really mean it! He is my friend Yusaku who helped and encouraged me in the past using a mental link, being trapped in my subconsciousness for some reason and therefore unable to take control of this body, nor did I know about his existence up until now! But now we finally managed to be in control of this body at the same time and I'm willing to share it with him!" He then pointed toward Ai. "As the Dark Ignis himself has said and as you saw, when he tried to copy my body like his fellow Ignis had done it with you, he accidentally copied Yusaku's body rather than mine! Kami on the other hand succeeded regarding that, as you can see as well! But back to the previous topic, Yusaku managed to encourage and reinforce my resolve again, as well as aiding me in unlocking a deck my son has created that was hidden underneath those cards I currently hold in my deck! That's how I was able to survive the Ignis' attack, as I was saved by the power of my son's new Cybullet Deck!" He took a breath and gave the listeners time to let his words sink in. Then he continued, looking towards his Great Knights, friends and family members. "I know you are used to calling me Ryoken, but from now on please refrain from that when you see that one or both of my eyes are green or I have different hair or anything else that is unusual, because in that case you're also addressing Yusaku, so it would be rude to just talk to me and ignore him. For the sake of keeping it simple I figure you just have to either use both of our names or use a new name that combines both – Ryusaken." He told. He took a long breath after that before finishing off with one statement to sum it up. "Long story short, I was never really only one person! Even if one part was ignored and unknown, the second was still always there! The friend you got to know, the husband you married, the father you looked up to, it were always two persons! That's the story of the collective-minded individual named Ryusaken Kogami!" He concluded, changing back in his merged form with well kept white and spiky dark blue hair as well as turquoise eyes.

Everyone remained silent, still in awe of this revelation. After a while a voice spoke up, cackling victoriously.

"Hahaha, what did I tell you? I always knew Ryoken-sama was more than just a normal human!" Spectre laughed whilst pointing at the other Great Knights of Hanoi in a ridiculing manner, Vyra, Faust and Dr. Genome sweat dropping as the exaggerated reverence Spectre had towards their leader which they had viewed as overdone turned out to be the truth, much to their embarrassment.

Aoi approached her husband on her D-Board, facing him from the left side. "Err, Ryoken, I'd like to talk to Yusaku, please..." She requested, slightly embarrassed by the unusual situation she found herself in.

"Yes, of course. Talk to the left eye, we agreed on him using that one!" Ryoken replied, pointing at the orb which changed from turquoise to green, the facial half of it gaining a slightly different impression.

"Of course..." Aoi murmured before locking her gaze with the eye. "So, you are Yusaku?" She asked, rubbing the back of her head. "It feels really weird to talk to you like this, being the husband I didn't even know I had." She said, sweat dropping. "But you seem like a decent person to me, if Ryoken is willing to give you half of his – your – body." She said with a smile, correcting herself at the end as she remembered that he – they – preferred the plural as it took both of his/their personalities into account.

Yusaku smiled, his other half granting him the chance to briefly take control over the body entirely, assuming the full appearance of himself, including both eyes, hair, face and body. "Hello Aoi! It's a pleasure to meet you at last! You know, it's a bit strange to be stuck in the mind and body of someone else for forty years, especially if one spent more than half of that time being married to a wonderful woman like you." He told.

Aoi giggled nervously. "I figure. I guess we two have a lot to catch up with after all of this is over, right?" She stated jokingly.

"That much is certain." Yusaku retorted calmly before giving her a hug, leaning towards her ear. "And be assured, we will also catch up with... physical activities." He whispered to her mischievously, Aoi's cheeks burning up in embarrassment and anticipation alike.

"Yusaku!" Ryoken scolded him, taking control of the right eye and looking over to the left one in accusation.

"What? I finally have a proper body after forty years, can breath real air for the first time, can see things with real eyes for the first time! So it's only natural that I also want to experience other essential activities of life, eating, drinking, sleeping and well, sex. When your greatest wishes and interests were a cool new D-Board for your Vrains Avatar which we should rename now by the way or where you wanted to go for your next date with Aoi, I just wanted to fucking walk in real life! You heard me, I crossed my fingers just so I could take a goddamn walk with real feet! Try being any different after having no real body for four decades, then come back and we can talk again!" Yusaku shot back, slightly indignant.

Ryoken sweat dropped on his facial half. "Fair point. I'm sorry, I was just not fully committed to the mindset yet that literally everything I have is now yours as well." He apologized.

"Apology accepted! Don't worry, I can kinda understand you, especially since we have literally the same brain and we get to receive each other's thoughts and stuff." Yusaku responded. "Anyway...", He began, planting a kiss on Aoi's cheek (she liked it a lot) before hovering away from her, towards the rest of the Link Squad. He addressed them shortly afterwards.

"Well then, hello everyone, my name is Yusaku! I know that we have to catch up on a lot of stuff, but for now, Takeru, Shoichi, Jin, Go, Kengo, Miyu Senior and Junior, Akira, Aligheria, Spectre, Faust, Vyra and Dr. Genome, let's just leave the introductions for later! Me and Ryoken have to defeat an Ignis after all!" Yusaku said, the others giving him nods of understanding. But before he went back to his D-Board for the duel, there was one more person he had to talk to, and he would take his time with that.

"So, you are Akemi, huh? It's nice to finally meet my daughter in person." He addressed the girl who shared all of his hair colors and had a few white parts as well, proofing that she was mostly his, but also, even if it was for a smaller part, Ryoken's child.

"Hello." She responded a bit awkwardly, her gaze switching in between Ryusaken's left and right eye. "So you are my father? It's that why I look so much more than you than like Ryoken, my other dad?" She eventually continued, settling on the left eye with the emerald orb.

Ryusaken turned back into Yusaku and nodded. "Basically. I know that it's a bit of a mood killer to bring up percentages in this context, but you are mostly my child. 15% of Ryoken, 35% of me, 50% of your mother. So yeah, for the most part you're my child rather that his. It's reversed with your sister and your brother is about equal parts me and Ryoken." He explained before pulling her into a hug. "Anyway, I know we two have much to catch up with. I missed your childhood, but with just around nineteen years age there is still plenty of time for us to get to know each other. I love you, my dear daughter!" He said gently, stroking her face.

"I love you too, dad!" She murmured back softly before tensing up, startled. "Wait, how do I even call you? Dads? Ryusaken? I have no idea!" She asked in slight exasperation.

Yusaku smiled. "The second option is fine if you want to be formal while we share control, but for the most part you may use the singular. Dad is perfectly fine. Especially since me and Ryoken are on the same page most of the time." He retorted.

Akemi relaxed her facial muscles. "Okay. Then dad it is. And thank you for saving my father, Yusaku. He really looked like a mental wreck from Ai's revelation about grandpa." She thanked the male.

Yusaku hummed. "No problem, I just did my job. Needed a bit of shouting and playing the strong part, but in the end I succeeded in encouraging him once more. And about your grandfather, I'm sure that he is not guilty of the crime he was accused of, at least not in this way. I grew up alongside Ryoken and watched Dr. Kogami from the inside of your father, so I know that he wouldn't do anything like that. Just wait, me and Ryoken will prove that he isn't at fault!" He reassured her.

Akemi smiled. "Thanks. I appreciate your effort and hope that you succeed with that. I myself can't believe either that grandpa could have done something so atrocious." She retorted.

"Our thoughts exactly." Ryusaken retorted, changing back into his combined form.

* * *

 _Dark place..._

"Huh, what an interesting development!" A male voice spoke up. The speaker was surrounded by nothing but darkness, his environment looking like an endless hall with high ceiling. In the background a few lights shone in every edge of the seemingly endless room, with closer view turning out to be stars, suns of various solar systems the individual had somehow moved to this place, using them as lanterns for his hall. Sitting on a black throne the man was observing the duel through a portal-like window in space. He was exceptionally tall and clad in samurai-style metal armor that covered his entire body leaving no naked spot, mainly black-grayish in color, with a red trim and purple symbols running across his chest and the area on the armored gloves' palms. The samurai armor-like helmet had two transparent eye windows that were only see through towards the outside, denying a view onto his eyes from the outside. The chest plate the man wore had an engraving, holding the Latin captions _Mors omnia vincit_ – _Death defeats everything_ and _Draco Mortis_ – _Death Dragon_. From openings in his otherwise completely closed armor a pair of slightly tattered, but nevertheless intimidating gray wings as well as a black-grayish dragon tail jutted out, as well as black horns from his helmet which accompanied the metallic protrusions on top of the metal head armor. Leaning to the throne was a giant naginata, one of those spears with short sword-like blades on their tips that were commonly used in Ancient Japan. He furthermore had two blades in scabbards strapped to the back of his mostly black metallic armor. But the most remarkable feature about him were the twelve rings that he wore, one on each of his fingers with the middle fingers having a second ring eclipsing all ten others in size each. One of those twelve rings with gems of various colors embedded on them was currently glowing, apparently allowing him insight into the Link-Dimension and the events occurring within its network.

"Hmm, this makes the whole thing a bit more difficult, but as it also functions as a test for my servant, might as well watch and see if Ai can still handle this situation after that man resurfaced from within Ryoken Kogami!" The armored figure then smirked, the teeth underneath his helmet gritting maliciously. "Well Zarc, looks like your plan didn't work out in the end and the person you wanted to shut away came to life once more! Wouldn't be the first time you failed to complete a task! I look forward to killing you, your fragments and more dragons of course!" He jeered, gesturing upwards to the wall behind his throne that posed the only real object in the room besides the suns and the throne itself. It was decorated with a myriad of dragon heads, hanging resplendent on the wall like hunting trophies. Dozens of Blue- and Red-Eyes heads could be spotted, an even greater amount of other mighty dragons easily traceable as well. But the true treasure of the collection were the three dragon heads directly above the throne, one turquoise, one red, and lastly one black – the fabled three Legendary Dragons, Timaeus, Critias and Hermos, now all dead.

* * *

"Hey! Stop chatting and let us continue this duel already! I'm here waiting since ages!" The distant voice of Ai complained, interrupting the peaceful and loving family meetup between Ryusaken and his daughter Akemi.

Ryusaken turned around, switching into the blue and pink haired male in the process.

"Shut up, Ignis, nobody asked for your opinion." Yusaku retorted calmly.

"Waaah! I don't know why, but being rejected by this guy feels really bad in a melancholic way...!" Ai whined, having a familiar feeling as if this type of exchange between the two was normal. Obviously Zarc, knowing the plot of the previous shows, giggled at this sight, amused by the nostalgic feelings he had from it.

"But I do agree that we should continue this duel! Prepare yourself, here we come!" Ryusaken cried out, remounting his D-Board, he and the Ignis continuing their flying alongside the spectators.

Ai grinned. "Fine! Even with this new deck of your son you are about to lose, you have no hand cards left after all with how many you used up this turn!" He said, bringing up his card advantage.

Ryusaken scoffed, giving the Ignis a scolding look with his turquoise eyes. "I wouldn't underestimate it! Especially not with our new form!" He shot back.

"New form? What new...?" Ai began before he was cut off by a new radiance. As the light subsided, he faced the other male in a new appearance, his opponent now wearing a black-whitish outfit with red lines running across it. Shoulder pads of green and yellow, as well as red sections on his sides adorned the outfit, the male wearing the eye visor from his second stage Vrains Avatar. The eyes remained the same turquoise, but the white parts of the hair gained a few red highlights while the blue hair that was derived from the secondary part of the man's personality had turned yellow. Eyes fixated on his opponent, the man gave him a look of grim determination.

"Ah, I see, you combined your Vrains Avatars as well. Not a bad look you have there, admittedly! Anyway, how is this treasure of yours called?" Ai inquired, looking at the new appearance of the man with interest.

"We decided to call it Bullseye." Yusaku responded.

"Bullseye? Why that?" Ai inquired, slightly bewildered.

"Well, if I had an own Vrains Avatar, I would call him Playmaker, because my plays are always spot-on. And Ryoken already has this whole gun-thing going with his Revolver-Avatar. So the logical mix between those two elements is the term Bullseye, an accurate hit." He told.

Ai laughed. "Man, what a reason for that name! Honestly, it sounds kind of funny!" He giggled in amusement.

"Let's see how funny you'll find it with a bullet in your copied head!" Ryusaken retorted in a serious tone, giving him a threatening frown. Ai flinched, but recollected himself shortly afterwards.

"Oh? Then show me how you're gonna put that bullet in my head with no hand cards!" The Dark Ignis challenged him.

"Your stupidity is truly exhausting, Ignis!" Bullseye sighed. "I think for your enlightenment I will use a Skill before you conclude your turn!" He announced.

"You want to use a Skill? Then go ahead! I had data junk shitting sessions that were more concerning than your Skill in this situation!" Ai retorted.

Ryusaken frowned. "First, you will regret those words! Second, I don't give a crap about your data crap! Third, why do you think that I want to use Storm Access here?!" He asked.

"Wait, but you said that you...?!" Ai stammered in confusion.

"Yeah, I wanted to use a Skill, but not Storm Access!" Ryusaken declared.

"Wait, not Storm Access?! But that wasn't within my expectations!" Ai yelled in disbelief.

The other male shot him a grin. "Of course it wasn't! I just unlocked this new power due to my union with Yusaku after all! Besides, that wasn't the only thing you didn't anticipate! Just look at this new deck of mine and you will realize that you have been outsmarted by a fourteen year old!" He mocked the A.I with a wide smirk on his face.

"What?! Are you talking about your son?!" Ai asked, clearly confused.

"Exactly! Now that I think about it, with his strength he could have easily finished those cards with a bit more time and energy! But instead he gave this deck to me! And as I remembered how he expressed his worries about me getting in potential danger he wanted to defend me against by handing me over his old deck in return for this new one it dawned me: He anticipated a situation like this and as a preemptive measure he trusted this powerful deck to me. He knew about the power a Kogami could unleash in a situation as desperate as the previous one, so he could be certain that I somehow manifested those cards he gave me once that time came. In other words, everything that you have planned for, every little detail in that meticulous plan of yours to rob me off any fighting spirit and plunge me into despair, had already met its match as Yubi handed those cards over to me! He did surely not count in Yusaku, but the determination to keep my promise alone was already a strong trigger, and with Yusaku's help my will became strong enough to unleash those cards' true form! He predicted this outcome for the most part with just his intuition alone! And that's exactly why you Ignis will lose again, against the instinct of our family you are powerless!" Ryusaken shouted at Ai, the latter deeply frowning at those words.

"Unbelievable! That he really thought about the chance that something like this could happen...!" Akira stated in awe.

Aoi smiled. "That's my son right there! Always has a plan, no matter the situation! Miyu, your daughter really did something when she gave him that fateful talk about his need of a tactic!" She praised her childhood friend.

Miyu smiled. "You're welcome! Looks like Kumo saved all of us with that after all!" She remarked.

"Kuh! You damn Kogamis get slier and slier with each generation! I don't even want to imagine what would happen if that son of yours were to impregnate Miyu and Takeru's daughter!" Ai hissed in frustration.

"Oh? Afraid to be humiliated even more?" Ryusaken jeered.

"Enough! Make your move or shut up!" The Dark Ignis of Perfeciont commanded in exasperation.

"I will! **ADAPTION TRIPLE SKILL** ACTIVATE! **FIRST STAGE – DESTINY RELOAD**! When I have fewer monsters on my field and no cards in my hand, I can draw until I have five cards in my hand again!" Ryusaken cried out, his hand growing from nothing to five.

"Triple Skill? He has three Skills as well?" Flame remarked in surprise.

"That was to be expected I suppose. The power-up derived from their unification led me the conclusion of them having at least a Dual Skill. And since they both seem to have a fascination for the number of three, that was the most likely option." Lightning spoke up.

"This could be bad. Previously Ai had Ryoken Kogami outgunned in every aspect. But now they are on equal level in one of them, so it might be possible that it's not much different in the other aspects." Aqua chimed in worriedly.

"Especially if this Cybullet Deck really is as powerful as he claims it to be." Earth added.

"These stupid, stupid humans!" Windy cried out, ruffling the purple hair of his copied body in exasperation, his eyes flickering from the blue color he had when he was relaxed to the red color he had when he was angry. "They just keep doing weird stuff we cannot anticipate!"

"Agreed, Windy! These jerks come up with the most surprising Deus ex Machina moments over and over again! I just want the final act of their tragedy to begin already, but every time we're in act four they decide to switch the play!" Kami yelled in outrage.

"What a nice twist! Time for the next glass then!" Ajax laughed, pouring himself another glass of wine as he had declared.

"Damn it! So you managed to get yourself a new starting hand?!" Ai hissed.

"Indeed! And that's not all!" Ryusaken declared before his right eye belonging to the Dragon User addressed the left of Yusaku. "Hey, Yusaku, I think we need to use the second of our three cartridges, or what do you think?" He asked the male.

"I agree." Yusaku retorted. "Ai has not yet ended his turn, so the spells and traps he set cannot be used. Furthermore we lose our Main Phase 2 if we use a Skill, so using multiple of them at once isn't that bad of a move, even if that downside is mostly irrelevant during the opponent's turn. However, the first point still stands, so we better strike before he can arm his countermeasures." He replied.

Ryoken nodded. "Okay then! **ADAPTION TRIPLE SKILL** ACTIVATE! **SECOND STAGE – EXTRA EXTERMINATE**! With this Skill I can destroy a monster in an Extra Monster Zone! I destroy your Darknet Force – Bugup Enchanter!" They yelled in their unified form, Ryusaken's right hand forming a gun, shooting a red laser at the female monster, wiping her out.

"NOOOOOOO! You will pay for what you did to Enchanter!" Ai cried, the destruction of the Duel Monster-A.I.-Hybrid visibly hurting him.

"Oh come on, you stole my daughter and now you cry like a baby because I destroyed one of your Hybrid Monsters?!" Ryusaken scolded before continuing. "Your monster may substitute herself for her younger version Bugup Hacker when destroyed, but that only happens when she is destroyed by an opponent's card! This however was a Skill, so you will not get to summon your replacement monster! Anyway, you may end your turn now!" He addressed Ai.

"Damn you, Ryusaken Kogami! I end my turn! Aoi-chan loses the ATK she gained by the effect of Bugup Enchanter!" The Ignis conceded, the black dragon powering down again.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 3500 → 2500_

"Then it's my turn!" Ryusaken said, placing his hand on top of the pile of precious cards he had received from his son.

"Now we will finally get to see what that deck of Yubi can do. I am looking forward to it, it must be really strong if what Ryusaken said is true." Miyu remarked.

Takeru gave her a nod. "Most certainly it is. I am more intrigued about its strategies though. What will the new deck of a three times world champion with a tendency for achieving perfection be like?" The male in his Vrains Avatar form wondered.

"I guess we will find out now." Miyu Jr. concluded, the family redirecting their gazes towards Ryoken.

"My turn! Draw!" Ryusaken yelled intensely, his hand swiping through the air, bringing the number of cards in his hand to six. His right eye belonging to Ryoken spoke up to Yusaku at that.

"Hey, Yusaku, have any tips or things you want to tell me before we begin by chance?" He inquired.

Yusaku hummed using their collective mouth. "Three things." He responded.

Ryoken chuckled. "Of course, why wouldn't you have exactly three? Then go ahead, tell me!" He demanded, intrigued.

"First, that Ignis will most likely utilize the attack target choosing effect of his Link Spell and use our daughter as a shield. Do not hesitate should that happen, Aoi would want you to attack and very possibly even erase her if you had no choice and billions of lives could be saved this way." Yusaku began.

Ryoken, regaining control of the full face aside the left eye itself, nodded. "Right, I understand. Even if she is our daughter we must not put her life above those of all citizens in this dimension. Now then, go on!"

"Second, I looked over a few of this deck's cards already. I will give you precise instructions later on, but for now just know that this deck plays similarly than Yubi's old deck. Swarm the field with boss dragons, then overrun that Ignis with it." Yusaku went on.

"Good, I understand. And the last thing?" Ryoken inquired.

Yusaku smiled mischievously. "The third thing is that after this duel is over you get me a hot dog from Kusanagi! I'm craving one for my first real meal!" He told.

Ryoken smiled. "Ah, you're really amusing company, I gotta give you that! I look forward to decades of partnership within this body yet to come!" The male addressed the other.

"I do so as well!" Yusaku smiled back using his facial half before addressing Ryoken anew. "Now then, let's get going at last! I will give you the instructions via our mental link, okay?"

"Okay!" He shouted before changing back to his merged form. "Now then Ignis, I am ready! Are you prepared yet?!" He addressed Ai.

"I was already prepared twenty minutes ago! Now conduct your turn at last!" Ai demanded impatiently.

"Funny, last time I checked your turn lasted like an hour as well!" Ryusaken scoffed before raising a card. "I will start my turn with the field spell **Cybullet Gun Area**! When this card is activated I can add a "Cybullet"-, "Vullet"- or "Varrel"-Card from my deck to my hand! My choice is Powervullet Dragon!" He announced.

"Powervullet? I thought this was a new deck, so why does it have Yubi's newer Vullets?" Miyu Jr. spoke up in confusion.

"You never heard of a hybrid, young lady?" Her mother asked her with a slightly condescending grin, the elder Miyu enjoying the fact that her knowledge exceeded that of her daughter, mainly savoring this situation due to their frequent arguments.

"A hybrid?" Miyu Jr. asked, tilting her head in lack of understanding.

"Yes, a hybrid." Takeru confirmed. "It's a rare form of deck where two archetypes are mixed. Some decks work rather well with certain others, some do not. But as this field spell of Yubi can search out both Vullets and Cybullets plus his usual tendency of minimizing issues with his deck, it's safe to assume that this deck is one of the most powerful hybrids every made." Her father explained.

"I see..." She murmured, redirecting her attention to the duel.

( 56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme, "The Power of Revolver")

"Now, as I control no monsters, I can special summon **Cybullet Bitron Dragon** from my hand!" Ryusaken went on, another futuristic white-blackish metal dragon bearing eight translucent wings appearing.

 _Cybullet Bitron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 200/DEF 2000/Cyberse/Effect_

"Furthermore I normal summon Powervullet Dragon!"

 _Powervullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800/DEF 1200/Dragon/Effect_

"I then play the continuous spell **Cybullet Revolver Roll**! Through this card all my Vullets, Varrels and Topologics are also treated as Cybullets – and vice versa!" Ryusaken declared.

"Wow, that changes everything! Now all of Yubi's old and newly made cards can interact with each other! What a powerful hybrid!" Akira remarked, admittedly impressed.

"Then the secondary effect of Cybullet Gun Area! By revealing one Cybullet or Vullet in my hand I can add one Dark Cyberse or Dragon Monster from my deck to my hand that has a different name! I reveal Phantomvullet Dragon in order to add **Cybullet Anestron Dragon** to my hand! I refrain from special summoning it with the second part of this effect though!" Ryusaken said.

"Anestron? Wait, is this monster by chance...?!" Aoi murmured in disbelief.

Her daughter nodded. "Apparently. Now we know why Yubi never bothered to use father's Vullets too much, except from trying to be his own person that is. He already had planned to eventually replace them with newer, better versions. He kept his newer Vullets as they were his own creation and posed a major engine due to their swarming power. And these Cybullet remakes seem to have swarming in them as well, which makes them a lot better than dad's old Vullets which they were modeled after. So this monster before us must be the replacement for Anesvullet Dragon." Akemi stated, looking at a white-blackish dragon that resembled its predecessor in shape for the most part, but was majorly distinct from it due to a size, color and number of wings difference.

"Why didn't you special summon your dragon if you could do so for free?" Ai wondered.

"I will tell you! I activate my next continuous spell Varrel Generator! I'm sure you know its basic effect, but it has two minor ones which I will make use of now! Once per turn I can return a field spell on my field to the hand in return for activating one from there! So I exchange Cybullet Gun Area for Revolve Sector Launch! Now the effect of Revolve Sector Launch gives all Vullets 300 ATK and DEF, and due to my Revolver Roll, all Cybullets as well!" Ryusaken announced.

 _Cybullet Bitron Dragon: ATK 200 → 500; DEF 2000 → 2300_

 _Powervullet Dragon: ATK 1800 → 2100; DEF 1200 → 1500_

"And I reckon you still remember the main effect of Revolve Sector Launch?" Ryusaken inquired.

Ai gulped, looking at his field. "I have five monsters. So because you have only two..." He began.

"That's right! Once per turn I can choose from two options, either summoning two Vullets from my hand in defense position or summoning Vullets from my graveyard equal to the monster deficit! I choose the latter option and due to Revolver Roll assimilating my archetypes I can revive the Cybullets in my graveyard which have finally gained their true form as well! I therefore revive Ghostvullet Dragon, Quickvullet Dragon and Cybullet Electron Dragon!" He declared, a trio of dragons arising, one of them also being a Cyberse and uniting both types due to its base typing and that gained by the common effect of Cybullets that also made them Dragons at all times.

 _Cybullet Electron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2700 → 3000/DEF 1500 → 1800/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

 _Quickvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1300 → 1600/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon/Effect_

"The effect of Powervullet Dragon! Whenever a Vullet is summoned in its presence I get to draw a card! Furthermore Quickvullet gives me a Vullet from my deck when summoned, so with the effect of Revolver Roll I'm also able to pick Cybullets for that effect, but I still add Phantomvullet Dragon to my hand!" Ryusaken's eyes narrowed. "And now with five monsters finally the main effect of Cybullet Revolver Roll! Once per turn I can destroy up to three Dragon or Cyberse Monsters I control! I destroy Ghostvullet, Quickvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon!" He declared, the card turning the monsters into bullets which were then copied, luminescent images of the dragons being created. Those images were then loaded into the launching machine that was Revolver Roll, awaiting further directions.

"He destroyed his own monsters? What for?" Flame wondered, confused by this.

"It must has one merit or another, that's for sure." Lightning responded.

"You have a point, Light Ignis! You will see once I have summoned Phantomvullet from my hand as I control a Vullet already and Cybullet Anestron Dragon as I can summon this card from my hand when I have no monsters or all my monsters are either Dark Dragons or Link-Monsters! Come!" Ryusaken shouted, two new dragons arising.

 _Cybullet Anestron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 1/ATK 0 → 300/DEF 2200 → 2500/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"I draw two cards thanks to Powervullet!" He said before extending his arm skywards. "Now appear, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken yelled, a circuit manifesting above him. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one or more Effect-Monsters!" He declared.

"One or more Effect-Monsters? What are that summoning conditions, if something has Link 1, why should it be able to require more than one material?" Ai asked in bewilderment.

"You are mistaken Dark Ignis! This monster does not have Link 1, it has Link 4!" Ryusaken retorted.

"Link 4?! So it can be summoning in exchange for another Link 4 Monster?!" Ai yelled in surprise.

"Precisely! But that's not the point here! Because now you will learn why I sacrificed three of my monsters with Revolver Roll! Revolver Roll's effect! During the turn I destroyed monsters with its effect I get to Link Summon Dark Dragon and Cyberse Link-Monsters with a number of materials less than normal that is equal to the number of monsters that were destroyed by Revolver Roll! In other words, for this turn all of my Link Summons will be three materials cheaper! This cannot bypass summoning conditions, but it will still help a lot, in this case especially as this monster has one of the lower summoning costs with only one monster as its minimum conditions! So I set Phantomvullet Dragon as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet, Quickvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! Circuit combine!" Ryusaken shouted, the single metal dragon receiving company by three spectral monster images, those who had been stored within the barrel of Revolver Roll and who had now been launched. As the circuit was completed Ryusaken conducted a brief summoning chant.

"The blade of judgement slices through the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Decoder Dragon**!" Ryusaken shouted, a dragon flapping its metallic white wings with the wingspans themselves being black and having the same translucent attribute as Yubi's Varrel Dragons appearing on the scenery. Its main body was mostly a mix of dark blue, purple and black, with a few yellow highlights. While its head was that of a dragon, its lineaments and form were surprisingly humanoid, the metallic dragon having two curved black horns on it. The eyes it possessed were silver – Yubi's real eye color as Kumo had theorized on this day's morning. Its build was that of a slender and less bulky Varrel Dragon, its left arm having bracelet-like circles akin to those Firewall Dragon had on its body all over the place, bearing immense firing power and weaponry on these circles, having more arm cannons that one could count. But the most remarkable feature was the weapon on its right arm, a blade that was fully merged to the arm, an extension of it so to speak. Using it the monster sped at Ai, the Ignis having initial problems to repel the monster whose blade he had caught, despite his apparent supernatural strength. Eventually he threw it back, looking at the stat indicator of the dragon monster placed in the right Extra Monster Zone.

 _Cybullet Decoder Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲↘▼)

( 56, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 1 #10 Revolver's Theme, "The Power of Revolver" end)

"Decoder Dragon? That monster is based on my Talker?" Ai spoke up with interest.

"It is! It's about in between a Talker and a Varrel in terms of appearance, much like its brethren that are awaiting their debut as well! This one in particular and another even share an effect each with your former monsters, but that's only because Decode and Transcode Talker were the only good Talkers you had. Yubi doesn't neglect obvious power, but he's not that much of a fan of just copying someone, firstly because he wants to be his own person, secondly because copying something that is only mediocre like some of your Talkers makes no sense, and thirdly because he loathes your kind so much because of what they did to Kumo that he doesn't want to copy more than appearance and two effects, even though his sister is currently using the origin monsters and he's fine with that." Ryusaken responded.

"So his new ace dragons are a mix of Talkers and Varrels when it comes to physical appearance?" Akemi inquired.

"Mostly! And they also share something else with the latter group! But first its other effects and Powervullet! As all my Cybullets also count as Vullets, Topologics and Varrels and vice versa I get to draw a card since I summoned a Vullet, technically. Now its own effects! Like all Cybullets, Decoder Dragon is always also treated as a Dragon Monster! In addition to that its effect will make all my Link-Monsters immune against effect destruction of monsters with the same attribute as Decoder! As Decoder Dragon is a Dark Monster I see dire times ahead of you!" Ryusaken stated victoriously. "And the effect which it shares with its origin is that it gains 500 ATK for every monster it points to! Savor this view, this is one of the two things my son actually cared enough about to copy it from you! Or rather condescended himself enough to copy it!" He mocked, the monster powering up due to the Bugup Insulator in the zone above it as well as Ryoken's monsters in the three zones it pointed down to.

 _Cybullet Decoder Dragon: ATK 3300 → 5300_

"Not a bad monster! Not a bad monster at all! But it won't defeat Aoi-chan even with that extra power, given she has four Link Magic Effects to back her up!" Ai retorted.

"I wouldn't be so quick at jumping to conclusions! Decoder Dragon has another effect! Once per turn it can target and destroy a monster it points to, gaining 800 LP while you take that much damage should that monster be destroyed! And you cannot activate cards or effects in response to this quick effect! I target your Bugup Insulator! Go, Decode Deletion!" Ryusaken shouted, his monster speeding at the female with its blade raised and ready to strike her down.

"Apex Formation Arrows! As I have perfected it all of my Link-Monsters that are co-linked cannot be destroyed the first time each turn they would be! This is a continuous effect, so your card and effect block will not impact its activation!" Ai shot back.

"But your Insulator is no longer co-linked with any monster!" Aligheria protested.

"But it is co-linked with Annihilation Arrows." Akira addressed his daughter.

"Oh, I see." She muttered in a subdued voice of realization.

"I still receive 800 LP as the wording makes it that this effect requires no destruction of the target in order for me to gain them!" Ryusaken yelled back, recovering a bit of lost ground.

 **RYUSAKEN LP: 7000 → 7800**

"I activate the effect of Cyberse Darknet Dragon! She reveals any number of my hand cards! I choose to show you Bugup Secretary and Hacker! Now due to her other effect your effects won't be able to destroy my Cyberses anymore, regardless of Apex Formation Arrows!" Ai declared, using his own quick effect as well.

"Fine then! In that case I will revive Ghostvullet as I currently control a Vullet! It will be banished later on though due to its downside! And like always Powervullet draws me a card!"

 _Ghostvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 800 → 1100/DEF 1900 → 2200/Dragon/Effect_

"Then appear again, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken yelled again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Ghostvullet, Cybullet Anestron as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! The benevolent shield that protects against the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Encoder Dragon**!" He cried out, this time a light blue-whitish mecha dragon bearing a great shield on its right and the usual weaponry on the left arm appearing, its eyes silver and its wings white with black on the translucent wingspans, just like with the previous Link-Monster.

 _Cybullet Encoder Dragon_

 _Light/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄↗↘▼)

"The next Link 4 Monster. Slowly it starts getting concerning..." Aqua murmured, slightly worried.

"Ghostvullet is banished due to its own effect and Powervullet kicks in again! Now the main effect of Varrel Generator! Once per turn I can can add a Vullet or a card that specifically list such monsters in its effect to my hand from either my deck or graveyard! I recover Phantomvullet! Then I special summon it again!"

 _Phantomvullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 800 → 1100/Dragon Effect_

"The usual Powervullet stuff occurs!" Ryusaken said, his hand currently in the double digits. "Wow, what a nice draw! When **Cybullet Digitron Dragon** is added to my hand outside the Draw Phase I can special summon it! And Powervullet substitutes that card of course!" He announced, a new black and white dragon with four pairs of translucent wings appearing, much like all Cybullets from the Main Deck in turquoise color.

 _Cybullet Digitron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 1500 → 1800/DEF 0 → 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken went on. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Phantomvullet, Cybullet Bitron as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! The iron grapnel that will rip the closed world from its hideout! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Powercoder Dragon**!" Bullseye shouted, the sound of a faraway object approaching being heard. At once a red grappling hook shot out from multiple miles behind them, closing around the midriff of the copied body of Yusaku that was Ai's husk, the Ignis being reeled in with a loud "WAAAAAH!", an explosion occurring a few miles away soon after. Only three seconds later Ai came flying back, slamming into a rock. A red dragon with yellow highlights and the usual black-whitish wings made its appearance after that, the grapnel that had apprehended Ai being fixed on its right wrist.

 _Cybullet Powercoder Dragon_

 _Fire/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄►↘)

"Hey! Don't you dare doing that ever again!" Ai shouted indignantly, rubbing his hurting body parts.

"You're welcome!" Ryusaken retorted before rising his hand. "Anyway, I choose not to activate the effect of Powervullet Dragon as I already have enough cards in my hand and don't want to deck out too early just in case!" He declared.

"When was the last time you heard someone saying they didn't want to draw?" Takeru asked sweat dropping.

Miyu rubbed her head. "Can't recall, probably during one of Yubi's duels. I guess this card goes wild with cheap Link-Monsters that trigger Powervullet. This deck is indeed really powerful." She remarked.

"Anyway, the effect of Powercoder Dragon! Much like all Coder Dragons it is treated as both its original attribute and Dark! Furthermore it makes my Link-Monsters immune against effect destruction by monsters with the same attribute as it! The Encoder Dragon I summoned before shares these abilities, so I am now protected against crush effects of Dark, Light and Fire Monsters alike!" Ryusaken's eyes narrowed. "And now, as one of the real main attractions of this turn, I will activate the spell Quick Revolve, special summoning a Vullet, or rather a Cybullet thanks to Revolver Roll, from my deck! Come, **Cybullet Shelltron Dragon**!"

 _Cybullet Shelltron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 1100 → 1400/DEF 2000 → 2300/Cyberse/Tuner/Effect_

"This monster is a Tuner!" Ai realized with shock. Only a few seconds later he recovered. "But you cannot summon that Varrelload Savage Dragon, as your son is currently using it in his duel and the card transporting ability of your Storm Access is jammed!" He pointed out.

Ryoken scoffed. "You stupid Ignis, who said that my son only had that Synchro-Monster? He already had a second one up his sleeve, and I can assure you, that one is anything but on the same level as Varrelload Savage Dragon!" He retorted.

"What?! I bet that's just a bluff!" Ai cried out in denial.

( 76, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #27 The Tables Turn)

"You'll see." Ryusaken announced, the Ignis growing a nervous expression. Ryusaken rose up his hand after a while, pointing upwards. "Now then, let me show you this power I mentioned! The summoning conditions are one Tuner and two or more non-Tuner Cyberse or Dragon Dark Monsters!" He announced.

"Err, do people normally bring up the summoning conditions when they Synchro Summon?" Jin addressed his brother.

"Not that I would know." Shoichi retorted.

Ryusaken's eyes widened. "You're all assuming that this is a Synchro Summon like any other. Forget about the normal procedure, this is something entirely different!" He told them.

"God, will you stop giving your son so much shilling for everything he does?! It starts getting on my nerves!" Ai complained.

Ryusaken gave him a cold look. "I don't appreciate your rudeness, he deserves this praise." His turquoise eyes narrowed. "Especially since this is indeed a Synchro Summon like no one has ever seen before!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Ai demanded in confusion.

"I'll show you! Level 2 Cybullet Shelltron Dragon tunes Level 4 Powervullet Dragon and Link 4 Decoder Dragon!" Ryusaken declared.

-" **WHAT?!** "- Everybody shouted in disbelief.

"But you cannot do that! Link-Monsters have no levels, they cannot be used as Synchro Material!" Ai screamed in negation.

"Are you sure about that?" Ryusaken retorted, the dragon reacting to his declaration.

"What?! But how?!" The Dark Ignis asked in utter confusion.

"It's very simple. I will explain it to you as I continue." Ryusaken replied, raising his hand anew. "Appear, the synchronous circuit that leads to a new destiny!" He yelled, a whitish energy stream bursting upwards.

"A CIRCUIT?!" Ai repeated, now having lost every last clue he had at all.

"Indeed! Whilst tuning these three monsters, I simultaneously set Shelltron, Powervullet and Decoder Dragon into the Link Markers!" He yelled, the monsters mirroring themselves into two copies each, one dissolving into energy rays that filled up the white-bluish circuit that had appeared with greenish Link Markers.

"Wait, is this...?!" Ai uttered, getting an idea of what this event I front of him could be.

"That's right! This summon is both treated as a Synchro and Link Summon and must fulfill the requirements for both! It uses the Link Ratings of monsters as Levels! I therefore tune Level 4 Powervullet Dragon and Link 4 Decoder Dragon treating it as Level 4 with Level 2 Shelltron Dragon, at the same time setting those three monsters into the Link Markers! Circuit Tuning!" Ryusaken declared, the line of ten green-whitish rings the monsters had transformed into starting to envelop the circuit, creating something looking akin to an armillary sphere, the rings spinning around the rectangular object. Meanwhile a strong gale began blowing, the rings orbiting the circuit changing from their white-greenish color to a light blue and back again.

"Unbelievable! A Hybrid Summon!" Aqua spoke up in terror.

"THE POWER OF A NEW GENERATION INCARNATES WITHIN A MIGHTY DRAGON! BECOME THE NEXUS TO A NEW DESTINY AND FUTURE AND DESCEND! **CIRCUIT SYNCHRONIZE!** _**SYNCHRO LINK SHŌKAN! ARISE, MAJESTIC WHITE DRAGON OF UNPRECEDENTED FORCE BURSTING THE LIMITS OF THE CLOSED WORLD! LEVEL 10! LINK 6!**_ _**VARRELKNIGHT NOBLEFIRE DRAGON** **!**_ " They yelled, holding up a dark blue card with a Level Bar and Link Arrows at the same time, white sprinkles all over it, shifting the other color into the background. A forty meters tall white metal dragon bearing a broadsword as its right arm appeared, the rest of its body mostly red and black, the translucent wings it had two pairs of having a green-whitish color. Due to its tremendous size it easily eclipsed the previous metal dragons as well. The eight silver horns on its head formed a crown-like structure, a few light blue stripes running across the monster's torso and head. Fixating Ai with its silver eyes it let out an earth shaking roar.

 _Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 6/Level 10/ATK 4000 → 4300/Dragon/Link/Synchro/Effect_ (↙◄↖↗►↘)

"A Synchro-Link-Monster...?!" Ai stammered in disbelief.

"That's right! Learn just how far my son planned ahead! Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon's effect! It cannot be touched by your monster effects as they don't affect it! In addition to that it can once per turn make one of your monsters lose 500 ATK and DEF for each monster in zones it points to while gaining twice as many until the end of this turn – and you cannot react to this effect! And lastly it disables all face-up cards in your Spell & Trap Zone and restricts you from activating spells and traps whilst attacking you!" Ryusaken elaborated.

"What?! It can counter Link Magics?!" Ai repeated in terror.

"Yes! Do you realize now how far your plans have been outmatched by my son?! But anyway, let me continue my turn! I use the final effect of Varrel Generator, returning it to my hand! Then I activate the continuous spell **Cybullet Burst Mode**! Onto its effects! It gains them depending on the number of different attributes on my field! With one I can add a "Cybullet"- "Vullet"- or "Varrel"-Spell or -Trap from my deck to the hand on activation! I choose **Cybullet Quick Draw**! Then its second effect! As I have two different attributes as well I can once per turn revive a Dark Dragon or Cyberse Monster from my graveyard in defense position! I use this effect to bring back Cybullet Shelltron Dragon!"

 _Cybullet Shelltron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 2/ATK 1100 → 1400/DEF 2000 → 2300/Cyberse/Tuner/Effect_

"Its effect! Once per turn I can special summon a Dark Dragon with a level from my hand or graveyard! I choose to summon **Cybullet Autotron Dragon** from my hand as it is also a Dragon through its effect!" He cried out, a new white-blackish dragon appearing.

 _Cybullet Autotron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1600 → 1900/DEF 1000 → 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Digitron, Shelltron as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! The swift daggers that will even reach into the deepest parts of the closed world! With heroic spirit they will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Anticoder Dragon**!" They yelled, the main body of this dragon being lime green. Both of its arms spurted attached daggers in addition to the usual weaponry.

 _Cybullet Anticoder Dragon_

 _Wind/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▲►▼)

"Now my Link-Monsters also become immune against crush effects from Wind Monsters! And since I summoned a Dark Dragon as this monster gains that type by its effect much like all Cybullets, I can also special summon **Cybullet Metaltron Dragon** from my hand!"

 _Cybullet Metaltron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 1400 → 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

"I activate the third effect of Cybullet Burst Mode gained by having three of more different attributes on my field! Once per turn I can destroy one monster in order to target any number of monsters we control! They gain one attribute of my choice, plus another if I currently control three or more different original attributes – which I do! All of our monsters therefore become Water and Divine Monsters until the end of this turn as I destroy Cybullet Autotron Dragon!"

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: Attribute Dark → Dark, Water, Divine_

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Archiver: Attribute Dark → Dark_ _,_ _Water, Divine_

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Commander: Attribute Dark → Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator: Attribute Dark → Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Supervisor: Attribute Dark → Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Cybullet Anticoder Dragon: Attribute Wind, Dark → Wind, Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Cybullet Encoder Dragon: Attribute Light, Dark → Light, Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Cybullet Powercoder Dragon: Attribute Fire, Dark → Fire, Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Cybullet Metaltron Dragon: Attribute Dark → Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

 _Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon: Attribute Dark → Dark_ _,_ _Water, Divine_

"Now my Link-Monsters are immune against any monster effect that destroy apart from those of Earth Monsters!" Ryusaken announced.

"Kuh! This deck is more oppressive that Kami's Hydradrives when it comes to attribute variety!" Ai hissed angrily.

"But that's not all! When a Cybullet is destroyed and I have three or more attributes, it summons a Dark Dragon as replacement during the End Phase! However, should I control five or more attributes, this floating becomes instantaneous! So I summon **Cybullet Positron Dragon** from my deck!"

 _Cybullet Positron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 0 → 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Even that part of the deck got better. Yubi truly never rests. He just becomes stronger and stronger." Aoi remarked.

"Appear, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Metaltron as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet, Quickvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! The cracking force that shakes the closed world to its very core! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Crack Dragon**!" The collective individual cried out, a black dragon with mostly white translucent wings appearing. While it had a slightly different build it still looked like the standard Cybullet Extra Deck Dragon for the most part, its body being adorned by green orbs. It possessed silver eyes as well, its arms being filled with weaponry to the absolute maximum.

 _Cybullet Crack Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖↗↘)

( 76, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #27 The Tables Turn end)

"That's nostalgic! A monster based on our signature card Cracking Dragon!" Faust remarked, gesturing at the dragon that shared most of its appearance with the famous Hanoi signature monster.

"I activate the effect of Cybullet Crack Dragon! Once per turn it can give one monster an attribute of my choice until the end of this turn! I pick Cybullet Powercoder Dragon and Dark! And you cannot react to this effect as always! Cracking Coloration!" Ryusaken yelled, the monster launching a black capsule from the arsenal of weapons on its arms onto the red dragon a few zones right from it.

"Hah, are you stupid?! Through its effect Powercoder Dragon already is a Dark Monster! You wasted your effect!" Ai sneered.

"Pah, you Ignis have such a shallow imagination! Now you get to see the specialty of this Cybullet Deck of my son! When its effects grant a monster an attribute while that monster already has said attribute, it simply gains it again! In other words, Cybullet Powercoder Dragon is now a Double Dark Monster until the End Phase!" Ryusaken declared.

"WHAT?! It can have the same attribute multiple times?!" Ai repeated in disbelief.

"Exactly! Now then, Crack Dragon's effect succeeds! Crackingy Coloration!" Ryusaken said, the black aura around the monster gaining an additional layer.

 _Cybullet Powercoder Dragon: Attribute Fire, Dark, Water, Divine → Fire, Double Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

"Double Attributes? What a deck!" Kengo whistled, even he impressed by these uncommon tactics Yubi had come up with.

"And what use has this, may I ask?!" Ai addressed Ryusaken intensely.

"The following! I activate the quick-play spell Cybullet Quick Draw from my hand! I target two monsters, the first being Powercoder Dragon, the second being Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon! Now the second gains 500 ATK for every – you heard me, "every", not "each"! – attribute the first monster has, also it cannot leave the field by your card effects, until the end of this turn! As Powercoder has five attributes – fire, water, divine and two times dark – Varrelknight Noblefire will receive 2500 ATK!" Ryusaken declared.

 _Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon: ATK 4300 → 6800_

"I then activate the quick-play spell **Cybullet Dead Eye**! It targets a Dark Dragon or Cyberse Monster, treating it as the activation of a Link-Monster's effect! I target Cybullet Positron Dragon! Then it destroys one card either player controls or that is in their hand! I choose the Bugup Hacker that is currently revealed in your hand! Furthermore the effect of Positron Dragon will be activated by me as it is technically a Link-Monster that targets it with its effect, self-destructing!" Bullseye announced.

"So it still has that thing going?" Ai inquired.

"Indeed! But the effects of the non-Vullet-based Cybullet-Monsters have entirely different effects! Instead of interrupting your field presence, they can either restrict you or benefit me by strengthening my plays! Like this for instance! Positron Dragon makes you unable to use cards or card effects from the graveyard during this turn! This effect can only be used once every four turns, but it will be enough! Especially since it summons a substitute from the deck immediately as it was destroyed in the presence of at least five different attributes on my field! I therefore summon a Dark Dragon from my deck, in this case an Essencevullet Dragon!" He declared, the monster arising in the place of the former.

 _Essencevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 5/ATK 2100 → 2400/DEF 1500 → 1800/Dragon/Effect_

"Its effect! Once per turn I can gain LP equal to the ATK of a Vullet! As Varrelknight Noblefire can be treated as such due to Cybullet Revolver Roll assimilating my archetypes, I target it of course!" He went on, his lifepoints receiving a major boost, even though 6800 LP were barely anything in the face of quadruple Link Magic powered monster formations like the one Ai controlled. Speaking of which, the Ignis was fuming at this sight, feeling how all the power advantage he had previously now melted like ice in the sun.

 **RYUSAKEN LP: 7800 → 14600**

"Appear again, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny! Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Crack Dragon, Essencevullet Dragon as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! A thundering boom tears open the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Transcoder Dragon**!" Ryusaken shouted, a great dragon with the usual wing pattern, eyes, horns and build, painted in orange color with yellow highlights and a great rifle merged with its right arm appearing.

 _Cybullet Transcoder Dragon_

 _Earth/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙▲►▼)

"Shit, shit, shit! Now his monsters are immune against monster effect based destruction effects entirely!" Ai cursed, punching his own head in frustration.

( 77, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #25 Annihilation)

Ryusaken smirked. "Oh? I think this thing is the least of your problems! Because when all seven attributes are combined on my field, Cybullet Burst Mode gains its true power, much like your Apex Formation Arrows when you have completed all Extra Link Forms!" He announced.

The Dark Ignis gulped. "What do you mean by that...?" He muttered, slightly fearful with his voice.

"I will show you! With all the espionage your superior made you probably know about my son's closed world philosophy! He wants to overcome the limits of this world and lead everyone to a brighter future, and that is reflected in his dueling! It goes to and above the absolute extreme, surpassing the monster limit with both multifold Extra Links and his tenth, strongest classic ace dragon! And this continuous spell strengthens that aspect by an unbelievable amount! The seventh, final bonus effect of Cybullet Burst Mode! It comes in with hefty restrictions and conditions: I must only have Dragons and Cyberse Monsters in my deck, Extra Deck, hand, graveyard, field and banished! Furthermore I must have five or more Link-Monsters on my field! Additionally I take doubled damage and have to pay half of my lifepoints and then 1000 more during each of my Standby Phases, or Burst Mode will be destroyed! And if any of these conditions except the first one stops being fulfilled, the great bonus gained by this effect will be lost again immediately!" Ryusaken told.

"What in the world is that effect if it requires all that?" Windy spoke up.

"I don't know. But surely something incredibly powerful." Kami responded.

"The effect of Cybullet Burst Mode! The main board on my side of the field, minus the first and fifth Main Monster Zone, will be projected and added onto both ends of my Main Monster Zones respectively! In other words...!", Ryusaken began, the pattern of the two Extra Monster Zones and the three zones beneath them being copied by the spell card and then reproduced once more, "...I GAIN TEN MONSTER ZONES! **LINK** **FORMATION – HYPER MODE!** " He shouted at the top of his lungs, the copied patterns attaching themselves to the sides of his field, creating an alternating sequence of columns with one and two zones respectively.

 **-** " **WHAT?!** " **-** The Ignis and Link Citizens alike screamed, Ryusaken's field now beginning with a two zone column on the very left, a one zone column without an Extra Monster Zone, and another two zone column. Then came his normal field, the first Main Monster Zone being empty, followed by the second with Anticoder Dragon in it. Above it was Ai's monster in said person's Extra Monster Zone. Then came Encoder Dragon in the third Main Monster Zone, Powercoder in the fourth, above it Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon in the Extra Monster Zone on the right of the the normal field. The final column of the standard field was occupied by Transcoder Dragon in the fifth Main Monster Zone. Then began the second bonus section, starting with a two zone column. It was continued with a simple one zone column, another two zone column finishing the extended field.

"Now this is impressive! But I guess we already had something pretty similar, didn't we?" Aoi remarked towards Ryusaken.

Ryusaken looked back to her, giving her a nod before turning around and calling out to Ai. "Dark Ignis, this is the closed world breaching tactic of my son! If this deck reunites with him as I intend to, he will have both this spell and his tenth, most powerful classic ace dragon! With an Extra Link he will then have access to the ultimate field, Extra Link – Terra Mode! Armed with these two cards and the fresh power I feel awakening in Standard just now – a new card that utilizes Pendulum Zones entirely differently and creates a Central Zone in the middle of his field – he will have the power of thirty zones while Extra Linking! Now combine that with all fourteen Coder Dragons and Cybullet Crack Dragon in this deck, as well as his ten classic ace dragons – Bomber, Gumblar, Trisbaena, Revolver, and the two other Topologics, Varrelload, Varrelsword, Varrelguard, Whip Tail – plus his newest acquisitions Varrelload Savage, Topologic Savior and Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon, then you have the ultimate machine of destruction! Armed with these twenty-eight monstrosities he will shatter your remaining Ignis friends and that organization of yours! Now prepare yourself as I unleash a portion of that power to destroy you as well!" Ryusaken announced.

" _Woohoo, go ahead and beat that Ignis! If my fragment gets this deck, it's over for those Clades jerks and Anselm himself of course! God bless me that I was so smart to remove the Extra Deck Limit from the game as the world was recreated!"_ Zarc remarked. He then shrugged his shoulders. _"Not that any Yugioh protagonist aside from Yugi I guess ever abided to that policy, especially not Judai and Yusaku, and maybe Yusei a bit as well! No way in hell how someone with like thirty to forty situational Extra Deck Monsters could predict which cards they could/needed to summon in a duel! The anime never showed too much details, so I'm just gonna assume an Extra Deck Limit was no thing there anyway, leading me to the question why I should have my fragments playing with one then."_ He debated with himself.

"Curse you and your clan! You stupid Kogamis get worse and worse with each passing generation!" Ai hissed.

"I'll take that as I compliment as I activate the effect of Transcoder Dragon! It's one of the two effects Yubi copied from you, though with a slight change! Once per turn it can revive a Link 4 or lower Dragon or Cyberse Link-Monster!" Ryusaken declared before gesturing leftwards. "Now I'll make use of those Extra Zones I gained, so listen closely, Ignis! I summon Decoder Dragon from my graveyard to my right Negatron Extra Monster Zone, meaning the right Extra Monster Zone on the extra field on my left! It therefore now neighbors the first column of the normal field, and before you ask, Cybullet Burst Mode specifies that Link-Monsters can be revived in those zones, furthermore there are always treated as if I occupied no Extra Monster Zone at the time, so I can use them to heart's content! You on the other hand of course don't get to use them! And one more thing, monsters in these Extra Monster Zones are treated as Extra Linked! Arise, Decoder Dragon! Transcode Traction!" Ryusaken cried out, the monster appearing in the first artificial Extra Monster Zone from the right of his left extra field.

 _Cybullet Decoder Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_

" **PSEUDO EXTRA LINK – HYPER MODE!** " Ryusaken briefly declared before going on with his move. "I use its effect again, targeting Darknet Dragon! She won't be destroyed due to her own effect, but at least I gain some lifepoints! Decode Deletion!"

 **RYUSAKEN LP: 14600 → 15400**

"Burst Mode's sixth bonus effect! When I have six or more attributes I can once per turn activate this ability in order to gain the following effect: During this Main Phase or any following of my turns I can revive up to three Dark Dragons or Cyberses! I use this effect to revive Cybullet Positron, Metaltron and Crack Dragon from my graveyard, summoning the latter to my first Positron Extra Monster Zone, meaning that in the column which neighbors the right end of my normal field! Return!" Bullseye cried out, three additional dragons returning, the second Main Deck Monster occupying the first Negatron Main Monster Zone on the very left of the additional left board.

 _Cybullet Crack Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖↗↘)

 _Cybullet Metaltron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 1400 → 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Cybullet Positron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 0 → 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Kuh! The bastard has nine monsters now!" Windy cursed.

"I furthermore revive Autotron Dragon as I can do that once per turn if I have a Dark Dragon on my field!" Ryusaken went on.

 _Cybullet Autotron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3/ATK 1600 → 1900/DEF 1000 → 1300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Ten." Flame corrected his fellow Ignis.

"Appear again, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken shouted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Metaltron, Positron as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! The righteous bow that takes down the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Shootingcoder Dragon**!" He yelled, an aquamarine colored dragon with a mechanical bow fixed on its right wrist appearing, its signature weapon seeming to possess an automatic loading and firing mechanism. It once again shared its main features of black horns, silver eyes and relatively slender build with a nigh humanoid, but still dragonic head with its monster group.

 _Cybullet Shootingcoder Dragon_

 _Water/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄↖▲▼)

( 77, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #25 Annihilation end)

"As I summoned it to my first Main Monster Zone and it possesses a Top-Left Arrow it co-links with Decoder Dragon in my second Negatron Extra Monster Zone, therefore making it Extra Linked due to Burst Mode treating any additional Extra Monster Zones as such! I then use Monster Reborn to bring back Cybullet Positron, while using Varrel Reload in order to revive Cybullet Metaltron as well!" Ryusaken told, his monsters making their return.

 _Cybullet Metaltron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1700 → 2000/DEF 1400 → 1700/Cyberse/Effect_

 _Cybullet Positron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 4/ATK 1800 → 2100/DEF 0 → 300/Cyberse/Effect_

"Appear once more, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken yelled again. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are three or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Metaltron, Positron and Autotron as well as the phantom image of Ghostvullet Dragon into the Link Markers! The mighty naginata that sweeps down upon the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Macrocoder Dragon**!" Bullseye proclaimed, a mostly yellow dragon with a few white highlights and the classic black wingspans with white wing parts above it appearing. Attached and merged to its right arm was a great naginata, a cross between a spear and a sword commonly used in Japan.

 _Cybullet Macrocoder Dragon_

 _Divine/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙◄↖↘)

"This monster will be summoned to the first Positron Main Monster Zone neighboring the fifth Main Monster Zone with Transcoder Dragon in it!" Ryusaken declared.

"Amazing! They already had all attributes previously, but that was with an effect that turned all monsters into Water and Divine Monsters! Now they have brought these seven attributes to the field properly!" Aoi exclaimed.

Akemi smiled. "Yes, they now control a full lineup of Coder Dragons!" She told in a hopeful voice, now being fully confident that her father could win this previously hopeless duel.

"I use the effect of Crack Dragon to have Powercoder Dragon gain the attribute Dark! It is therefore Triple Dark until the end of this turn!" The collective duelist declared, the red dragon gaining an additional layer for its dark aura.

 _Cybullet Powercoder Dragon: Attribute Fire, Double Dark, Water, Divine → Fire, Triple Dark, Water_ _,_ _Divine_

"Then appear one last time, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken yelled for a final time. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are one or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Crack Dragon as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet, Quickvullet and Cybullet Electron Dragon into the Link Markers! With crushing impact the katana of destiny crashes down upon the closed world! With heroic spirit it will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Discoder Dragon**!" Ryusaken aka Bullseye as his Vrains Form was called shouted, a mostly black purplish dragon bearing a resemblance to Decoder Dragon appearing, its right arm weapon being more curved, thinner, but also much more elegant and sharp and less crude.

 _Cybullet Discoder Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖↘▼)

"I summon it to the first Positron Extra Monster Zone my Crack Dragon was in! Then the effect of Macrocoder Dragon! While I have an Extra Link which I do thanks to the effect clarification on Cybullet Burst Mode, all of my zones are treated as co-linked, therefore all of my monsters are Extra Linked as well! But I'll cut to the main attraction and use its effect! I can once per turn target a monster and special summon a monster from my graveyard with equal or lower level or Link Rating respectively! I target Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon and revive Cybullet Crack Dragon to my second Positron Main Monster Zone!" He shouted, the monster arising in the second zone on the right extra field Discoder Dragon pointed to with its Bottom-Right Arrow. Not that Ryusaken needed to fulfill this requirement as now all of his zones were co-linked and he could summon Extra Deck Monsters everywhere he pleased.

 _Cybullet Crack Dragon_

 _Dark/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (↙↖↗↘)

"Link-Monsters summoned this way cannot use their effects for the rest of this turn!" They declared together before Yusaku's eye manifested on the left side of their face, the color of the orb turning from turquoise to emerald green. "Err, Ryoken, how about summoning one more? I know we can already steamroll that A.I., but something tells me that we could need the counterpart to Anticode Talker." Yusaku spoke up.

Ryoken nodded, his right eye manifesting in its true color. "Very well. If you give me this advice, I will listen to your instinct." He responded before continuing with his merged voice.

"Discoder Dragon's effect! Once per turn it can bring back a Dark Dragon or Cyberse in defense mode, with negated effects that is! Come back, Cybullet Electron Dragon!"

 _Cybullet Electron Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 7/ATK 2700 → 3000/DEF 1500 → 1800/Cyberse/Effect_

"Its secondary effect! Once per turn I can target one monster it points to and destroy it while giving a monster I control the ability to be unaffected by your card effects for this turn! I target Crack Dragon to give Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon this effect! Also you cannot react to this effect as all of my Coder Dragons and Crack Dragon share this ability with the Varrel Dragons! Discode Domination!"

"What?! You're destroying your own monster?!" Ai repeated in surprise.

"For this effect it would be worth it! However, the effects of all my dragons! Link-Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by monster effects of monsters with the same attribute as themselves! As Cybullet Discoder Dragon is a Dark Monster and I have plenty of Dark on my field, Crack Dragon will survive this effect, while Noblefire still receives that power-up!" Ryusaken declared, the black aura around his monster shielding it.

"That even works with your monster effects?!" Ai exclaimed.

"Of course it does! Yubi is kind of a perfectionist, you know? Anyway, by banishing Quickvullet Dragon from my graveyard I summon Advancevullet Dragon, raising its level by that of Quickvullet!" Ryusaken went on.

 _Advancevullet Dragon_

 _Dark/Level 3 → 6/ATK 1200 → 1500/DEF 700 → 1000/Dragon/Effect_

"Then appear, this time for the final time for real, our circuit that illuminates the way to a new destiny!" Ryusaken shouted. "Arrowheads confirmed! The summoning conditions are two or more Effect-Monsters! I set Cybullet Electron Dragon and Advancevullet Dragon as well as the phantom images of Ghostvullet and Quickvullet Dragon into the Link Markers! The claws that rip open even the hindmost parts of the closed world! With heroic spirit they will prevail! LINK SHŌKAN! Arrive on the battlefield, Link 4, **Cybullet Excoder Dragon**!" They yelled, a dark green dragon with claws on both of its arms joining the already impressive lineup of monsters. It appeared in the third Negatron Main Monster Zone, the one just left from the edge of the normal field.

 _Cybullet Excoder Dragon_

 _Wind/Link 4/ATK 3000 → 3300/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄▲►▼)

Ai, the eyes of his copied young adult Yusaku body wide open, gazed at the probably most impressive monster formation he'd ever seen. Beginning from his right – or Ryoken's left – there were three free zones at first, namely the first Negatron Monster Column with an empty Extra and Main Monster Zone, followed by a one zone column that was empty as well. But then came the real thing: Two monsters in the next column bordering the left edge of Ryoken's field (or right edge from Ai's point of view); the dark blue-purplish Decoder Dragon in the Extra Monster Zone, the dark greenish Excoder Dragon in the Main Monster Zone of that column. Then came the normal field of Ryoken, beginning with the aquamarine Shootingcoder Dragon in the first Main Monster Zone. Right from that (from Ryusaken's point of view) was the light green Anticoder Dragon in the second Main Monster Zone. The next was the azure-whitish Encoder Dragon in the middle of Ryusaken's normal field, followed up by the red Powercoder Dragon in the fourth Main Monster Zone. Above it, in the right (normal) Extra Monster Zone stood the extraordinary form of Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon, a Synchro-Link-Hybrid. Final on the normal board was the orange Transcoder Dragon in the fifth Main Monster Zone. But Ryusaken wasn't finished there, as due to Cybullet Burst Mode his field had extended rightwards as well, continuing with the Positron Field which posed the counterpart to the five-zoned Negatron Field on the other side. First came the bright yellow Macrocoder Dragon, being below the black-purplish Discoder Dragon. Finally was the black dragon with green gems on its body, the remake of Cracking Dragon, Cybullet Crack Dragon, in the second Positron Main Monster Zone. Much like the other side Ryusaken's Positron Field had a few yet unoccupied spots, two more zones being free, one Extra and one Main Monster Zone in the column right from Crack Dragon, the final of his extended field.

"Decoder Dragon's effect! It gains 500 ATK per monster it points to, meaning two! That's 1000 ATK for it!" Ryusaken spoke up, making the finishing touches before the Battle Phase.

 _Cybullet Decoder Dragon: ATK 3300 → 4300_

"Now Varrelknight Noblefire's effect at last! For every monster in zones it points to one of your monsters loses 500 ATK and DEF while Noblefire gains twice as many stats! With my Encoder and Transcoder Dragon in my third and fifth Main Monster Zone respectively plus my daughter in your third Main Monster Zone, Cyberse Darknet Dragon will lose 1500 ATK while Noblefire gains 3000! Noble Crusade!" Ryusaken proclaimed, the monster draining Aoi Jr. in her changed appearance from three fifths of her strength.

 _Cyberse Darknet Dragon/Aoi: ATK 2500 → 1000_

 _Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon: ATK 6800 → 9800_

"Also the effect of Powercoder Dragon! This monster is the replacement my son made for Varrelload Dragon in a sense, as it has the same stat lowering ability, with the exception that it lowers the ATK and DEF by 500 times the number of times Powercoder itself has the attribute Dark! As it is currently Triple Dark your Bugup Insulator will lose 1500 ATK!" Ryusaken went on, the monster firing a red laser at the female, weakening her.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Insulator: ATK 2600 → 1100_

"Finally the effect of Shootingcoder Dragon! I can target one monster it is linked to or with, granting it another attack! As my Macrocoder co-linked all my zones, I target Varrelknight Noblefire Dragon which is normally far out of reach for Shootingcoder, but now an option due to my Divine Coder Dragon! Shootingcode Storm!" He announced, the great white, red and blackish dragon growing additional cannons on its arms.

"Wow, now he can absolutely demolish that A.I.! Go, Ryusaken, beat the crap out of that Ignis!" Takeru exclaimed.

"Not just yet." Miyu murmured, prompting him to look over to her in confusion. Turning around to him, his wife continued. "I feel like there is still one great thing he wants to reveal before starting his attack. Something incredible." Miyu stated.

"And now I will show you something even you Ignis didn't think of yet! The proof of how far Yubi is ahead of you and your brethren!" Ryusaken addressed Ai.

"The proof of his superiority you say? Then show me, what did he think of that we didn't?!" Ai challenged his opponent.

"Gladly!" Ryusaken retorted before raising up a card. "As I Link Summoned Encoder Dragon I got to add a spell or trap from my deck to the hand which can be activated from my hand during this turn, regardless of card type! And now I will use that card!" He announced.

"Then go ahead! Mirror Force, Magic Cylinder, Imperial Order, Mind Crush, Royal Decree, Solemn Judgment, Witch's Strike, Infinite Impermanence, Evenly Matched, Raigeki, Harpie's Feather Duster, I can take it all!" Ai shot back confidently.

"I can assure you that you won't be able to withstand this card! I activate my trap from the hand!" Ryusaken yelled, the searched out card starting to unleash a flash of light as it was played.

"This light! Just what is this?!" Ai shouted, shielding his eyes.

"Whatever it is, surely something of terrifying force." Lightning remarked.

"That much is certain." Earth chimed in.

"If Mirror Force is already as bright as it is when activated, what is that card then?" Akira spoke up as he realized the surplus in radiance this new card had in comparison to Ryoken's old signature trap card. He then looked over to his little sister. "What the hell has your son created?"

"I don't know, but it will surely live up to its entrance." Aoi replied, staring ahead in anticipation. Her husband began talking anew now.

"As you all probably know, the Kogami Family is infamous for their Trap Cards! However, this card brings it onto a whole new level! Witness the astonishing force of the card my son made! A trap card that exceeds the former limits of its card type!" He shouted, the light once more intensifying. As Ai caught a short glimpse on the card, his eyes wide in horror.

"Impossible...! How can this be...?!" He whispered, utterly shell shocked. " **OH MY GOD!** " He then screamed, clutching the sides of his head in panic.

( 78, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #7 Fighting Spirit)

Ryusaken smirked victoriously. "Behold the power of a new generation! I will now activate this under the conditions it requires, being a Spell & Trap Zone a Link-Monster points to! Appear, the five cunning arrows of domination that echo with might! The ultimate Link Trap that will bring an end to the Closed World! **Domination Link Trap – Revolver Arrows**!" He yelled, a trap with five red Link Markers on its artwork revealing itself as the light subsided. Five red shots of energy extended upwards and sideways from the Spell & Trap Zone in the middle of his field, the merged male meanwhile breaking into a brief laughter of victory.

 _Domination Link Trap – Revolver Arrows_

 _Trap/Link_ (◄↖▲↗►)

"A Link Trap you say?!" Kami repeated in disbelief.

"No way!" Aqua added, equally shocked.

"Is that why you left your Spell & Trap Zones in the middle of your field free?!" Ai asked, eyes widening in realization.

"Exactly! And now the effect of Revolver Arrows! Much like your Domination Link Magic is disables the restriction that allows only controlling one of its kind, but that also works with Link Spells here! And it can call reinforcements from my deck or hand when activated! So appear, the three arrows that will renew the world! **Link Trap – Vullet Arrows**!" Ryoken went on, a second Link Trap arising in his second Spell & Trap Zone.

 _Link Trap – Vullet Arrows_

 _Trap/Link_ (↖▲↗)

"Another?!" Windy cried out in shock.

"That's right! But I'm not finished yet! I can activate another card from my deck as I still have a neighboring zone left! But it won't be a Link Trap!" Ryusaken declared.

"What?! Do you mean...?!" Ai muttered.

"Exactly! Appear, the three arrows that will judge the world! Link Magic – Judgement Arrows!" Ryusaken shouted as three yellow arrows shoot upwards, the spell being activated in his fourth Spell & Trap Zone.

 _Link Magic – Judgement Arrows_

 _Spell/Link_ (↖▲↗)

"How come your son has a Judgement Arrows?! And why would he use it?!" Ai addressed him in disbelief.

"He created one with his Storm Access! And for why he is using it, as I said, he is not that stupid to ignore obvious power, even if it comes from the enemy!" Ryusaken replied fiercely. "Anyway, my Domination Link Trap offers me four additional Spell & Trap Zones while I have a Dark Dragon or Cyberse Monster in my Extra Monster Zone and control only such monsters!" He continued, his field expanding in the same manner as Ai's had before.

"This is a most concerning development." Lightning spoke up, relatively collected. "Link Monster, Link Hybrid, Link Magic, and lastly Link Trap. The Kogami Family is surely a terrifying group of individuals." He stated.

"With the power of these cards in my back I will crush you! My Varrelload Noblefire can attack twice and has almost 10000 ATK, also being unaffected by your card effects due to Discoder's effect, as well as disabling your Link Magics and face-down cards when it attacks! And just in case my Cybullet Positron Dragon disabled you from activating effects from your graveyard during this turn! You have lost!" Ryusaken announced, the great dragon preparing itself.

( 78, Yugioh Vrains Sound Duel 2 #7 Fighting Spirit ends at 1:26)

Ai looked downwards, his downcast eyes indicating his own resignation of imminent defeat. "I'm sorry, everyone. I couldn't protect you after all. I'm such a failure." He uttered hopelessly.

"Oh my god yes, the bastard is giving up at last! Go Ryusaken, do him a favor and end his pitiful existence!" Takeru cheered, the thought about revenge for his family and Kiku getting the better of him, twisting the knife in the mental wound of the Ignis.

"It indeed appears that he has won. I feel a bit sorry for Ai, but at least our world will be saved." Aoi murmured with a smile halfway in between joy and sadness.

"At last you shitheads get the punishment for torturing my little sister! Go Ryusaken, kill the Ignis!" Miyu Jr. shouted. Suddenly a loud roar startled everyone, the present persons looking into the sky.

( 79, Blood of the Demon – Nanatsu no Taizai OST Extended)

"What in the world was that?!" Kengo spoke up in confusion.

"No idea. It sounded almost like thunder." Go replied.

"Look, up there!" Aligheria shouted, pointing upwards into the sky on the horizon.

With mouth agape, Miyu Senior looked into the sky, her gaze fixated on a number of flying objects. With horror she remembered a dream she once had, where a figure had approached and addressed her.

* * *

" _Who are you?" A small child version of Miyu addressed the figure._

" _That's not relevant. Just know that I am part of you and someone whose words you should head, dear Miyu. Now listen: There are ten dark dragons, the embodiments of death. Wherever they appear great chaos and suffering shall follow. You need to remember them to be prepared should they one day appear before you."_

 _The young girl nodded. "Then what is their name? And how do they look like? I need a bit of information, you know?" Young Miyu asked the female figure whose body was veiled in great luminescence._

" _I will tell you. Remember each and everyone accurately, please." The female retorted to her._

 _Miyu nodded eagerly. "I will. Now tell me, please!" She instructed the radiant woman._

" _Very well..." The woman retorted._

* * *

(min 0:35)

" _The tenth and least menacing dragon is Catastorius, the Envoy of Decay. Wherever he goes life withers and rots away. He savors the suffering of his victims and likes to observe it as long as possible before killing them. You will recognize him by his dark green scales."_ The woman's voice echoed in Miyu's mind, a great dark green dragon flying over the scenery of the duel, the Link Citizens looking up to it in terror while the Ignis had knowing, victorious smirks on their faces. Miyu estimated the height of the creature whilst standing upright on about thirty meters, its length easily twice as much. As I flew over them the plants below it wilted and the small animals in VRAINS that were created with data provided by SOL Technologies died.

" _The ninth dragon is called Agnoventus, the Blizzard of Hell. Wherever he goes everything freezes and turns to icy cold. As icy as his element is his speech; he is cold and distant and shows no affection in his words whatsoever, even towards his kinsmen. You will recognize him by his mix of yellow and light blue scales."_ The next sentence of the woman went through Miyu's mind, her daughter clinging onto her, shivering. A dragon fitting the description flew above them at that, its size on par with the previous one.

" _The eighth dragon is called Gokethoris, the Meltdown of Hope. Wherever he goes everything burns away and is seared to ashes. He is the opposite of the previous dragon; his temper is as fiery as his flames and he shows great enthusiasm in destruction, be it conducted alone or together with his kinsmen. You will recognize him by his black scales."_ The woman went on, Miyu Jr. now sweating bullets from sheer heat, the forest beneath them catching fire as a black dragon soared above them.

" _The seventh dragon is Taraxes, the Gorgon's Gaze. Wherever he looks objects turn to stone. His is a mindset fairly neutral, however he views the suffering of people as a drama, as a show. His theatrical view of violence and pain makes him probably even more dangerous than Gokethoris who kills out of enthusiasm. You will recognize him by his red scales."_ The next sentence rolled through Miyu's mind, a dragon of said form and about the same size as the previous three flying over their heads, futuristic buildings in the far horizon turning to stone.

" _The sixth dragon is Syngelor, the Tearing Tyrant. Wherever he goes everything is sliced and torn apart. He is a creature full of lust, raping and torturing everything he pleases. You will recognize him by his light green and white scales."_ The woman's words went, Akira gritting his teeth as the front part of his D-Board was cut off, the mentioned creature following after its four predecessors.

" _The fifth dragon is Vholgar, the Shadow of Lightning. Wherever he goes lightnings electrocute and exterminate all life. He is calm and collected, but he strikes as merciless and viciously as the lightning, giving no warning before he attacks. You will recognize him by his black, gray and purplish scales."_ The next line was remembered by Miyu, a lightning being dodged by a surprised Jin who had just enough time to react due to the powers and speed he gained from the Light Ignis. A dragon matching the description hovered above them as that happened.

" _The fourth dragon is Patexis, the Pierce of Despair. Wherever he goes everything is impaled and pierced. He looks down upon others and views them as lowly scum, having bad patience, but in return for that even more wickedness. You will recognize him by his white and aquamarine scales."_ The woman's voice told, Miyu flinching in disbelief as she felt unbearable pain in her chest. With horror she found he stomach impaled by a bluish spike, the woman pulling it out with a hiss before activating the healing powers she had gained from Aqua, applying them on the wound. This happened as yet another dragon flew over them.

" _The third dragon is Komaronis, the Wicked Torturer. Wherever he goes everything is flayed and their guts are brought to the outside as their husks are ripped away. He doesn't like superficial behavior and seeks a more reasonable way than the other dragons. As such his powers and behavior harmonize, for he is the practical inventor of skinning and greatly savors tearing the flesh from the bodies of his victims. You will recognize him by his purple scales."_ Miyu remembered, her husband making a sharp hiss, looking at a flesh wound on his back that looked like it had been caused by a whiplash. Miyu flew over to him with her board and began healing him as well, the male sighing in relief.

" _The second dragon is Luficimus, the Treacherous Annihilator. Wherever he goes everything is destroyed by the sheer might of eradication itself. He is calm and cunning, planning his destruction meticulously. You will recognize him by his light blue and silver scales."_ The woman said in her memory, a dragon of said looks having pitch-black wingspans much like all of its comrades soaring above them, the plain above which they flew over now starting to lose more and more of its surface until it was nothing but a giant hole.

" _And the first and final dragon who leads those ten is Bellarion, the Eternal Megalomaniac. His nature is so cruel and malicious that I cannot even begin describing it to you. He tortures, kills, destroys – if there is one thing here on Earth that you could call the devil, it would probably be him. Weapons cannot harm him, for he holds the highest form of immortality there is. Out of boredom he sometimes even mutilates himself, only for everything to grow back instantaneously. Nothing can kill him, not even he himself. When he fights, he humiliates his opponents and shows them the greatest anguish imaginable before he kills them. Restraint is not known to him, for he exerts his power and seeks to destroy any potential rival. Beware of him, Miyu, for he is the most wicked of them all, the one with the strength to even lead a group as chaotic and insane as these dragons. You will recognize him by his dark blue and black scales, as well as his extraordinary size that eclipses even the nine other dragons by far."_ The female of her past dream concluded, a creature of around a hundred meters in height whilst upright standing and likely over three times that number in length projecting a shadow onto her and the by-flying people. As Ryusaken charged up and fired a blast composed of the Ignis Elements he had inherited as his power, one that would normally blast away a big city, the dragon merely growled mockingly as the projectile hit him on his torso, leaving not even a scratch. The dark blue slitted eyes of the being turned downwards, fixating Ryusaken and giving him a jeering stare, the fangs of the beast gritted in victory, belittling the male.

( 79, Blood of the Demon – Nanatsu no Taizai OST Extended end)

"These dragons? What are they?" Ryusaken asked in slight terror, his resolve starting to waver.

Ai chuckled with renewed hope in his voice. "If the Eagles are the envoys of victory for those they appear for in Lord of the Rings, those dragons are the same for us Clades! Much like you were brought back from the brink of despair, I was just now as well! Because these are the direct servants of Lord Anselm, fragments of his own soul!" He declared before looking skywards at the ten dragons whom now flew circles above him. "Lord Anselm, lend me your power so I can protect my world and defeat my enemy! I promise to not disappoint you!" He yelled.

-"I shall grant you that wish!"- The ten dragons responded, the dark lord using the dragons as a medium to speak with. They accelerated their movements, a dark snow-like substance raining down upon the Ignis in its new body. Screaming in agony Ai's members twisted uncontrollably. But eventually screams of agony turned into crazed victorious laughter, the dark aura around his body growing manifold. After a while the dragons stopped, vanishing into the distance after that.

"What just happened to you?!" Ryusaken inquired in shock.

( 80)

Ai retorted with a look of both anger and malice in his now once again yellow eyes. "I think I'll just show you! All of this pain will be worth it once I save Cyberse! **ADAPTION MULTI SKILL – FIRST STAGE: BLACK RESURRECTION** ACTIVATE! I revive one Dark Monster from my graveyard! Return, Link 3, Bugup Linker!" He shouted, the female monster reappearing.

 _Darknet Force – Bugup Linker_

 _Dark/Link 3/ATK 2200/Cyberse/Link/Effect_ (◄►▼)

"And then she and one more of my monsters has her stats changed! I apply this effect on her and Bugup Supervisor!" Ai declared.

"Has her stats changed? In how far? What are you playing at?" Ryusaken addressed him intensely.

Ai grinned devilishly, the scleras of his human body which resembled a young adult version of Yusaku turning pitch-black, much to Ryusaken's shock. "I will tell you!" He announced before spreading his arms. "You will know once I do this! **ADAPTION MULTI SKILL – SECOND STAGE: BIRTH OF DARKNESS** ACTIVATE! It allows me to use monsters as summoning material during your turn! I manifest the Dark Circuit with my two monsters as its sacrifices!" He announced.

-"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE?!"- The Link Citizens cried out in fearful confusion.

"Something special!" Ai grinned back before raising his arms. "Now my two monsters will be sacrificed!" He shouted, ignoring the cries of anguish coming from the two females. "Bugup Supervisor has negative stats of 2! Bugup Insulator has negative stats of 3!" He chuckled darkly. "Now darkness will unveil itself in its purest form!" Ai yelled with wide open eyes, the two monsters occupying two and three markers of a pitch-black circuit with a dark blue-purplish arrow color each. Then the two circuits merged with each other, the one with more arrows cannibalizing the other to steal its two markers, now possessing five.

(min 0:28)

"The arrows...! They are inverted...!" Aoi stammered in disbelief of the sight in front of her.

"What is going on?! That circuit is pitch-black!" Ryusaken shouted in terror.

"Indeed! Because this is a dark method! To every summoning method exists a dark counterpart, like for our Link Summoning for instance. This one requires monsters with dark stats that can come from both sides, like those of my monsters I gave them with my Skill for instance. They were created by Lord Anselm who gains power from death and bloodshed. As such is the nature of these methods: Instead of strengthening each other through a mutual bond, those material monsters absorb and cannibalize each other to steal each other's powers! There was once a group of individuals called the Dark Signers who knew one of these methods, but they were unable to understand it to its fullest, so they just called it Dark Synchro. The only human that has ever grasped the dark methods in their entirety was Sibyl, the prophetess who lived in the Cumae of Ancient Italy! As such, the terms considered the true names of these methods are in Latin!" Ai explained.

"So if you combine two monsters with a reverse of Link 2 and 3...!" Ryusaken stammered in disbelief.

"Exactly! With those materials I can summon for Conjunctio Terminens Minus 5!" Ai declared, flipping a faintly light blue card of ghostly color, bearing five dark blue-purplish arrows that were inverted.

"Impossible...!" Ryusaken uttered in horror.

"WHEN SHADOWS ARE CONSUMED BY EVEN DARKER SHADOWS, THE CURTAIN REVEALS THE SIGHT OF A NEW ERA – A WORLD OF ONLY DARKNESS AND DESPAIR! **CONJUNCTIO TERMINENS INVOCATIO** (Lat.: Limiting Connection Summon)! RYUSAKEN, YOU PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT I WOULD JUST USE AOI-CHAN OR ONE OF MY DEAR BUGUPS AS A SHIELD, BUT I AM NOT THAT LOWLY! BEHOLD, I NOW SUMMON MYSELF!" He announced.

-" _ **YOURSELF?!**_ "- Ryusaken and the rest of his people yelled in horror.

"That's right! Face the power of darkness! The omnipotence of the Dark Ignis of Perfection manifests in the form of a black creature! It guards the gates to Cyberse and strikes down anything that seeks to harm it!" Ai shouted, his human body turning back to his Ignis one, though with human size. Then it bulged up, two great wings bearing one colorful gem above each of its wrinkles growing from his back. His soft hands turned to dark claws, seven differently colored blades welding and creating a new that attached itself to his right wrist. His build grew more muscular and bulky, the head retaining its elongated shape even if experiencing a change as well, but growing predatory fangs. The two pitch-black wings that were curling around the body unfolded, giving a view onto the black body with intensely purple-glowing lines on it. The yellow eyes gained black pupils that turned into slits, gaining a more wicked but primarily fiercely protective expression. Gasping in horror Aoi looked at the enormous creature, at least fifty to sixty meters in height. The spikes with the colorful gems around the neck had been kept, now being far bigger, all of the jewels on them glowing with great radiance. The Necrotic Ring had grown alongside its bearer, the brown-gemmed object on the right middle claw of the creature spreading black veins of a sickening look occupying the whole bladed right arm. On the middle of the chest the seven Ignis Symbols shone as well, the creature flapping its wings to gain a bit of altitude and shifting itself before the female monsters it cared about before addressing Ryusaken in a far deeper voice.

" **IF YOU WANT TO HURT AOI-CHAN OR CYBERSE, YOU HAVE TO GET PAST ME FIRST! NOW COME!** " Ai growled loudly, his intense shout causing a small hurricane. " **BEHOLD MY TRUE SELF,** _ **CYBERSE IGNIS DRACO!**_ " He bellowed, the indicator showing the highly unusual monster's stats at that. Its arrows were in the same places as Cybullet Crack Dragon with the addition of a Bottom Link Arrow, but due to them being inverted the Bottom-Left Link Marker turned into a Top-Right one, still being in the bottom-left corner of the card, but pointing inwards rather that outwards, the other arrows following suit.

 _Cyberse Ignis Draco/Ai_

 _Dark/Conjunctio Terminens -5/ATK 3000/Cyberse/Conjunctio Terminens/Effect_ (↗↘↙↖▲)

Yusaku's eye manifested with worry in it, looking over to Ryoken's shocked one. He addressed him quietly after that.

"Ryoken, I know we have already fought all seven Ignis at once before and are currently in possession of Yubi's deck, but I feel like this will still be the hardest fight we have ever had." He told. And with an united battle cry of determination on both sides, the real clash between the Dark Ignis of Perfection and the two males that had been merged into one began.

( 80, Yugioh 5D's Sound Duel 2 Disc 2 #5 Dark Tuning ends)

* * *

 **NOTES:**

 **Well, that was something I guess. The Conflict of Counterparts turned out to be between humans and Ignis, counterparts because the latter had copied the bodies of the former. After a brief look into the Paragon-Dimension we enter the main setting of this chapter, the Link-Dimension. First we learn about the Stratos Family, which turns out to be the Sugisaki Family due to Miyu hiding her true self by using her Vrains Avatar in real life. Note that avatars in general are just empowered, differently looking forms in this story, they are not inclusive to in- and outside of LINK VRAINS respectively and can be used in both, while they are not a mandatory change when entering the network. I once said that Kumo's parents were half Legacy Character - half OC, and in a way it was true as Elizabeth Stratos is surely not looking like Miyu's real Vrains Avatar which is about to appear in Yugioh Vrains eventually. But with her real form Kumo has a full Legacy Character heritage. Furthermore she is pretty much the only Bracelet-Girl who has a sister with Miyu Jr., a girl who mirrors the relationship between her mother and Aoi due to her own friendship with the younger Aoi. She gets in a lot of arguments with her mother due to Miyu's Ignis-caused paranoia as she is an outgoing girl like her mother once was while her mother now prefers to stay in the background. Takeru on the other hand is a bit different from his Yugioh Vrains persona due to the lack of Lost Incident, but his hate on the killers of those he cared about is still the same, though he blames other culprits of course. In a way those two as Kumo's parents make sense as condensation of water which is a process caused by heat leads to clouds, so whilst looking at their respective decks this result is logical.**

 **Regarding the Ignis, they are quite different in here as well, mainly due to the stuff they went through, first a war, then dying. As Ai said, war changes you, and dying and then coming back to life while one's killer is still out there changes you even more. As the decks of Aqua and Ai were taken as spoils of war they now have new decks, Aqua one that has a rather complicated playstyle due to her need of top deck awareness, Ai the simpler one as he simply flips his deck upside-down to blatantly look at his cards at all times. Both ways plan ahead, but Ai is on Recruit Difficulty whereas Aqua as the Ignis that struck me as smarter is on Veteran Difficulty. Though the rest of Ai** **'s deck compensates for that as it is fairly complex.** **About the seven people associated with the Ignis, note that this is not an Origin Relationship like in Vrains, but more of a victim relationship – Kengo and Go are not the Ignis Origins of Windy and Earth in Yugioh Vrains, but they both have lost the most from them, turning those pairs into hate-hate relationships between Ignis and humans. Other pairs fit the Vrains canon, like Miyu and Aqua, Takeru and Flame, Jin (plus his brother who is always by his side and assisting him) and Lightning, Yusaku (technically) and Ai, and finally as the custom one Ryoken and Kami. Those human individuals have gained Ignis Power, some of them based on the Vrains canon, others invented by me. They serve as a way to make the Link Citizens relevant in eventual supernatural fights. Their counterparts on the Ignis side however have now revived and copied their bodies in the state they were in back during the previous war, so while Ryoken and the others now are at the beginning of their forties, the Ignis look like a bunch of twenty year old humans with irises of their Ignis eye colors, but otherwise human bodies. They can also choose to assume the human eye colors of their respective victim, like Aqua and Ai can have blue and green eyes like Miyu and Yusaku for instance.**

 **I will not go over too much details of the two great duels in here, but as you saw there are plenty of new things. As a little question of the chapter I'd appreciate it if you were to tell me your favorite dueling related innovation that appeared in this chapter. One thing about the dueling though: This chapter features the debut of the Extra Rules. They serve both as a way too keep duels entertaining as there will be plenty of them which change the dueling on a considerable level. But there are also some Extra Rules that are less niche, Great Clash for instance, the one which turns the duels into real life ones regarding the starting LP as they become 8000. This fixes a few writing difficulties and makes me more comfortable as I generally still orientate card design on real life standards. An Extra Rule can only be introduced to a duel if both players agree with it or if it has purely negative effects for the user or purely positive effects for the opponent. Of course some decks can draw power from extra downsides as well, for instance Infernity would greatly appreciate a free discarding Extra Rule which is purely negative for the user in the sense of a common duel – and therefore allowed to be used without the consent of the opponent. The "purely negative/positive" is judged by the standards of average dueling, for instance taking damage or discarding cards is bad while gaining LP and drawing cards is considered good. But as some decks can profit from "negative" actions, these rules can strengthen some characters considerably. Though the opponent is then allowed to also use that same rule of course if they please to (it would be considered consent after all), even if that might not benefit them. Certain formats will block duelists from using Extra Rules or have a set of unchangeable Extra Rules everyone has to play with, some characters will have means to prevent them or mess with them in other ways. There will be extraordinary Extra Rules, but there will also be a much more common set of rules with greater popularity. But for the most part we only play with 8000 LP in the majority of duels from now on.**

 **Then we have the Clades Duodecimae, the organization that will play a major role during the ongoing of this story. Its leader Anselm poses a major villain in opposition to Zarc who is both good in a way as he indirectly works on Ray's side (meaning against Zarc), but also has many taints of his own that make his benevolence highly questionable.** **About the looks of his armor, I was probably not able to get across Anselm's metal suit properly, so if you want to really know how it looks like, look up the Mandarin from Iron Man Armored Adventures. The show was admittedly not that great, even for a kids TV Marvel franchise one, but at least the Mandarin had a dope appearance there, unlike in Iron Man 3 where the backlash of the community got so big that they had to release a oneshot video where the supposed Mandarin seen in the movie gets to face the consequences for imitating the real one. In said TV show the comic book character finally had a portrayal I really liked, the evil shogun armor looking utterly badass. Imagine a recolor of it and you have pretty much Anselm's armor. And yes, the fact that Anselm has rings was also inspired from the Mandarin, I just love that character so much.** **Ai is one of his twelve servants, the Exstinctor Primus, meaning the seventh-highest ranked Clades. That's about it about them for now, but as one last thing please note that "Clades" is a Latin word that has the same form for its singular and plural, so if you refer to only one Clades and want to make it clear that you are doing so, please use the singular of the second word, the numeral which is attached to it, "Duodecimae". As it means twelve and is in its plural form, turn it into "Duodecima", the singular form. Long story short, "Clades Duodecimae" – All/Many/Some of the Twelve Calamities; "Clades Duodecima" – One of the Twelve Calamities. Please do me that favor, as someone who had Latin in school it triggers me incredibly when someone assumes the singular as "Clade"; it sounds like an English name for some garden tool. And as far as I know it also refers to something in genetic biology, with family trees I believe.**

 **Now onto one of the major characters: Ai, the Dark Ignis. He went through a lot of stuff and assumed the leading position among his kinsmen. This of course forced him to grow up and he also speaks more eloquently and solemnly, but at the core he is still the same Ignis we all know and love. I decided to retain his silliness which leaks through on some occasions where he appears rather goofy due to his actions and words. Furthermore I kept his liking for being praised, as shown in his step to make himself a deck with monsters that are alive and do nothing but adore him. His genuine care about those monsters and his Ignis comrades also led to his fierce determination – which is alongside the fact that he is the only Ignis with real instinct the main reason why Anselm picked him over Kami who is essentially this universe's version of Bohman. His care about his companions, as visible in original show scenes like that where he learns about what SOL did to Earth, resulted in him adapting a grim will to save and protect his now rebuilt world and people, alongside Aoi whom he has kidnapped. I suppose that Flame already established the fact that Ignis can feel affection towards humans with his flustered face upon meeting Ghost Girl. Overall he treats the younger Aoi really kindly as he genuinely loves her and is even hurt by the fact that he has to force her to kill her own father with her Duel Monster Form, also turning himself into a living shield for her and his Bugups by summoning himself at the very end of this chapter, symbolizing his self-sacrificial will to protect Cyberse and those he loves. And interestingly enough he walks down a similar path of revenge as his Origin Yusaku did in the first season of Vrains. Long story short, he has entirely new elements you are likely not used to with him, but at the very core he remains the same as he still has the majority of his defining qualities. He is just really powerful now and has craptons of responsibility, something he never really had with his previous lazy attitude. And I guess it's true what the say, responsibility can turn even the greatest jokester into a solemn ruler. (EDIT: This chapter was written and released before Season 3 of VRAINS began, just so you know. The fact that he seems to turn into a villain from now on, according to what I can see in the Opening 3 that is, just shows how great my predictions skills are, right? But all self praise aside, it** **'s interesting that Ai indeed received a human form.** **)**

 **The second person we need to talk about is Yusaku: It's hard to tell how he would have developed without the Lost Incident. It's even harder to tell how he would have developed while trapped in someone else for his entire life of forty years. But I just went ahead and made him a lot less tensed up, as this was most likely a trauma-caused character change – in his youth he seemed perfectly normal, so I supposed that he would turn into a normal adult under normal conditions. Then again one could argue that being trapped in someone else could cause problems of its own, and that is certainly true, but with the way he was merged he basically experienced everything Ryoken did, just not fully realistic. Technically he grew up just like Ryoken, but it felt more like a simulation to him, not fully real as he couldn't sense anything normally with his organs – food didn't taste like anything really for him, just to name one example. He has a bit of an uncommunicative shy nature, much like in Vrains, but instead of the Lost Incident the reason for that is mainly just his preference to stay in the background, as shown with his attitude to rather remain in Ryoken's mind which resulted in the latter having to make use of some extra convincing. He is just extremely respectful of others and therefore didn't want to bother Ryoken with his presence by forcing him to sacrifice part of his own life, being the gentleman he is. But luckily Ryoken was willing to share his body, the other male now greatly savoring the real sensations he is experiencing. He is essentially the opposite of his Vrains persona now – instead of feeling like his time was stopped he now enjoys life to its fullest, given he experiences it properly for the very first time starting now. Due to that and his lack of Lost Incident he is much happier and smiles a lot more, also displaying other rather common emotions as he even does normal adult things like flirting with his (technically speaking) wife Aoi, whom he is admittedly pretty fond of as well. In combination with the crush Ai has on Aoi Jr. consider it convoluted double Angelmakershipping. Something he retained is his characteristic calmness though, in addition to his strong sense of justice. He admittedly shouted quite a bit in the mindscape sequence, but that was either due to the strain of Storm Access or from his disgust about Ryoken's "I give up because of personal reasons and let everyone die"-attitude. He also needed to play the strong part as Ryoken was literally at the rock bottom of hope, feeling like everything he ever believed in had betrayed him as Ai revealed the truth about the war to him. But with a reversed situation than in Vrains he was saved by Yusaku, now being determined once again. One last thing about Yusaku, his relationship to Yubi had a few foreshadowings, so I suppose for those aware enough it wasn't all that surprising. Aside from the summoning chant which Yusaku mentioned he also did a three-count once in Chapter 8, though in his own variation using the letters A, B and C. Even when inheriting habits he still tries to be his own person. Furthermore Zarc made a pretty big hint with his "A second Storm Access? Well, considering his predecessors he should have at least two after all!" comment in Chapter 11, and I guess the fact that I chose Playmaker's Theme for his finish against Sora is pretty obvious too. And then there is also Akemi and her hair colors of course.**

 **Next chapter we will continue the ongoing duel between Ai and Ryusaken. For the sake of Yubi receiving his new proper deck composed of dragon versions of the Code Talkers and Yusaku and Ryoken Monsters alike, daddy should better win. But with a Dark Method on Ai's side and who knows what else it's still questionable if Ryusaken can accomplish that. By the way, as I forgot to mention this: For Conjunctio Terminens aka Dark Link Monsters you have to keep in mind that their arrows are inverted. They are still in the same places, they just point to the inside of the card. As I usually start with Bottom-Left in the card boxes of duels and then continue clockwise, finishing with Bottom, the Conjunctio Terminens Monsters start with Top-Right, but as the arrows of those dark monsters are inverted that arrow is still in the Bottom-Left corner of the card, just pointing in the reverse direction. I continue clockwise as well, finishing with Bottom – which appears as Top in the stat box. So Ai's Monster Self has inverted arrows in the Bottom-Left, Top-Left, Top-Right, Bottom-Right and Bottom corner of his card, with each of them pointing inwards, therefore looking quite different in the stat box. So for future Conjunctio Terminens Monsters just remember to think mirrored when it comes to the positions of the arrows on the card, but retain the directions of them.**

 **Next time on YU-GI-OH! ARC-V2: "Conflict of Counterparts – Part 2: Scent of Death"**

 **Until next chapter,**

 **Haoh Ryu Z-ARC out!**


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